Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Dodd, Charles
DODD, CHARLES (1672–1743), catholic divine, whose real name was Hugh Tootel, born in 1672 at Durton-in-Broughton, near Preston, Lancashire, was confirmed at Euxton Burgh Chapel, the property of the Dalton family, 13 Sept. 1687, by John Leyburn, vicar-apostolic of the London district. After studying the classics under the tuition of his uncle, the Rev. Christopher Tootel of Ladywell Chapel at Fernyhalgh, in his native county, he was sent to the English college at Douay, where he arrived 23 July 1688, and immediately began to study philosophy. He publicly defended logic in July 1689, physics on 8 March 1689–90, and universal philosophy in July 1690. On 16 July 1690 he took the college oath, and on 22 Sept. following received the minor orders at Cambray from James Theodore de Bayes. He studied part of his divinity under Dr. Hawarden at Douay, being afterwards admitted into the English seminary of St. Gregory at Paris, where he took the degree of B.D. During what was called the vacation preparatory to the license he returned to Douay, where he arrived on 18 Dec. 1697, and where he remained during the greater part of 1698. Then he came upon the English mission, and had the charge of a congregation at Fernyhalgh, Lancashire.
In 1718 he was again at Douay collecting materials for his ‘Church History of England,’ in which undertaking he was very ably assisted by the Rev. Edward Dicconson [q. v.], vice-president of the college, and by Dr. Ingleton, of the seminary at Paris. On his return to England, Dr. John Talbot Stonor, vicar-apostolic of the midland district, recommended him in August 1722 to Sir Robert Throckmorton, bart., as a proper person to assist Mr. Bennett, alias Thompson, alias Temple, in the charge of the congregation at Harvington, Worcestershire, and on the death of Bennett in September 1726 Dodd succeeded him. During his residence at Harvington he arranged his materials, and finished his great work, the ‘Church History.’ The cost of its publication was in a great measure defrayed by Edward, duke of Norfolk, Sir Robert Throckmorton, Cuthbert Constable [q. v.], and Bishops Stonor and Hornyold. As late as 1826 the house was still shown in Wolverhampton where Dodd resided, during the printing of the work, for the purpose of correcting the press. He died on 27 Feb. 1742–1743, and was buried on 1 March at Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire, in which parish Harvington is situate. The Rev. James Brown, who attended him in his last illness, made a solemn protestation in writing on the day of the funeral, to the effect that Dodd on his deathbed expressed an earnest desire to die in charity with all mankind, and particularly with the Society of Jesus, as he had been ‘suspected to be prejudiced in their regard.’ He said that if he had done them any wrong in writing or otherwise he desired pardon and forgiveness as he forgave them for any injury either supposed or received by him.
His works are: 1. ‘The History of the English College at Doway, from its first foundation in 1568 to the present time. … By R. C., Chaplain to an English Regiment that march'd in upon its surrendering to the Allies,’ Lond. 1713, 8vo. This anonymous work elicited from Mr. Keirn, a member of the college, a reply entitled ‘A Modest Defence of the Clergy and Religious in a Discourse directed to R. C. about his History of Doway College,’ 1714, 8vo. 2. ‘The Secret Policy of the English Society of Jesus, discovered in a series of attempts against the clergy. In eight parts and twenty-four letters, directed to their Provincial,’ Lond. 1715, 8vo (anon.) An answer to this work, which is sometimes called Dodd's ‘Provincial Letters,’ was written by Thomas Hunter, a jesuit, and is preserved in manuscript at Stonyhurst College. In the same collection there is another manuscript by Hunter, entitled ‘A Letter to the Author of “The Secret Policy of the Jesuits,”’ 4to, pp. 322 (Hist. MSS. Comm. 3rd Rep. 234, 340). 3. ‘Pax Vobis, an Epistle to the three Churches,’ Lond. 1721. In imitation of ‘Pax Vobis, or Gospel and Liberty,’ by Robert Brown, a Scotch priest. 4. ‘Certamen utriusque Ecclesiæ; or a list of all the eminent Writers of Controversy, Catholics and Protestants, since the Reformation. With an historical idea of the politick attempts of both parties … to support their respective interests’ (Lond.?), 1724. Reprinted in the ‘Somers Tracts’ and in Jones's ‘Catalogue of Tracts for and against Popery’ (Chetham Soc.). 