Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Warford, William
WARFORD alias WARNEFORD and WALFORD, WILLIAM (1560–1608), jesuit, born at Bristol in 1560, was admitted a scholar of Trinity College, Oxford, on 13 June 1576, graduated B.A. on 22 March 1577–8, was elected a fellow of his college in 1578, and graduated M.A. on 30 March 1582. He joined the Roman catholic church at Rheims on 7 Nov. 1582, and entered the English College at Rome to repeat his studies and make his theology on 1 Oct. 1583. He took with him from Dr. Barret, the president of Douay College (then at Rheims), a brilliant character for virtue and learning. He was ordained priest at Rome in December 1584, and he remained there in the household of Cardinal Allen till 1588. After a visit to Spain he was sent to England on the mission in 1591, and he entered the Society of Jesus in 1594. He was penitentiary at St. Peter's, Rome, for some time, and left that city on 18 Aug. 1599 for Spain. He died in the English College at Valladolid on 3 Nov. (N.S.) 1608. He was the author of: 1. ‘An Account of several English Martyrs’ with whom he had been acquainted since 1578. This manuscript, written about 1597, is in Father Christopher Grene's collection (M. fol. 137) at Stonyhurst. 2. ‘A Briefe Instruction by Way of Dialogue concerninge the Principall Poyntes of Christian Religion, gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, Fathers, and Councels. By George Doulye, Priest,’ Seville, 1600, 12mo; [St. Omer], 1616 and 1637, 8vo. A Latin translation by the jesuit father Thomas More appeared at St. Omer in 1617. 3. ‘A Briefe Manner of Examination of Conscience for a Generall Confession,’ also published under the pseudonym of George Doulye, Louvain, 1604, 8vo; [St. Omer], 1616, 8vo, and 1637 12mo.
[De Backer's Bibl. des Ecrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus; Dodd's Church Hist. ii. 420; Foley's Records, iii. 428, iv. 574, vi. 162, vii. 815; Foster's Alumni Oxon. early ser. iv. 1572; Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. ix. 38; Oxford Univ. Register, vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 57, pt. iii. p. 74; Southwell's Bibl. Scriptorum Soc. Jesu, p. 321; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss) ii. 45, and Fasti, i. 206, 221.]