Introduction
The following account is drawn from Fr. Ignatius Spencer's narrative in the Platea of the Hyde, reproduced in In Diebus Illis No. 10 (29 September 1979). Quotations are given verbatim from the Platea. The full story of the Hyde years is given in Fr. Declan O'Sullivan's monograph on The Hyde. The IDI editor's notes are reproduced in square brackets.
Departure from Poplar House
The move from Poplar House, Hampstead, to The Hyde arose from legal complications with the title of the Poplar House property. Fr. Ignatius Spencer records the decision in the Platea:
"About the 26th or 27th of July 1849 while Father Dominic was making the visitation of our house in Belgium, Mr. Harting informed us that the affairs of this house [i.e. Poplar House] were beginning anew to appear perplexed, and that he felt nearly certain that we should be obliged to leave it. This anticipation was shortly after verified. A person came to examine the house commissioned by Dr. Ullathorne, Bishop of the Central District, who is joint possessor of the house with Dr. Wiseman. He judged the place to be in very bad repair and to require reconstruction. He therefore advised the Bishops to sell the property: consequently we should have to quit it, if we did not become the purchasers to which there were many objections."
Blessed Dominic consulted Dr. Wiseman, who offered two alternative positions, both of which Blessed Dominic declined. He determined instead that the community should keep to the parochial district already assigned, and go to live at The Hyde:
"Father Dominic determined on declining both: against the former he saw an objection in the fear of exciting the jealousy of the Clergy by taking a Mission already formed. In the latter case he apprehended the evils of our becoming in some way Chaplains of Gentlemen or Ladies. He determined therefore that we should keep to the Parochial District already assigned to us, & go to live at the Hyde… where the chief body of Catholics of this District reside. The Bishop acquiesced in this decision and expressed his satisfaction at it."
The Death of Blessed Dominic
A solemn opening of a temporary chapel at The Hyde was fixed for 2nd September 1849. Before it could take place, Blessed Dominic died:
"Father Dominic became delighted at the prospect of this removal, and the 2nd September was fixed as the day on which there should be a solemn opening of a temporary Chapel, which these gentlemen [Mr. Harting, Mr. Kelly & Mr. Hall] had undertaken to hire for us in the Village. While negotiations were being made for this opening, The Very Revd. Father Dominic, our Pro Provincial passed to a better life, after a short but painful attack of illness of 5 hours, on the 27th August 1849 while on his journey to our house at S. Mary's Hill, Woodchester."
Fr. Ignatius Spencer became Pro-Provincial in Blessed Dominic's place. He records his determination to press forward with the Hyde foundation:
"He was determined to go forward with the work begun principally by a representation in the General's letter of the importance of securing our position in the vicinity of the capital, and through all the difficulties and vicissitudes which followed, he has never regretted this decision."
Mr. Old's House
A house was engaged at The Hyde for three years. Fr. Spencer records the opening of the temporary chapel:
"A house was engaged at the Hyde for three years. It is the property of a Mr. Old, and has a room adjoining it, which is called the billiard room, which has served sufficiently well for a chapel. On the Saturday before the 3rd Sunday of Advent Dec 15 1849 Fr. Andrew whom F. Ignatius named his Vicar, F. Anselm whom he called to assist in the Mission from Woodchester & Brother Thomas took up their abode there, F. Ignatius himself being engaged on a retreat at Hammersmith. He arrived at the time of the Christmas Midnight Mass…"
The Woodhouse Property
A temporary residence at Mr. Old's house was clearly unsatisfactory, and Fr. Eugene Martorelli — sent by the General to visit the English mission — began to seek a permanent site. The Platea continues:
"Meanwhile The Very Rev Father Eugene [i.e. Martorelli, who had been sent by the General to visit the English mission] who had fixed his residence at this Retreat, had begun seeking a piece of ground for purchase. In the course of the autumn 1850 a piece was found which seemed excellently suited for our wants. It is situated about half a mile from the Edgeware Road on the left hand coming from London alongside a narrow lane called Woodhouse Lane. It is a most retired spot consisting of two fields, in all containing about 17 acres of ground up a declivity from the reservoir of the Regents Canal Company. On a beautiful position at the upper end of this ground is a small house tenanted for some years back by a Mr. Clark and his wife. The price paid for this land was £100 per acre…
We came into possession of the Wood house (sic) property at Christmas 1850."