5. ‘The Church History of England, from the year 1500 to the year 1688. Chiefly with regard to Catholicks, being a complete account of the Divorce, Supremacy, Dissolution of Monasteries, and first attempts for a Reformation under King Henry VIII, the unsettled state of the Reformation under Edward VI, the interruption it met with from Queen Mary; with the last hand put to it by Queen Elizabeth, together with the various fortunes of the Catholick Cause during the reigns of King James I, King Charles I, King Charles II, and King James II. Particularly the Lives of the most eminent Catholicks, Cardinals, Bishops, Inferior Clergy, Regulars, and Laymen … with the foundation of all the English Colleges and Monasteries abroad,’ 3 vols., Brussels, 1737–39–42, fol. This history, the result of thirty years' labour, is believed to have been really printed in this country, as the paper and type are of English manufacture. For many years it was almost unknown, but it is now a costly and rare work. It contains many particulars, with copies of original documents not to be found elsewhere, relating to the affairs of the English catholics, and the biographical memoirs are particularly valuable. Dodd's severe strictures on the jesuits and their policy led to an embittered controversy between him and John Constable (1676–1744) [q. v.] The publication of Dodd's work also elicited from George Reynolds, archdeacon of Lincoln, ‘An Historical Essay upon the Government of the Church of England, with a vindication of the measures of Henry VIII from the calumnies of a Popish writer,’ Lond. 1743, 8vo. The Rev. Thomas Eyre, a Douay priest, who for fifteen years was chaplain at Stella, in the parish of Ryton, co. Durham, began in 1791 to circulate queries and to collect materials for a continuation of the ‘Church History,’ but the events of the French revolution and the destruction of the English colleges abroad called him to a more active life, and prevented him from proceeding with the work. His manuscripts are preserved at Ushaw College. The Rev. John Kirk, D.D., of Lichfield, was occupied for upwards of forty years in collecting materials for an improved edition and a continuation of Dodd's ‘Church History.’ He transcribed or collected, and methodically arranged, documents forming more than fifty volumes in folio and quarto. Of these he gave a detailed account in the ‘Catholic Miscellany’ for October 1826. The pressure of years, however, deterred him from attempting actual publication, and after restoring to the bishops, colleges, and private owners their respective portions he assigned what was properly his own to the Rev. Mark Aloysius Tierney of Arundel, who brought out a new edition of Dodd's work, ‘with notes, additions, and a continuation,’ 5 vols., Lond. 1839—43, 8vo. This edition is unfortunately incomplete, ending with the year 1625, and of course no portion of the projected continuation ever appeared. On Tierney's death in 1862 his manuscript materials were bequeathed to Dr. Thomas Grant, bishop of Southwark, and they are now in the possession of that prelate's successor, Dr. John Butt. 6. ‘Annals of the Reign of Henry VIII;’ a very thick quarto. 7. ‘Annals of the Heptarchy, Normans,’ &c. The preceding works are in print; the following remain in manuscript. 8. ‘The Free Man, or Loyal Papist;’ some fragments of this are printed in the ‘Catholicon,’ 1817, iv. 161, 275. 9. ‘An Historical and Critical Dictionary, comprising the Lives of the most eminent Roman Catholics, from 1500 to 1688, with an appendix and key to the whole’ (pp. 1280), 3 vols., in large folio. The lives are much enlarged and different from those printed in the ‘Church History.’ The first volume of this work, containing 492 closely written pages and extending only to the letter L, is among the manuscripts belonging to the catholic chapter of London, and is preserved at Spanish Place (Royal Historical MSS. Commission, 5th Rep. 467). 10. Part I. of ‘Catholic Remains, or a Catholic History of the Reformation in England,’ fol. pp. 191. 11. Part II. of ‘Catholic Remains, or the Lives of English Roman Catholics, Clergy, Regulars, and Laymen from 1500,’ pp. 748, preserved at St. Mary's College, Oscott (ib. 1st Rep. 90). 12. ‘Introductory History,’ fol. pp. 137. It only comes down to the year 600, and was the first form or draft of his ‘Church History.’ 13. ‘Christian Instructions, general and particular, delivered in eighty Discourses, methodised by way of Sermons,’ fol. pp. 370. 14. ‘The Creed, Lord's Prayer, Commandments, and Sacraments Explained,’ 4to, pp. 238. 15. ‘A Polemical Dictionary.’ 16. ‘A Philosophical and Theological Dictionary,’ in 44 nos. 17. ‘Life of Dr. Oliver Buckridge, Vicar of Bray.’ 18. ‘Dictionarium Etymologicum undecim Linguarum.’ 19. Many other minor manuscript treatises on historical and theological subjects. These are enumerated in the ‘Catholicon,’ iv. 120, v. 60.
He also edited John Goter's ‘Sincere Christian's Guide in the Choice of Religion,’ and the same writer's ‘Confutation of the Latitudinarian System.’
[Butler's Hist. Memoirs of the English Catholics, 3rd ed. iv. 451; Butler's Reminiscences, 4th ed. i. 319; Cat. of Printed Books in Brit. Mus.; Catholic Directory, 1853, p. 134; Catholic Miscellany, 1826, vi. 250, 328, 405; Catholicon, iii. 128, iv. 120, 161, 275, v. 60 (articles by Dr. John Kirk); Chambers's Biog. Illustr. of Worcestershire, p. 591; Dublin Review, vi. 395; Foley's Records, ii. 57, 59, iv. 714 n. vii. pt. i. p. 384; Gent. Mag. ccxii. 509; Hardwick's Preston, p. 664; Hist. MSS. Comm. Rep. i. 90, iii. 233, 234, 340, v. pp. xii, 465–9, 476; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. (Bohn), p. 654; Mackintosh's Miscellaneous Works, 1851, pp. 304 n. 324 n.; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. ii. 347, 451, iii. 496, iv. 11; Panzani's Memoirs, preface; Sutton's Lancashire Authors, p. 127; Whittle's Preston, ii. 207.]