author
John Lingard
1771–1851
A Catholic priest and historian who set out to write England’s story with unusual care and balance, he became known for challenging old prejudices and going back to original sources. His multi-volume history of England helped win a wide readership well beyond Catholic circles.
1 Audiobook
The History of England from the First Invasion by the Romans to the Accession of King George the Fifth. Volume 08 of 11.
by John Lingard, Hilaire Belloc
About the author
Born in Winchester on February 5, 1771, John Lingard was educated at the English College at Douai in France, a major center for English Catholic training before the upheavals of the French Revolution. After returning to England, he taught at Crook Hall and later at St. Cuthbert’s College, Ushaw, and was ordained a priest in 1795.
Lingard is best remembered for The History of England, the large-scale work that established his reputation. First published in the early 19th century and expanded over time, it stood out for its careful use of documents and for trying to treat some of the most contested periods in English history with fairness rather than partisanship. That approach made him an important figure in the development of modern historical writing in Britain.
He spent much of his later life at Hornby in Lancashire, where he continued writing and serving as a priest until his death on July 17, 1851. Alongside his historical work, he also wrote devotional pieces and hymns, and he remains a notable voice in both English Catholic history and 19th-century scholarship.