Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Littledale, Richard Frederick

by George Clement Boase

LITTLEDALE, RICHARD FREDERICK (1833–1890), Anglican controversialist, the fourth son of John Littledale, auctioneer, Dublin, was born in Dublin on 14 Sept. 1833. On 15 Oct. 1850 he entered Trinity College, Dublin, as a foundation scholar, graduated B.A. as a first class in classics, and in 1855 obtained the senior Berkeley gold medal and the first divinity prize, he proceeded at Dublin M.A. in 1858, and LL.B. and LL.D. in 1862, and at Oxford on 5 July 1862 D.C.L. ‘comitatis causa.’ He was curate of St. Matthew in Thorpe Hamlet, Norfolk, from 1856 to 1857, and from 1857 to 1861 curate of St. Mary the Virgin, Crown Street, Soho, London, where he took a great interest in the House of Charity. Throughout the remainder of his life he suffered from chronic ill-health, took little part in any parochial duties, and devoted himself mainly to literary work. He was a zealous Anglican, and was learned in exegesis and liturgical literature. Until his death he continued to act as a father confessor, and next to Dr. Pusey is said to have heard more confessions than any other priest of the church of England. Both as a speaker and controversialist he achieved a high reputation; his tenacious memory and wide range of reading made him a formidable nutogonist. He died at 9 Red Lion Square, London, on 11 Jan. 1890. A reredos to his memory was erected in the chapel at St. Katharine's, 32 Queen Square, London, in March 1891 {Times, 26 March 1891, p. 7).

Littledale was a frequent contributor to periodical literature, particularly to ‘Kottabos,’ a college miscellany in Dublin, and to the ‘Daily Telegraph,’ the ‘Church Quarterly Review,’ and the ‘Academy,’ and was the author of numerous books and pamphlets in support of Anglicanism, in opposition to Roman Catholicism. In conjunction with the Rev. James Edward Vaux, Littledale wrote: ‘The Priest's Prayer Book,’ 1864 (seven editions), ‘The People's Hymnal,’ 1867 (eight editions), ‘The Christian Passover,’ 1873 (four editions}, and ‘The Altar Manual,’ of which forty-six thousand copies were circulated. He completed after the death in 1866 of the author, John Mason Neale, who was his intimate friend, Neale's ‘Commentary on the Psalms from Primitive and Mediæval Writers,’ vols. ii. iii. and iv., 1866-74 and afterwards re-edited two other editions of the entire work. He was als0 joint author with Neale of ‘Liturgy of SS. Mark, James, Clement, Chrysostom, Basil,’ 1868-9. Littledale's ‘Plain Reasons for not joining the Church of Rome,’ a volume of which thirty-six thousand copies were issued in 1990 and following years, evoked replies from the Rev. W. Horsfall, the Rev. A. Mills, Oxoniensis, and H. I. D. Rvder. In 1874 Littledale edited a work entitled ‘The Church of England in presence of Official Anglicanism, Evangelicalism, Rationalism, and the Church of Rome. By Gervase.’

Other works not already mentioned were:

1. ‘On the Application of Colour to the Decoration of Churches,’ 1857.
2. ‘Religious Communities of Women in the early Church,’ 1862.
3. ‘Carols for Christmas and other Seasons,’ 1863.
4. ‘Unity and the Rescript: a Reply to Bishop Ullathorne's Pasoral against the A.P.U.C.,’ 1864.
5. ‘Catholic Ritual in the Church of England, Scriptural, Reasonable, Lawful,’ 1865, thirteen editions.
6. ‘The Elevation of the Host,’ 1865, two editions.
7. ‘Incense: a Liturgical Essay,’ 1866.
8. ‘The Mixed Chalice,’ 1867, four editions.
9. ‘The Christian Priesthood,’ 1867.
10. ‘Prayers for the Dead,’ 1867.
11. ‘Catholic Revision of the Book of Common Prayer; a Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury,’ 1867.
12. ‘Early Christian Ritual,’ 1867, four editions.
13. ‘What is Ritualism? And why ought it to be supported?’ 1867.
14. ‘The Children's Bread, or Communion Office for the Young,’ 1868, four editions.
15. ‘Additional Services: a second Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury,’ 1868.
16. ‘A Commentary on the Song of Songs,’ 1869.
17. ‘Church Reform,’ 1870.
18. ‘The Crisis of Disestablishment,’ 1870.
19. ‘Pharisaic Proselytism, a forgotten Chapter of early Church History,’ 1870.
20. ‘Tradition,’ 1870.
21. ‘The Two Religions,’ 1870.
22. ‘Misapplied Texts of Scripture: a Lecture,’ 1870.
23. ‘Church and Dissent,’ 1871.
24. ‘Secular Studies of the Clergy,’ 1871.
25. ‘Rationale of Prayer,’ 1872. Answered by Professor Tyndall and others.
26. ‘At the Old Catholic Congress,’ 1872.
27. ‘Children at Calvary,’ 1872.
28. ‘The Religious Education of Women,’ 1873; new edition, 1874.
29. ‘The Relation of the Clergy to Politics,’ 1873.
30. ‘Church Parties,’ 1874.
31. ‘Papers on Sisterhoods,’ 1874-8.
32. ‘Dean Stanley on Ecclesiastical Vestments,’ 1875, three editions.
33. ‘Last Attempt to Reform the Church of Rome from within,’ 1875.
34. ‘Apostolical Succession,’ 1876.
35. ‘Ritualistic Practices (1), what they are, (2) what they mean,’ 1876.
36. ‘Ritualists and Romanists,’ 1876.
37. ‘Ultramontane Popular Literature,’ 1876.
38. ‘An Inner View of the Vatican Council,’ 1877.
39. ‘Christianity and Patriotism,’ 1877.
40. ‘The Pantheistic Factor in Christian Thought,’ 1877.
41. ‘Why Ritualists do not become Roman Catholics,’ 1878. Replied to by the Rev. Orby Shipley, 1879.
42. ‘Future Probation,’ 1886.
43. ‘A Short History of the Council of Trent,’ 1888.
44. ‘Words for Truth; Replies to Roman Cavils against the Church of England,’ 1888.
45. ‘The Petrine Claims: a Critical Inquiry,’ 1889.

[Church Portrait Journal, 1882, iii. 85-8, with portrait; London Figaro, 1 Feb. 1890. p. 9, with portrait; Times, 14 Jan. 1890, p. 10; Guardian, 15 Jan. 1890, p.84; Church Times, 17 Jan. 1890, p. 55; Academy, 18 Jan. 1890, p. 46; King's Character of Dr. Littledale as a Controversialist, 1888; information kindly supplied by George F. Shaw, esq., registrar of Trinity College, Dublin.]

G. C. B.

Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.183
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line

Page	Col.	Line
364	ii	19-21	Littledale, Richard F.: for 'Unity and the Rescript . . . the A.P.U.C.,' 1864. read 'The North Side of the Altar,' 1864 (3rd edition, 1865).