Letter from Alexander Lesley to William Lesley, 1675-20-14, Scotland
Scotland
Scottish Catholics abroad
Scottish colleges
Visitation
Letter from Alexander Lesley to William Lesley. Alexander Lesley would like to take the place of William Lesley in Rome. However he would first like to see that they send subjects and missionaries to the Scottish mission, and provide money for their needs, as they have been making a lot of progress. There are two potential students for the College in Rome: Guglielmo Lesleo [William Lesley, not the recipient of the letter] and Giovanni Giamesson [John Jameson] who is currently studying in Aberdeen. PF has unanimously decided to give Sig'r Burnetto [David Burnet] permission to go to the Scottish College in Paris. Sig're Barclaio [Robert Barclay] has chosen a very excellent prefect. Alexander Lesley has also asked Burnet to thank Barclay for his assistance during the famine in Scotland, which had been particularly bad this year. William Lesley (the procurator of the mission), aks PF to send the provision to the missionaries. As there is a famine in Scotland, William Lesley suggests that they send them extra provisions. He also states that there have never been any complaints or discord in the Scottish mission.
Date discussed: 1676-01-10
Additional comments
The first half probably consists of parts copied by William Lesley from a letter written by his brother Alexander Lesley, who was a missionary in Scotland. The latter half of the letter are remarks made by William Lesley.
Alexander Lesley
William Lesley
APF SOCG 457, 139r-v
1675-20-14
[Adressed to William Lesley]
For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 46, 2r, 9v-12r.
There is also a version from the SOCG of the aforementioned summary: APF SOCG 457, 128r-130v, 138r-v, 144v (database item 787).
Copy; signed
Italian
Letter
791
Origin: [Scotland]
Destination: Rome
Letter from Willaim Lesley, 1678-07-10, Urbino
Scotland
Scottish Catholics abroad
Letter from Guglielmo Lesleo [William Lesley]. He is very grateful for all the favours passed to him, and to Sig'r Iruino [John Irvan, of Hilton], who wrote that he will have the money soon.
Additional comments
William Lesley
APF Scozia vol.1 , 791r
1678-07-10
Orignal; signed
Italian
Letter
747
Origin: Urbino
Destination: [Rome]
Letter from William Lesley, 1678-02-10, Pesaro
Scotland
Scottish Catholics abroad
Letter from Guglielmo Lesleo [William Lesley]. While walking with a cardinal in the garden of the grand duchess named Miralfiore, he saw beautiful Amaranth flowers of which he sends a few seeds with this letter. He reccomends Gio' Iruino [John Irvin, probably the one from Hilton] of whom V.S. already received information from Don Gioseppe. Since Lesley is so far from Rome, he cannot be as involved in the mission of Scotland as he would like to be; but this priest could replace him perfectly. Whilst Irvin is very informed about the mission, he does not know everything about the working style, but he could learn this very quickly. He asks to trust Irvin in the buisiness of the mission, and gives permission to Don Gioseppe to show him the decrees and information about Scotland, so that he will be fully informed. He himself only stayed in Rome for such a long period, as the mission needed a procurator. Now Irvin has arrived in Rome, his presensce is no longer necessary. Lesley now asks to be sent away as a missionary to Scotland, or anywhere else where he would be considered useful.
Additional comments
William Lesley
APF Scozia vol.1, 785r-786r
1678-02-10
For the answer to this letter, see: APF LETTERE 67, 12r-v (database item 633).
