Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Neville, Edmund (1605-1647)

886707Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 40 — Neville, Edmund (1605-1647)1894Thompson Cooper

NEVILLE, EDMUND (1605–1647), jesuit, was born in his father's house at Hopcar, Lancashire, in 1605, and, after studying at St. Omer, entered the English College at Rome on 29 Sept. 1621, under the name of Sales. He was admitted to the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at St. Andrews, Rome, in 1626. In 1636 he was minister at Ghent, and three years later he was ordered to the English mission, ‘where he rendered important services to religion by his talents, zeal, and most engaging and conciliatory manners’ (Oliver, Collectanea S. J. p. 148). In 1639 he was a missioner in London; on 3 Aug. 1640 he was professed of the four vows; in 1642 he was in the Oxford district; and in 1645 he was stationed in the ‘college of St. Francis Xavier,’ which comprised South Wales, Monmouthshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire. In the time of the Commonwealth he suffered imprisonment on account of his sacerdotal character; but, as no proof could be adduced to show that he was really a priest, he was set at liberty. He died on 18 July 1647.

He wrote ‘The Palm of Christian Fortitude, or the Glorious Combats of the Christians in Japan’ [St. Omer?], 1630, 8vo, and ‘The Life of St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church,’ which was not published, and is said to be extant in manuscript.

[De Backer's Bibl. des Ecrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus, ii. 1521; Foley's Records, v. 350, vi. 296, 406, vii. 680; Southwell's Bibl. Scriptorum Soc. Jesu, p. 184; Tanner's Societas Jesu Apostolorum Imitatrix, p. 750.]

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