The community moved to the Woodhouse property in February 1851. Mr. Old's house remained unoccupied until about August of that year, when it was taken on by a Mr. Read, a dentist, for the remainder of the Passionists' term, until Christmas 1852.
The Barnet Mission and the Move to Highgate
From June 1853 until 1861 the Mission at Barnet was added to the Passionists' care, making their parish, as Fr. Ignatius put it, "about as large as all Middlesex." The move to Highgate came in 1858. Fr. Spencer gives the reasons:
"The settling of our retreat at the Hyde was in conformity with the last intentions of Father Dominic, who had found many inconveniences besetting our position at Poplar House, and having determined on quitting it had fixed on the Hyde as the place to remove to; this village being the only spot in the extensive missionary district which had been allotted to us, in which there was any considerable number of Catholics. During the time of our residence there, while the religious were doing so much as was done to establish themselves solidly and permanently, several of them from time to time found fault with the situation, as being too far from London and too isolated; and this complaint was continually repeated by many of our friends both of the clergy and Laity, among whom latterly was his Eminence Card. Wiseman himself.
The new Provincial Father Ignatius of the Infant Jesus [i.e. Paoli] came into this country with a determination already formed to accomplish this object. He had, in fact, before leaving Rome, received express injunctions to this effect from the General, who from the reports made to him from various quarters had resolved that the step was necessary; and accordingly, the first time that he had the opportunity of conversing with Card. Wiseman he expressed these wishes to his Eminence and requested his assistance which was kindly promised."
After the Departure
The Passionists did not abandon the Hyde mission when they left for Highgate. Fr. Spencer records the continuation of the work:
"Besides requiring us to all [leave] the property there entirely for the advantage of the mission, the Archbishop required us to undertake to serve that mission till means should come into the hands of his Eminence or his successors to establish a priest there or the congregation should be able to support one. Father Raphael bore all the burden of this duty so long as we were bound to it."
Fr. Raphael walked to The Hyde every Saturday and returned on Monday until, in the course of the summer of 1861, the Passionists were relieved by the Rev. Lambert Clifford taking the mission of Hendon, "where a Chapel is being built on ground belonging to Mr. Rouse."
"A Parishioner" — Letter to Cardinal Wiseman, 1858
The following letter survives in the Central Archives as an unfinished manuscript copy. It is unsigned and dated Kingsbury, 10th September 1858. It is reproduced here verbatim from In Diebus Illis No. 10, where the editor notes that the departure from The Hyde "was not without unpleasantness."
"My Lord Archbishop,
On behalf of this poor mission, & as a parishioner myself, I beg leave most respectfully to submit the following facts for your Grace's consideration.
On the 9th April 1849 the Mission was first constituted as a separate mission. Its limits were then defined, & the wide spread district which it comprises was at the same time assigned to the Passionist Fathers, then temporarily residing at West End Hampstead.
On the 14th April 1849, the late Father Dominick (sic) then Superior of the Passionists in England, visited the Hyde for the first time, & said Mass there the next day, being Sunday. And Mass continued to be said there by himself or by one of his brethren, on every succeeding Sunday.
On the 25th August 1849, the Passionists being about to quit West End, Father Dominick made a circuit of a large portion of this district, & fixed on a site in the village of Kingsbury as the most central & therefore the most convenient & most eligible site for the new Church & future monastery which he had undertaken to build. He also indicated the places at which he should establish monthly stations for the more complete evangelizing of the people. He said Mass at the Hyde the next day, being Sunday, & announced from the Altar what he proposed to do. He directed collections to be made in aid, & appointed the late W. Hale of Kingsbury his local treasurer. Unfortunately for us & for this mission, though doubtless to his own great gain; Father Dominick died suddenly the next day on his road to Woodchester."
The letter continues at considerable length, detailing the history of collections, property purchases, and expenditure at The Hyde, and concluding with a request that the Archbishop prohibit any mortgage of the church property and secure it "full & free & undivided" for the mission. The letter ends without a signature.
Source throughout: In Diebus Illis No. 10 (29 September 1979). The editor's footnotes (reproduced from the IDI text) note that the Platea gives June 1853 as the beginning of the Barnet mission (not January as stated in Fr. Declan's monograph), and that the Platea is "quite clear" that the cessation of the Passionists' duty at Barnet came in the summer of 1861.