William Bernard Ullathorne (7 May 180621 March 1889) was an English prelate who held high offices in the Roman Catholic Church during the nineteenth century.
Early life
Ullathorne was born in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, the eldest of ten children of William Ullathorne and Hannah (née Longstaff), who converted to Roman Catholicism when she married. When he was nine years of age, Ullathorne's family relocated to Scarborough, where he began his schooling. He left school at age twelve to manage the accounts at his father's business and later worked as a cabin boy. He was a descendant of Saint Thomas More through his great-grandmother, Mary More.
Priesthood
In 1823 Ullathorne entered the monastery of Downside Abbey, taking the vows in 1825, taking the additional name "Bernard", after Bernard of Clairvaux. He was ordained priest in 1831, and in 1832 went to New South Wales as vicar-general to Bishop William Placid Morris (1794–1872), whose jurisdiction extended over the Australian missions.
Ullathorne was Vicar General of New South Wales from 1832 to 1841, taking charge of St. Mary's parish and church upon his arrival in Sydney, and worked quickly to close divisions among the Catholics.
It was mainly Ullathorne who caused Pope Gregory XVI to establish the hierarchy in Australia. In 1836, Bede Polding sent Ullathorne back to Britain, to recruit more Benedictines. While in England, he presented a report on The Catholic Mission in Australia (1837), and in 1838 was summoned to give evidence before the House of Commons Transportation Committee regarding his 1836 pamphlet,The Horrors of Transportation.
He also visited Ireland, where he met Mary Aikenhead and later return to Australia in 1838 with five Sisters of Charity.
Bishop of Birmingham
On the re-establishment of the hierarchy in England and Wales, he became the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Birmingham. During his nearly four decades of tenure at the see 67 new churches, 32 convents and nearly 200 mission schools were built. In 1888 he retired and received from Pope Leo XIII the honorary title of Archbishop of Cabasa. He died at Oscott College
Works
Of Ullathorne's theological and philosophical works, the best known are: The Endowments of Man (1880), The Groundwork of the Christian Virtues (1882), Christian Patience (1886). For an account of his life see his Autobiography, edited by A. T. Drane (London).