Mark A. Tierney: Correspondence and papers

The correspondence reflects Tierney's interest in Catholic history and contemporary church politics, especially in the period leading up to the establishment of the new Roman Catholic hierarchy in England in 1850. There are extensive series of letters illustrating his dealings with his publishers, especially Booker and Dolman, and series in which Tierney attempts, not always successfully, to borrow manuscripts from the Jesuits, which illustrate the tension in England in the 1830s and 1840s between the Catholic 'secular' and 'regular' clergy. The collection also contains a selection of other papers, including material relating to the building work at the Roman Catholic Church in St Leonard's, 1854-1855.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Tierney left his manuscripts to Thomas Grant, Bishop of Southwark. Their provenance thereafter is uncertain, and seems to have followed that of the papers of John Lingard, MS.Add.9418. Purchased by the University Library from Bernard Quaritch Ltd. In 1996.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.