Newman at Littlemore by Bernard Basset

Abstract

Reviewed by: Newman at Littlemore by Bernard Basset Philip Salmon Newman at Littlemore BY BERNARD BASSET, SJ Leominster, UK: Gracewing, 2019. vi + 95 pages. Paperback: £7.99. ISBN: 9780852449424. This has to be one of the more unusual little books about Newman to emerge from last year's publication bonanza. It is a faithful reprint (with six new pages) of a slim volume (c. 22,000 words) that originally appeared in 1983, chronicling Newman's involvement and activities in the Oxfordshire village of Littlemore. Written by a retired Jesuit scholar of some standing, in a friendly tour-guide style, it remains the best account available of Newman's pastoral work in a place where, as Newman himself later noted, he spent "the happiest time of my life." No attempt was made by the publishers of this new edition to add footnote references to the wide range of materials originally consulted or to correct the [End Page 173] occasional error or misquotation in the text. Digitized searching, of course, now makes it possible for scholars to find such references with relative ease. What scholars will be unable to find attributions for, however, are some of the more colourful anecdotes that help to give this book its wider appeal. Where, for instance, is the source for the amusing tale about Newman having to deal with drunken builders working on his monastic college (49)? Where did the information about Newman's living arrangements in one Littlemore farmhouse, where he had a "ground floor study," or his having carved his initials on a diamond window, "which was later stolen," come from (48–49)? Presumably, the property's then occupants? Maybe local folklore? A short new section at the end of the book states that the author, who was born in 1909, had lived for "several years" at Littlemore, including in Newman's college. This certainly helps to explain the book's strong community focus, with its accounts of Newman's mother and sisters helping the poor and Newman's initiatives setting up local schools and building a church. One throw-away line neatly sums up the approach taken: "The controversy over Tract 90 should not be considered here. It hardly concerns the villagers of Littlemore who worried little about the Thirty-nine articles and their meaning" (41). The development of Newman's monastic college, inevitably, takes up a good part of the book, and it is fitting that this new edition, compiled by The Spiritual Family The Work, goes on to describe that organisation's renovation and care of this iconic building in a new section (83–89). Since 1986 the Sisters of The Work have been welcoming pilgrims and visitors to the college from all over the world. Three well-chosen letters written by Newman concerning Littlemore have also been included as an appendix (91–95). The reappearance of this increasingly hard-to-find book is welcome for two reasons. First, because it remains an enjoyable and rewarding read, especially with some extra illustrations now added. Second, it serves as an important reminder of just how little scholarly attention has been paid to Newman's pastoral work and the more practical aspects of his personal religious ministry. Newman served the village of Littlemore—as vicar, patron, and community leader—for almost eighteen years, a little over a quarter of his adult life. Almost four decades after it was written, this slim volume still provides the best account of this rather oddly neglected topic. [End Page 174] Philip Salmon Keble College, Oxford Copyright © 2020 National Institute for Newman Studies