Original; signed
Italian
Letter
746
Origin: Pesaro
Destination: [Rome]
Petition on behalf of [William Lesley] to PF, [1667-1668]
Scotland
Other secular missionaries
Petitions for faculties
Franciscans
Scottish schools
Scottish colleges
Retirement missionaries
Visitation
Petition on behalf of William Lesley, procurator of the Scottish mission, to PF. On behalf of the Scottish mission he asks for the following things: a) more Irish Franciscans to be sent to the Highlands; b) that a companion be sent to help Francis White, whether that be his brother John White or a certain Cussak, who is a secular Irish priest who has offered to go; c) that the rectors of the Scottish Colleges be ordered to search for students in the Highlands to teach them, and after ordaining them, send them back to the Highlands as missionaries; d) more schools be founded in the Highlands; e) that the missionaries find able young people who are disposed to become clerics and send them to these schools, and in case they are not able to pay for the schools, that PF or the Scottish Colleges subsidize them; f) that the missionaries and school teachers be sent books and devotional objects; g) that the missionaries be divided over the different provinces by the prefect; h) that all the Scottish who have been ordained ad titulum missionis in the Colleges but have subsequently entered a religious order, be ordered to go to Scotland immediately; i) that all priests write at least once a year to PF; j) that the regular missionaries be equally distributed throughout the country; k) that PF or the pope write a letter (or brief) in which they order the Scottish Catholics to financially support their own missionaries; l) that 13 secular missionaries be sent to each bishopric, plus one prefect and around 30 regular priests; Lesley is willing to go there himself in order to set an example; m) that John Walker be made prefect instead of [Alexander] Winster, who wants to resign; n) that the Scottish Colleges be visited in order to diminish certain bad practices; o) that the rector of the Scottish College in Paris be replaced; p) that likewise the Scottish monasteries in Germany be visited; q) that the faculties of the prefect and of the secular priests in Scotland be renewed, since they are about to expire; r) that these faculties be given to Alessandro Iruino [Alexander Irvin], and that all of them be restricted to certain areas; s) that the prefect of the mission should be ordered to visit all provinces at least once a year, and write letters describing the state of these areas, including their problems and needs; t) that the prefect be given the faculty to consecrate chalices and altar stones, since the current faculty is about to expire; u) that the cardinals have changed their minds regarding the location of a house where missionaries can retire, because if they were to find it in Dieppe as they currently intend to, the missionaries would have to retire in a land where they would be strangers; v) that the missionaries in the Highlands be given some chalices and vestments; w) that often students of the Scottish Colleges are ordained without dispensation, but they need a dispensation because they are former heretics or sons of heretics; x) that the Scottish mission be visited, and that the visitor may have ample faculties and instructions; y) that PF give the mission a bishop with the title of vicar apostolic, as has been done in Holland; and z) that the Duchess of Aiguillon be asked to approach her uncle, Cardinal Richelieu, to establish a nunnery in Scotland. The petition is undated.
Additional comments
The petition must be dated before the end of 1668 because that is when Alexander Winster stopped being the prefect of the mission (or at least till 1672, when Walker went to Italy for medical attention). Alexander Irvin also arrived there in March 1668.
William Lesley
APF SOCG 308, 363r-369r, 370v
[1667-1668]
Addressed to PF
Italian
Petition
360
Origin: [Rome]
Destination: [Rome]
Petition on behalf of William Lesley to PF, [1677]
Scotland
Scottish colleges
Petition on behalf of the procurator of the Scottish mission, William Lesley. He asks if he may be substituted by David Gutherie (alumnus of the Scottish College), during the time that he himself will be in Urbino for Cardinal Carlo Barberini. Lesley writes that he has already provided a place where Gutherie and any subsequent procurators can stay, without expenses. The rescript to this petition is "nihil."
Date discussed 1677-04-06
Additional comments
William Lesley
APF SOCG 463, 402r, 403v
1677
Addressed to PF
For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 47, 84r, 104v (database item 676).
Italian
Latin
Petition
660
Origin: [Rome]
Destination: Rome
Report on the mission in Scotland by [William] Lesley and the Archbishop of Armagh for PF, [1678]
Conversion
Franciscans
Scotland
Scottish Catholics abroad
Relation on the Hebrides. The task to write a relation on the Hebrides was given to Archbishop of Armach [Armagh]. This relation was given to him by a franciscan missionary Fran'co Macdonel [Francis MacDonnell], who had to travel there to bring the Holy oils. The procurator [Willam Lesley] of the mission made some remarks about the content. He thinks that the amount of people that live on these island is much bigger than is described in this report. Various island are being described by their size, amount of inhabitants, whether they are Catholics or Protestants, and by its rulers. Most people on these island talk Scots "Scottish Gaelic" and the nobility speaks corrupted English. The lords of the island also have possesions on the mainland, where the people also speak Gaelic, and are very willing to the Catholic faith. Grain does not grow in these islands, but there is barley, oat and spelt and many animals; there are however, no fruit trees. There are many monuments for saints, and destroyed churches. The islands have a pseudo-bishop but he is never really present. The people there could be converted pretty easily. In the sumer people drink milk, during the winter boiled water. The rich nobility drinks beer. People do not give alms to the priests but are obliged to pay money to the Protestants. The missionaries only have the money that they receive from PF. Because there are not really foreign missionaries, the Scottish youths are instructed in Colleges outside the country, there is a risk however that they will not want to return. Flour should also be brought for the missionaries, since they live in great distress. To convert these island's one should: a) send priests who speak English, despite the problem of Scottish youth missionaries not wanting to return from abroad; b) to instruct the youths overseas, as the people prefer priests from their own country. Also described are the easiest ways to send a letter to the Scottish mission; c) it would really help if there was money to pay a schoolmaster. It was suggested that Eugenio Makelastrio would do this first, and later David Burnetto [David Burnet], but this never materialized. Maybe the brother of the procurator could teach Sciences after he finished his studies in Paris; and d) it would be a good thing if PF would write to the nobles on the island who are willing to help the Catholics. This is where the relation, that the bishop of Armagh, wrote with the help of Francis MacDonnell, ends. Lesleo [William Lesley] does not want to say anything more about this document besides the additions that he already made. Another, imcomplete, draft of the relation follows.
Additional comments
This report seems to be a reworking by William Lesley, the procurator of the Scottish Mission, of the report of the archbishop of Armagh (probably James Margelson). The missionary Francis MacDonnell also had a role in this, but it seems as if he provided the information to the archbishop who wrote the report. The archbishop says that he delivered the relation on 2 September 1671. The problem is however that Lesley still made changes to the document. The letters in the same file written by Lelsey are from much later, in 1678. Hence the report is probably written around the same time.
William Lesley
Archbishop of Armagh
APF Scozia vol. 1, 593r-607r, 697r-699r
[1678]
Adressed to S. Cong'ne Particolare
Orignal; draft
Italian
Report
745
Origin: unknown
Destination: Rome
Summary of a petition by [William Lesley] to PF [1664]
Scotland
Summary of a petition on behalf of the procurator of the Scottish mission [William Lesley]. PF agreed to assign a provision to Francis White, who had been in Scotland for 10 years without a provision from PF. The procurator now asks for the first annual payment.
Date discussed 1664-06-30
Additional comments
William Lesley
APF SOCG 308, 53r
[1664]
Addressed to PF
For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 33, 91r, 101r.
Original, unsigned and undated
Italian
Summary
314
Origin: [Rome]
Destination: Rome
William Lesley to the PF prefect [Antonio Barberini jr.], 1655-04-15, Rome
Scotland
Jesuits
Letter from William Lesley to the prefect of PF. He writes regarding the tense political situation in Scotland, and that three priests have been imprisoned: Jesuit Grantius [Grant], CM priest Whytus [Francis White], and John Walker. Lesley writes that Vincent de Paul has already taken action and asked the queen of France to intercede. Its noted that others are also trying to put pression on the Cromwelian government, to release the priests. The letter states that Lesley has been informed about these developments by Robert Barclay. The letter is signed and dated 15 April 1655.
Additional comments
William Lesley
APF SOCG 297, 364r-v, 369r-v
1655-04-15
Addressed to [Antonio Barberini jr.]
Original, signed and dated
Latin
Letter
305
Origin: Rome
Destination: [Rome]