A true rarity - A Catholic church in a small English village
Slindon has a long history of Roman Catholicism. Slindon Manor was part of the see of Canterbury and
As long ago as 1106. St Anselm and many Archbishops of Canterbury and other holy figures stayed
here, including probably Saint Thomas a Becket, Saint Thomas More and the famous Cardinal John
Morton who was Chancellor of England and (in)famous for ‘Morton’s Fork’*
*Morton’s Fork a mediaeval Catch 22 : If you lived lavishly you must have plenty of money and pay your taxes. If you live
Simply you must be saving your money and can also pay your taxes.
Even when the Catholic religion was proscribed from the time of Elizabeth I, the family in Slindon
House (now Slindon College) remained Catholics and a secret services were held there. There are
many stories of harbouring priests, secret chapels and priest holes and even of tunnels to nobody
knows quite where!
However, following the laws which permitted Roman Catholics to practice their religion again, the
Earl of Newburgh, landowner of the Slindon estate who died in 1814, left land and money in his will to
establish a Roman Catholic chapel and a priest’s house in Slindon. His widow Anne Countess of
Newburgh , preferred to continue to worship in the chapel at Slindon House and it was not until after
her death that the present church was built by her heirs, the Lesley family from Scotland.
As long ago as 1106. St Anselm and many Archbishops of Canterbury and other holy figures stayed
here, including probably Saint Thomas a Becket, Saint Thomas More and the famous Cardinal John
Morton who was Chancellor of England and (in)famous for ‘Morton’s Fork’*
*Morton’s Fork a mediaeval Catch 22 : If you lived lavishly you must have plenty of money and pay your taxes. If you live
Simply you must be saving your money and can also pay your taxes.
Even when the Catholic religion was proscribed from the time of Elizabeth I, the family in Slindon
House (now Slindon College) remained Catholics and a secret services were held there. There are
many stories of harbouring priests, secret chapels and priest holes and even of tunnels to nobody
knows quite where!
However, following the laws which permitted Roman Catholics to practice their religion again, the
Earl of Newburgh, landowner of the Slindon estate who died in 1814, left land and money in his will to
establish a Roman Catholic chapel and a priest’s house in Slindon. His widow Anne Countess of
Newburgh , preferred to continue to worship in the chapel at Slindon House and it was not until after
her death that the present church was built by her heirs, the Lesley family from Scotland.
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