Thomas Weld (cardinal) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Weld
Cardinal-priest of San Marcello al Corso
Cardinal Thomas Weld
Orders
Ordination	3 April 1821
Consecration	6 August 1826 by William Poynter
Created Cardinal	15 March 1830
Rank	Cardinal-priest
Personal details
Born	22 January 1773 London
Died	10 April 1837 (aged 64) Rome
Buried	Santa Maria in Aquiro, Rome
Nationality	English
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Parents	Thomas and Mary Weld
Spouse	Lucy Bridget Clifford
Children	Mary Lucy Weld
Previous post	Coadjutor Bishop of Kingston and Titular Bishop of Amyclae

Thomas Weld (born January 22, 1773 – died April 10, 1837) was an amazing English person who gave up his family's wealth to become a Catholic priest. He later became a Catholic bishop and then a cardinal, which is a very high rank in the Catholic Church.

Thomas Weld's Early Life and Family

Thomas Weld was born in London on January 22, 1773. He was the oldest of fifteen children. His parents were Thomas Weld and Mary Stanley. The family lived at Lulworth Castle in Dorset, England.

Thomas was taught at home by a Jesuit priest named Charles Plowden. His father, also named Thomas Weld, was very generous. In 1794, he gave land and buildings to the Society of Jesus to start a school called Stonyhurst College. He also helped many people who had to leave France during the French Revolution. He supported convents and even started a monastery.

Thomas Weld married Lucy Bridget Clifford on June 14, 1796. They had one daughter named Mary Lucy, who was born in 1799. Sadly, Thomas's wife, Lucy, passed away in 1815.

Mary Lucy's Family Life

Thomas's daughter, Mary Lucy, married her cousin, Hugh Charles Clifford, in 1818. They had eight children together. Some of their children became important figures. For example, William Clifford became a bishop, and Henry Hugh Clifford was a soldier who received the Victoria Cross for bravery.

Thomas Weld's Journey to Becoming a Cardinal

After his wife died and his daughter was married, Thomas Weld felt he could follow a religious path. He decided to become a priest. He gave up his family estates, including Lulworth, to his younger brother, Joseph Weld.

He was guided by his friend, the Abbé Carron. On April 7, 1821, Thomas Weld was ordained as a priest in Paris by the Archbishop of Paris, Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen. He also helped fund an orphanage in London.

Becoming a Bishop

In 1822, Thomas Weld started helping at a church mission in Chelsea, London. Later, he moved to Hammersmith. The Holy See (the Pope's main office) chose him to be a coadjutor (an assistant bishop) to Alexander Macdonell, who was the Bishop of Kingston, Ontario, in Canada.

On August 6, 1826, Thomas Weld became a bishop himself. He was given the title of Bishop of Amyclae, which was a town in Greece. The ceremony took place at St Edmund's College, Ware.

Becoming a Cardinal

Thomas Weld's trip to Canada was delayed because his daughter, Mary, was not well. He decided to go with her and her husband to Italy. While they were in Rome, something very important happened. On January 19, 1830, Pope Pius VIII decided to make Thomas Weld a cardinal.

The special ceremony happened on March 15, 1830. Thomas Weld became a cardinal priest of San Marcello al Corso in Rome. This was a very high honor.

Sadly, his daughter Mary passed away in Italy in 1831. She was buried in her father's church in Rome. People in England were very happy and proud that he had become a cardinal. Cardinal Weld lived in a grand apartment in the Odescalchi Palace in Rome. He often welcomed important people and many of his fellow English countrymen there.

Cardinal Thomas Weld passed away on April 10, 1837. He was buried in the church of Santa Maria in Aquiro in Rome. A famous speech was given at his funeral by Nicholas Wiseman, who later also became a cardinal.

Joseph Weld: Thomas's Brother

Meanwhile, Thomas's brother, Joseph Weld (1777–1863), had received the Pylewell Park estate as a wedding gift. After Thomas gave up the Lulworth estate, Joseph and his family moved there.

Joseph was a big fan of yachts and sailing. He was one of the founders of the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Isle of Wight. He owned several yachts, like the "Alarm," "Arrow," and "Lulworth," and he loved to sail them himself. He was very involved in building and sailing his boats.

Images for kids

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  Portrait miniature of Thomas Weld and his daughter Mary Lucy, painted in Paris in 1819 by Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin

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  Palazzo Chigi-Odescalchi Rome, from an etching

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:  "Weld, Thomas (1773-1837)". Dictionary of National Biography. (1885–1900). London: Smith, Elder & Co.