Henry More (Jesuit) facts for kids

Father Henry More (1586–1661) was an English Jesuit priest and an important church historian. He was a great-grandson of Sir Thomas More, a famous English Lord Chancellor. Henry More spent much of his life serving the Jesuit order and writing about its history in England.

Henry More's Early Life and Education

Henry More was born in 1586. Most records say he was born in Essex, England. He was the son of Edward More. He was also the great-grandson of Sir Thomas More, a very important government official in England. It's good to know he had a cousin also named Henry More, born in 1567, so they weren't the same person!

Henry studied at the English Jesuit college in St. Omer. This is where he learned many important subjects. On November 19, 1607, he joined the novitiate at St. John's, Louvain. This was the first step to becoming a Jesuit priest. He likely continued his higher studies in Spain.

Roles and Responsibilities

In 1614, Henry More became a minister at the English college of St. Alban at Valladolid. A minister helps manage the daily life of the college. He held the same job at the college in St. Omer in 1621. On May 12, 1622, he took his final vows as a Jesuit.

From 1622 to 1632, he worked as a missioner in the London area. This meant he was helping to spread the Jesuit faith. In March 1628, he was among several Jesuits who were held at the Clerkenwell residence. In 1632, he was held in the New Prison in London. He was released in December 1633. After this, he became a chaplain for Lord Petre in Essex. A chaplain is a priest who serves a specific family or institution.

In 1635, Henry More was chosen as the provincial superior of his order. This was a very important leadership role for the Jesuits in England. He was held again, but was set free in July 1640.

In 1642, he became the vice-provincial of the order. He worked in London, helping the main provincial who was in Belgium. In 1645, he was the rector of the college of St. Ignatius. This college covered the London area.

Later, he became the rector of the college at St. Omer. By 1655, he was living in Essex again. In 1657, he was once more the rector of the college at St. Omer. He passed away in Watten, near St. Omer, on December 8, 1661.

Henry More's Writings

During his later years, Henry More wrote a very important history book about the English Jesuits. Its full title was Historia Missionis Anglicanæ, ab anno MDLXXX ad MDCXXXV. It was published in St. Omer in 1660.

Besides his own writings, he also translated some books. He translated Jerome Platus's Happiness of the Religious State in 1632. He also translated the Manual of Meditations by Thomas de Villa Castin in 1618. Henry More also wrote Vita et Doctrina Christi Domini, which was published in 1649. An English version of this book, called Life and Doctrines of our Saviour Jesus Christ, came out in 1656.

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:  "Henry More". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton.