WALSH, THOMAS. - Bishop, b. in London in Oct. 1777, d. there on 18 Feb. 1849. Left at an early age fatherless, his mother—who was a Protestant—entrusted him to the Anglican College of St Albans; but an uncle had him transferred to the Catholic College of St Omer.
This measure made W. one of the champions of English Catholicism, for the young man embraced the ecclesiastical state and for half a century, from his ordination (1800), devoted himself entirely to spreading Catholicism among his compatriots. Secretary, from 1801, of one of the apostolic vicariates into which England was then divided, namely that of the Midland District, for a full quarter-century he carried on untiring missionary work with notable success. He had the fibre of an apostle, distinguished himself by his preaching and writings, until he was consecrated titular bishop of Cambisopolis in 1825 and assigned as coadjutor to the apostolic vicar, Mgr Milner. The following year, upon Milner’s death, he in turn became vicar of the Midland, which he governed for fourteen years, leaving his name associated with the construction of the cathedrals of Birmingham and Nottingham, of the College of St Mary and of numerous other churches and religious houses. In years when the progress of Catholicism was viewed as a threat to national institutions, Mgr W. was not discouraged by the obstacles of every kind that opposed his activity, multiplying the number of conversions and training in the seminaries a numerous and learned clergy: his glory was to have foreseen the future greatness of Wiseman, whom he made his secretary and then his most faithful coadjutor. In 1840, when his vicariate was split into the Central and Eastern districts, he took charge of the former, from which he was transferred in 1848 to govern that of London. Meanwhile, the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in the United Kingdom was being prepared, and W.’s transfer to London foreshadowed his appointment as head of the revived Church in England when death overtook him; but Pius IX, in creating Wiseman archbishop of Westminster and cardinal, expressly declared that he wished thereby to honour his great master as well.