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WILCANNIA

Wigley, Georoe J., d. in Rome, 20 January, 186. By profession he was an architect, but subsequently devoted himself to journahsm in Paris. He was one of the band of laymen who surroimded Frederick Ozanam and who founded with him the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. At Ozanam's suggestion he wrote some letters to "The Tablet" describing the aims and the work of the new Society. Lucas, editor of "The Tablet", then wrote some articles on the same subject and in January, 1S44, the English branch was formed, Wigley, who was then living in London, becoming one of the original thirteen members. In or about 1860 Wigley took a leading part in forming both in England and in France the Peterspence Association for assisting the Holy Father. Shortly after Pius IX bestowed on him the Cross of St. Gregory the Great. He met his death through his charity in attending one of the St. Vincent de Paul cases in Rome, a Protestant Enghsh sailor. Wigley nursed him with great devotion, and had him received into the Church on his death-bed, and then falling ill of the same disease went to the hospital of the Brothers of St. John of God where he died.

Dunn, The Society S. V. P. : recollections of its early days in iMidon (1907); AMHEK3T, The Formation of the Society of S. V. P. (London, 1899).

Edwin Burton.

Wilberforce, Henry William, b. at Clapham, 22 Sept., 1807; d. at Stroud, Gloucestershire, 23 April, 1873. He was thii-d son of the famous William Wilber- force, and younger brother of Robert Wilberforce. He entered Oriel College, Oxford, in 1826, becoming a pupil of Newman; and after taking a brilliant degree became a law-student at Lincoln's Inn. Newman persuaded him to leave the law for the Church, and in 1834 he took AngUcan orders, becoming succes- sively curate of Bransgrove, Hampshire (1834), vicar of Walmer (1841), and vicar, of East Farleigh, Kent (1843). On 15 Sept., 1850, he and his wife were received into the Catholic Church. He then devoted himself to journalism, being proprietor and editor of the "Catholic Standard", afterwards known as the "Weekly Register", from 1854 to 1863. His works were: "The Paroch(^l System", London, 1838; "Reasons for Submitting to the Catholic Church", London, 1851, a pamphlet which ran through several editions and led to much controversy; "Proselytism in Ireland" (London, 1852); "Essay on Some Events preparatory to the EngUsh Reformation" (London, 1867); and "The Church and the Empires" (London, 1874). His wife was Mary, daughter of the Rev. John Sargent; they had five sons and four daughters.

Newman, memoir prefixed to The Church and the Empires, with portrait (London, 1874); Foster, Alumni Oxonienses 1715- 1886 (Oxford, 1891); Mozlet, Reminiscences of Oriel and the Ox- ford Movement (London, 1882); Ashwell, Life of Samuel Wilber- force (London. 1880-2); Mozley, Letters and Correspondence of John Henry Newman (London. 1891); Cooper in Diet. Nat. Biog., a. v.; Gillow in Bibl. Diet. Eng. Cath., a. v.

Edwin Burton.

Wilberforce, Robert Isaac, b. at Clapham, 19 Dec, 1802; d. at Albano, near Rome, 3 Feb., 18.57. He was the second son of William Wilberforce, and a younger brother of Samuel Wilberforce, Anglican Bishop of Oxford. Educated privately, he entered Oriel College, Oxford, in 1820, and after graduating with a double first, he was elected a fellow of Oriel in 1826, thus becoming a colleague of Newman, Pusey, Keble, and Hurrell Froude. In the same year he took Anglican orders, and on leaving Oxford in 1831 he became rector successively of East Farleigh, Kent, and Burton Agnes, Yorkshire. In 1832 he married Agnes Everilda Wrangham, who died in 1834, leaving him two children, and three years later he married Jane Legard, by whom he haj no issue. In 1841 he was installed as canon of York Cathedral and Archdeacon of the East Riding. His wide

theological reading made him an influential member of the Tractarian party, and it was a great loss to the High Churchmen when in October, 1854, he be- came a Catholic, being received at Paris on All Saints' Day. Being now a widower for the second time, he determined to study for the priesthood on the advice of Manning, who.se intimate friend and confidential adviser he had been in their Anglican days. With this view he entered the Accademia in Rome, but within a year he died, having only received minor orders. Besides the "Life of WiUiara Wilberforce", which he wrote with his brother Samuel (5 vols., London, 1838), he published several historical and theological works.

MozLEY, Letters of J. B. Mozley (London, 1885); Idem. Let- ters and Correspondence of J. H. Newman (London, 1891); Ashwell and Wilberforce, Life of Samuel Wilberforce (Lon- don, 1880-2); Browne, History of the Tractarian Morement (London, 1856); Liddon. Life of E. B. Pusey (London, 1893-4); PuRCELL. Life of Cardinal Manning (London, 1895); Foster. Alumni Oxonienses (Oxford, 1891); Legge in Diet. Nat. Biog., a. v.; Gillow in BibL Diet. Eng. Cath., a. v.

Edwin BtjRTON.

Wilcannia, Diocese of (Wilcanniensis), in New South Wales, one of the six suffragan sees of Sydney, consists for the most part of the western portions of the older dioceses of Bathurst, Armidale, and Goulbum. It is composed of nearly one-half of the State of New South Wales, its area being 150,000 sq. miles. Its sparsely scattered population is en- gaged principally in pastoral pursuits, though of late years a couple of important and flourishing mining centres have sprung up. When formed, in 1887, its Cathohc population was estimated at about 7000, with 8 priests, and an average attendance of 800 children in Cathohc schools. The official return for 1912 shows a population of 19,000 Cathohcs, including 19 secidar priests, and 2960 children in Cathohc schools under the care of 146 religious teachers. Owing to various causes, namely, the drj' chmate, the form of land tenure (which favours vast areas of pastoral holdings or "Squattages"), and the uncer- tainty of the mining industry, the material progress of the diocese has not been such as was anticipated on its establishment. But, with incre.ised railway facilities, scientific wheat growing, and irrigation farming along the great rivers of the western plains, the possibilities of development are very great. Within this vast area are contained mineral deposits of great value which only await the advance of settle- ment and population for their successful development. The chief mining districts at present are Broken Hill, in Western Corner, and Cobar, in the centre of the diocese. The silver and lead mines of Broken Hill are famous and support the largest purely mining popu- lation in .\ustralia. Broken HiU has a population of 40,000 and is a well laid out and thoroughly equipped city. At Cabar, Cambelego, and Wymagee there are gold and copper mines of importance and well- established permanency.

The Very Rev. John Dunne, parish priest of Albury and Vicar-General of the Diocese of Goulbum, was chosen in 1.SS7 to administer this newly formed and vast diocese. He was born in King's Co., Ireland, in 1846; educated at Carlow College; and ordained priest in 1870. After his arrival in Australia he laboured in the Diocese of Goulbum for sixteen years, and was consecrated Bishop of Wilcannia by Cardinal Moran, on 14 .\ug., 1887. As there was no residence for a bishop in the town of Wilcannia, from which the diocese was name<l, nor means to support one, Bishoj) Dunne resided for a short time at Hay. Seeing, how- ever, the prospects of the new mining city of Brok<'n Hill, he took up his residence there in 1889, and since has administered the diocese from this centre. The city has a hand.some cathedral, two convents, an orphanage, and three suburban schools and churches.

A. KlLI.IAN.