Brian Condon: Diary of John Thomas Hynes, 1843-1868

1^st. Wrote this morning to Revd. MacNamara, Demerara, enclosing letters for Mr. Rogers and Mr. Clancy who have been appointed by D^r. Clancy to situations. Notified to them that they had no faculties from me. Wrote also to Mr. MacDonald, Berbice, warning him from permitting anyone to say Mass in his church without my permission. Posted the letters myself. Had an invitation to dine with D^r. Griffiths, who has just returned from Birmingham, where the English Bishops have had a meeting.

2^nd. A visit from Bp. Griffiths and Bp. Brown - dined with D^r. Griffiths - met there D^r. Morris. A number of the Demerara Gazette from D^r. Griffiths. Bp. Brown starts in the morning for Rome. D^r. Morris walked home with me - tells me that the Propaganda had resolved last Christmas to remove D^r. Baynes.

3^rd. November 1843. Had a long conversation with D^r. Griffiths this morning on the state of affairs in Demerara. Dined with him in the evening and received from him a letter of D^r. Clancy's written to him from Southampton shortly before his departure. Had a visit from Frank Mahony - also one from C. Eyre.

4^th. Letters from J. Ryan, R. White and D^r. Butler. Wrote to R. White and Mr. Harold and posted the letters myself - forwarded to Monsignor Brunelli a Guiana R. Gazette containing the appointments made by D^r. Clancy. Visited the Eyres. Called at the Colonial Office for the purpose of seeing Lord Stanley, but his Lordship was from home - left a note, requesting an audience. Sent a paper to M. Kelly. Wrote to R. White and Harold.

5^th. Had another visit today from F. Mahony. He seems very anxious to know all about D^r. Clancy. He told me he had mentioned the affair to a person named Barlow, a clerk in the Colonial Office. What version he has given of the affair is known only to himself. D^r. Wilson [Willson], consecrated about a year ago, has not as yet left England! Olliffe and O'Connor are also in Ireland.

6^th. Wrote a letter to D^r. O'Finan this morning and posted it with my own hands - received from J. Ryan two letters and a paper, the latter containing a piece of nonsense from F. Clancy about his brother. Got my watch cleaned by Dent of the Strand and paid for it eight shillings - a visit from John Reed.

7^th. Wrote to M. Kelly, J. Ryan, L. Dempsey and Butler and posted the letters myself. A letter from J. Taggart. Visits from the Eyres.

8^th. November 1843. Wrote to J. Savage, Lisbon, and posted the letter myself - also to Mr. Troy - received some Demerara papers containing awful strictures on D^r. Clancy's movements. A note from Lord Stanley.

9^th. A visit from the Eyres - ditto from Mrs. Hammell, wife of Cap^t. Hammell, Demerara - called on D^r. Griffiths - gone to Brighton - introduced to D^r. Barron. Wrote to J. Ryan, sending him at the same time three Demerara papers.

10^th. Dined with Mrs. Hammell. What an evening - from three o'clock till seven the poor woman never ceased talking.

11^th. Met D^r. Barron at breakfast this morning - we had a long and interesting conversation. He said he would give me £30 for my mission - God bless him. Forwarded to Lord Hatherton D^r. O'Finan's letter - a letter from Butler relieving me from the necessity of refusing his application.

Visited the Thames Tunnel with Mrs. Hammell.

12^th. Looked at Westminster Abbey, the new Houses of Parliament and the new and very splendid Catholic church and almshouse they are creating in S. George's Fields.

13^th. Letters this morning from L. Dempsey, and Butler. Sent a newspaper to M. Kelly.

14^th. November 1843. A letter from J. Ryan - saw F. Mahony - dined with Mrs. Hammill. J. Reed called in the evening - he had an interview with Lucas respecting D^r. Clancy's movements. He seemed quite aware of all that was going on, and expressed regret at the mischief occasioned by some of the communications published in the Tablet. It oozed out of him that D^r. Clancy was the author of the communication made respecting the said D^r. Clancy's departure for Demerara etc. Called at D^r. Griffiths' this morning and had a long conversation with his Lordship.

15^th. Called at the Colonial Office. Lord Stanley has come to town but has not as yet made his appearance in Downing Street. Saw his Secretary Col. Wilbraham. Forwarded a newspaper to A. Taggart.

Dined with D^r. Griffith - met Mr. *N*orrie.

16^th. Cards left by the Eyres - met at breakfast a very respectable Catholic gentleman who calls himself a Tory. His name, I think, is Pattern, is a solicitor by profession and lives somewhere near Leamington.

17^th. No message as yet from Lord Stanley.

