William Gowan Todd

William Gowan Todd (1820–1877) was a nineteenth-century author and cleric.[1] In the later years of his life he founded and managed St. Mary's Orphanage, Blackheath, England, where he died on 24 July 1877.[2]

Early life

The son of physician and president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Charles Hawkes Todd (1784–1826) and Elizabeth Bentley (1786–1862), William was born on 1820 in Dublin, Ireland. He is the eleventh of fifteen children and the brother of James Henthorn Todd, Robert Bentley Todd, and Armstrong Todd.

In 1831, Ireland experienced an epidemic of Asiatic cholera, which killed 5,632 people in Dublin and over 50,000 in Ireland.[3] It also nearly killed William Todd and his mother, Elizabeth.[3][4]

There is unconfirmed evidence that William married. It is said that after he completed his doctor in theology in Rome, his wife joined a religious order.[3]

Professional life

William Todd took holy orders in the Church of Ireland. With the help of his brother, Rev. James Henthorn Todd, William published two books:

  • The Church of St. Patrick: A Historical Inquiry into the Independence of the Ancient Church of Ireland (1844)[5][6][4]
  • A History of the Ancient Church of Ireland (1845)

William earned an A.B. from Trinity College in Dublin and was working on his doctorate. About 1845, Todd left the Anglican Church and joined the Roman Catholic Church. The motivation to change from Anglican to Roman Catholic was influenced by his oldest brother's colleague John Henry Newman and the Oxford Movement. Newman published a document called, "Remarks on Certain Passages in the Thirty-Nine Articles," or Tract 90. Newman's argument centered on the idea that the identity of the Church of England was more Catholic than Protestant. While William's departure from the church created discord among Anglo-Irish Protestant family members, his older brother James had leanings in the same direction.[3]

Under the guidance of John Henry Newman, William transferred to Rome to complete his Doctor of Divinity. He subsequently became a Roman Catholic priest. His calling took him to the poorest parishes in London and London's Blackheath district.[7][8] His brothers Dr. Robert Bentley Todd, Dr. Armstrong Todd, and other family members worked nearby.

About 1857, and under the direction of the Bishop of Southwark, William Gowan founded St. Mary's Orphanage for Boys at Park House, Cresswell Park, Blackheath, London.[7][8] Residents arrived between 6 and 12 years old. They remained until they reached 14 or 15 years of age.[9]

The Very Reverend William Gowan Todd, D.D. died at St. Mary's Orphanage in his 57th year on 24 July 1877.[10] He was buried on 27 July 1877 at Lewisham, London, England.[11]

Partial bibliography

Among Todd's other publications were:

References
  1. William, Todd (1877). Wills and Administrations. National Probate Calendar. p. 462.
  2. Acton, John Emerich (1906). Lord Acton and his Circle. University of Toronto: London Burns and Oates. pp. 2.
  3. Lyons, Paddy (2013). Romantic Ireland: From Tone to Gonne; Fresh Perspectives on Nineteenth-Century Ireland. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-4438-4420-8.
  4. Hanna, Patricia (McKee) (2015). James Henthorn Todd, a Tractarian at Trinity: Making Ireland in the Mid-Nineteenth-Century. The University of Dublin, Trinity College Library: Trinity College Library Dublin.
  5. Mant, Richard (1845). Horæ liturgicæ. The Position of the Church with Regard to Romish Error. London, England: Harrison & Company. p. 101.
  6. Maurice, Frederisk Denison (1847). The Religions of the World and Their Relations to Christianity. London, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 12 (Appendix).
  7. 1861 England Census, Greenwich West. District 17. Page 12 of 36
  8. 1871 England Census. Greenwich West. Page 15 of 38
  9. Higginbotham, Peter. "St Mary's Orphanage for Boys, Blackheath, London". Children's Homes. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  10. Todd, William Gowan (1 August 1877). "Deaths". The Belfast News-Letter. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  11. UK, Burial and Cremation Index, 1574-2014
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