Maria and the Bellasis Family 5

Chapter 5

My discomfort in sitting in Mother Francis’ study was more than just old age.  I had picked up an infection of some sort, and was bed ridden for the next week. On the Sunday, instead of me going to her, Sister Francis  came to see me and asked if I was up to having visitors.

I was pleased to see her, but didn’t want to have to take notes for her book, and she graciously agreed to just chat with me for a while. 

She settled into my very comfortable bedside chair.

“What a lovely room you have made this,” she commented. “Are the handicraft pieces your own work?”

“Yes, all the embroidery and tatting are things I have done, and the paintings are also all mine. Deborah and I went to art classes for the last 12 years or so, so I had a lot to choose from.  And the articles in my cabinet are my share of Papa’s medals and gifts across the years. He shared them out equally amongst us children. Did you ever meet my father?”

“No,  I couldn’t go to my sister Kattie’s wedding to your brother Lewin, and there weren’t any other opportunities.  But I have visited with Kattie and Lewin so know and like him and their children are a delight.”

“It's nice that we share aunt-ship of all those lovely children.”

I knew that just everybody knew something good or bad about my father, but I knew very little about hers, who had died a few years ago, so I asked her to tell me what he was like.

“My father, who was called Serjeant Edward Bellasis, was a very wonderful man, and a very devoted husband, father and Catholic.”

“What exactly does the Sergeant bit of his name stand for?”

 “The Serjeants were the oldest formally created order in England, having been brought into existence as a body by Henry II. There were rarely more than 40 Serjeants. The Judicature Act 1873, removed the need for common law judges to be appointed from the Serjeants-at-Law, so no need to appoint judicial Serjeants. Father was one of the last ever to be appointed.”

“Was his father a lawyer too?
 

“My grandfather, the Rev. George Bellasis DD was an Anglican priest and my grandmother was Leah Viall, the heiress of Emery Viall of Walsingham. So there was a lot of money in the family.  Father was educated at Christ Hospital and did his legal studies at the Inner Temple and at a still young age, managed to have an excellent practice at  the Chancery Bar.”

“Remind me what the Chancery Bar does,” I said.

“Barristers who specialise in the areas of property, business and finance law are most closely associated with the Chancery Division of the High Court are called “Chancery barristers” and, collectively, the “Chancery Bar”. In 1844 he received the title of Serjeant-at-Law, an honour provided by the court, so that was always from then put in front of his name, sort of like Sir would be for someone being given a knighthood." 
 

“When did he become a Catholic?” I asked 

“He and his best friends and John Henry Newman were all toying with the idea from about 1845, but he was taken into the Church in 1850, and Mother and the rest of us followed soon after.

 “It was, however, the period of great railway developments and Father turning his attention to the Parliamentary Committees, was constantly retained as counsel for the various companies in the proceedings to which the opening up of the new lines gave rise. He took part in the famous LIbel action, Achilli v. Newman  in 1852, and in the litigation connected with the title and estates of the last Catholic  Earl of Shrewsbury.”

“All our concentration was in Hong Kong in the 50’s, so I don’t remember hearing anything about this. What was John Henry Newman being accused of libel for?” I asked. 

“He said in one of his lectures on the Present Position of Catholics in England delivered in Birmingham on 28th July, 1850, that Gicinto Achilli was 'a profligate under a cowl...ravening after sin'. Achilli sued.  

"Mr. Achilli was well documented as being a Lothario, and in great error but John Henry Newman was found guilty, but rather than the prison sentence he was expecting, he was given a fine, and his friends joined together to pay it for him. 

"The trial was a significatn example of anti-Catholicism in Britain in which a bigoted judge heavy-handedly influened proceedsings, and an obviously prejudiced jury delivered a manifectly unfair verdict. Most of the discussion in the trial came down to a long list of sexual improprieties, but also covering consensual affairs with unmarried woemn, and a period of cohabitation with a married woman."

"How did he defend himself?"

"In his account of his life, Achilli had been an accomplished theologian in the Papal States, but the Inquision had persecuted him because of his growing Protestant convictions. He had eventually fled Italy but he returned in 1849 when the flight of Pope Pius IX seemed to offer an opportunity to free his country from Popish error and oppresion. But when the French restored the Pope, the Inquision once more arrested him. After his esape he came to Britain, in a perfect position to condemn the brutal terror of the Inquisition."

"I didn't realise that the Inquision was still active."

"Oh yes, in Italy it was very powrful, under the control of the Pope. But within the last ten years or so, things have changed for the better.

"But the trial itself was not fought out with theological arguments but mostly around the number of women witnesses appearing to support John Newman's accusations. These women were peasants or servants and were treated dismally. Some were accused of being sent by their priests to lie, saying that they could then get forgiveness in confession. Others were insinuated to be ladies of ill repute. The lawyers quibbled over the claims made by a 13 year old girl. as to whether she had any honour to lose. His wfie was brought in to show she was more attractive than the women who were accusing him. The jury sided with him and John Newman was found guilty. But it was widely held that he had been the victim of a miscarriage of justice and Achilli left the country for the United States."

"How interesting that all is, and thank goodness that Cardinal Newman, as he now is, has been vindicated. However, I am feeling a bit weary, so I hope you will come again and then we can talk moe about your family."

"Of course, Maria. But I just wanted to add in that Cardinal Newman said of my father after his death in 1873, 'He was one of the best men I ever knew.'"