HEDLEY, JOHN CUTHBERT. – Benedictine bishop, in the world John Edward, born to Catholic parents at Morpeth (Northumberland) on 15 April 1837, died at Llanishen, near Cardiff, on 11 November 1915. In 1848 he went to study at Ampleforth Priory, where he made his Benedictine profession in 1855. In 1862 he was ordained a priest and transferred to Belmont near Hereford, where he was prefect of novices and professor of philosophy. Among GASPIÈ (v.), later a cardinal. From 1864 to 1911 he wrote for the Dublin Review, of which he was editor from 1879 to 1884. In 1873 he was consecrated auxiliary bishop, and in 1881 succeeded Thomas Joseph Brown as bishop of the diocese of Newport and Menevia.
In 1895 five counties of South Wales were removed from his see and added to the new apostolic vicariate of Menevia (the whole of North Wales), which became a bishopric in 1898. H.’s see was thus reduced to Newport alone, which in 1916 became the archdiocese of Cardiff.
A highly gifted personality, H. distinguished himself as a learned teacher, liturgist, director, administrator, and writer. An enemy of controversies, he was an excellent exponent of orthodox doctrine and philosophy, effectively supported by his broad culture and experience. The tranquillity of his disposition, his legal mind, his gentleness, acuteness of judgment, historical sense,
freedom from prejudice, excellent style, and his entire life won him great influence. He was among the first to advocate the admission of Catholic students, with the proper safeguards, to Oxford and Cambridge. In many respects he recalls the character of s. Cuthbert and s. Bede. Among his notable works are: Retreat (1894), The christian inheritance (1896), The light of life (1899), A bishop and his flock (1903), and Lex levitarum (1905).