Michael Hobart Seymour facts for kids

Michael Hobart Seymour (1800–1874) was an Irish clergyman. He was a Protestant and often debated religious topics. He wrote many books and lectured about his beliefs.

Michael Hobart Seymour's Life

Michael Hobart Seymour was born on September 29, 1800. He was one of many sons. His father, John Crossley Seymour, was a vicar. A vicar is a type of church leader. Michael's brother was Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour.

He went to Trinity College, Dublin. He earned his first degree there in 1823. Later, in 1832, he earned a master's degree. He also studied at University of Oxford for a short time.

Early Career and Move to England

Michael became a deacon in 1823. He became a priest in 1824. For the first 34 years of his life, he worked in Ireland. He was a church leader there. He also worked as a secretary. This was for the Irish Protestant Association.

He was a strong debater. He often argued about religious ideas. This made him quite unpopular in Ireland. Around 1834, he moved to England. In England, he gave many lectures. He spoke in places like St George the Martyr, Southwark. He also worked for the Reformation Society.

Later Life and Family

In January 1844, Seymour got married. He married Maria Thomas in Bath. Maria was the daughter of a general. She was also the widow of Baron Brown-Mill. After getting married, he lived in Bath when he was in England. He did not hold a regular church job there. In September 1844, he and his wife traveled to Rome.

Michael Hobart Seymour died on June 19, 1874. He passed away in Bath. He was buried at Locksbrook Cemetery. He did not have any children.

Michael Hobart Seymour's Writings

Seymour wrote for newspapers. He also published many pamphlets. He gave lectures against the Roman Catholic Church. In 1838, he helped publish a new version of John Foxe's famous book. It was called Acts and Monuments of the Church.

Books About Rome

He wrote two books about his trip to Rome. The first was A Pilgrimage to Rome. It came out in 1848. The second was Mornings among the Jesuits at Rome. This book was published in 1849. It shared notes from his talks with Jesuits in Rome.

People reviewed his books. Some people disagreed with his ideas. Seymour was good at presenting his facts. However, his conclusions were not always seen as reliable. He continued his discussions in another book. It was called Evenings with the Romanists. This book came out in 1854. It was also published in New York and Philadelphia. It was even translated into Spanish. This book was very popular in Mexico.

Debates and Lectures

In 1852, he gave a lecture about 'Nunneries'. This led to a debate. He argued with Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman. Cardinal Wiseman published a reply to Seymour's lecture.