Ignatius Spencer

Ignatius of St Paul (21 December 1799 – 1 October 1864), born as George Spencer, was a son of the 2nd Earl Spencer. He converted from Anglicanism to the Roman Catholic Church and entered the Passionist religious order in 1847 and spent his life working for the conversion of England to the Catholic faith. Birth and education George Spencer was born in Admiralty House, London. He was the son of George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer, at that time First Lord of the Admiralty. As a child Spencer lived at the family's seat, Althorp, and was tutored by his governess and his mother. In 1808, at the age of 9, he and his brother, Frederick, went up to Eton College to continue their education. At Eton, Spencer fell under the influence of Richard Godley, a stalwart evangelical Anglican who introduced him to various practices of piety and asceticism. Dissatisfied with the education and evangelical influences of Eton, the Spencers removed him from the school at Christmas 1814. Spencer's education was then continued under the direction of Charles James Blomfield of Buckinghamshire who both provided a more classical education for the boy and prepared him for the rite of confirmation. In October 1817, Spencer went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied divinity. He spent much of the long vacation of 1818 at Tywyn in Merionethshire with his friend Thomas Fremantle. At Cambridge, Spencer enjoyed the company of a circle of friends who often spent their days in conversation, taking tea and playing cards. Lady Spencer reproved her son for what she took to be wasted time. However, Spencer took a first class honours degree upon going down from Cambridge in 1819. As was expected at the time, Spencer set off for his "Grand Tour" with his parents after leaving university. While Spencer clearly enjoyed the cultural aspects of this tour, he was aghast at his encounter with continental Catholicism. Anglican priest Returning from Europe, Spencer undertook studies to prepare for ordination in the Church of England. As the youngest son of an aristocratic family, this was the expected career path that Spencer would take. He studied the classical languages, as well as employing a Jewish scholar to teach him some Hebrew. Thus on 22 December 1822 Spencer was ordained a deacon. For two years Spencer worked in a Sunday school, but also as a magistrate in Northampton and on 13 June 1824 Spencer was ordained a priest.