J. Reed called in the evening bringing me the Tablet, which contained a long article on Guiana and D^r. Clancy. A card left by D^r. F. Clancy - a letter from J. Ryan by a Mr. Wade - a visit from Mr. Mahony.

Bought a cloak - £2.8.0

18^th. Wrote letters to Cardinal Acton, Mr. Waterton and Lord Stanley and posted them myself. Posted newspapers also for Cardinal Acton, D^r. O'Finan and M. Kelly.

19^th. November 1843. Took a long walk with J. Reed - passing by Hampstead, Highgate etc. - dined at Wright's on the Strand.

Dr. Barron called on me this morning and seemed greatly embarrassed at not being able to fulfil his promise of giving me £30 for the mission of Demerara. Poor man, he has hardly enough after paying his passage to maintain him for a month.^.

20^th. Called on D^r. Barron - he leaves tomorrow for his truly arduous and apostolic Mission- the vessel he is going out in, is scarcely 100 tons burthen. Angels speed him in his courses, for he seems to me to be a truly good man.

21^st. Called this morning at D^r. Griffiths' - did not find him. Saw instead one of his Secretaries. The Bishop, it appears, is annoyed at the article which appeared in the Tablet of Saturday touching Demerara - Lucas having promised him to insert nothing on the subject for three months!! D^r. Griffiths, then, and not Mr. Lucas was the cause why the mischievous communication of D^r. Clancy previous to his departure was not contradicted.

Saw Frank Mahony - F. Clancy told him that his journey to Rome had no connexion with his brother's business - that I do not believe.

Saw Mrs. Hammill.

22nd. A note from Lord Stanley's Secretary appointing Thursday for an interview.

The West India mail has arrived and brought me a letter from D^r. Clifton - and three newspapers. The violence of D^r. Clancy is on the increase - after threatening D^r. Clif: with excommunication, he ordered this gentleman to be removed from the church by a policeman - awful scandal has been given, and he, Bp. Clancy, has been brought before the Chief Magistrate on charge of an assault on D^r. C.

22nd November 1843. The news of my appointment had reached the Colony, through one of the two priests (MacDonnell and MacNamara) who had written from Rome. D^r. Clancy with the most unblushing falsehood denies that he has been deprived of Vicarial powers and signs himself Vicar Apostolic.

23^rd. Called on D^r. Griffiths and shewed him the Demerara papers with D^r. Clifton's letter.

Had an interview with Lord Stanley at the Colonial Office - received very politely, but found him disinclined to give a letter to the Governor, during the residence in consequence of D^r. Clancy's still being in the colony. After a good deal of conversation, however, he said he would consult his colleagues on the subject and soon would give me an answer, as it became necessary to act upon some principle in such cases.

Dined with D^r. Griffiths.

24^th. A visit from Mr. Holmes, formerly of Demerara - poor fellow comes to London for the purpose of passing through the Bankruptcy Court. What a fall!!

A visit also from F. Mahony - tells me that Lucas has had a long letter from D^r. Clancy, wild and extravagant to an insane degree, in which he talks of defending his rights by the sword!

25^th. November 1843. A visit from D^r. Griffiths' Secretary - promised to go along with D^r. Griffiths to S. Edmund's College today, but deeming it a matter of first importance to write to Rome respecting the state of B[ritish] Guiana, I gave it up. Wrote to D^r. Cullen and posted the letter myself - posted also five Demerara newspapers for him. Sent also a newspaper to D^r. O'Finan, and one to M. Kelly.

27^th. A letter from Mr. Battersby, Dublin, respecting the manner in which the Vicariate of B[ritish] Guiana should be described in his forthcoming Directory. He tells me that D^r. Clancy wrote twice for money to the Propagation Committee in Dublin, and was answered by D^r. O'Connell that the order was made out in my favour.

Wrote him in reply - also J. Ryan - sending the latter a Demerara newspaper.

28^th. A visit from a surgeon, O'Connor, residing in London, making enquiries on the part of a Miss Day, formerly of New Hall, after Alessa Taggart. Miss D. had been for some time in the noviciate of N. H. - but left it in consequence of ill health.

29^th. Dined at the Eyres - met an old French gentleman, 83 years of age, who came all the way from Normandy to pay his respects to the Duke of Bordeaux.

A letter from Lord Stanley, declining to interfere so long as D^r. Clancy's resignation has not been notified to him by the Governor.

30^th. November 1843. Wrote to D^r. Cullen, sending him at the same time a copy of the Morning Herald which has an article on the unfortunate affair of D^r. Clancy.

A letter from the President of the Missionary College near Dublin [All Hallows?].