10 Facts About William Poynter

William Poynter was an English Catholic priest who served as Vicar Apostolic of London.

William Poynter remained as professor, and afterwards prefect of studies till the college was suppressed during the French Revolution.

In 1803, in light of the declining health of Bishop John Douglass, vicar apostolic of the London district, William Poynter was appointed titular bishop of Halia and coadjutor vicar apostolic, remaining at the same time president of the college.

William Poynter was consecrated bishop by Bishop Douglass on 29 May 1803.

William Poynter's position was rendered difficult by the persistent attacks of Bishop John Milner, vicar apostolic of the Midlands District, in pamphlets and in his pastorals, covering a range of disputes but mostly centred on the question of Catholic Emancipation and the demands of the British government to control the appointment of Catholic bishops in Great Britain.

An unrelated dispute arose when William Poynter put restrictions on the writings of Peter Gandolphy which Milner then allowed in his vicariate.

William Poynter endured Milner's accusations in silence, having the support of all the other English and Scotch bishops; but when in May 1814, on the issue of the Quarantotti Rescript, Milner went to Rome to obtain its reversal, William Poynter followed him there and wrote his Apologetical Epistle defending himself to the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide.

Quarantotti's Rescript was withdrawn, and in its place was substituted a Letter to Dr William Poynter, dated from Genoa, where the pope had taken refuge during the Hundred Days that ensued upon Napoleon Bonaparte's escape from exile on Elba.

William Poynter obeyed this injunction, but continued his attacks in letters to the Orthodox Journal until he was peremptorily prohibited by order of the pope, under pain of being deposed.

William Poynter received the support of the Duke of Wellington and Lord Castlereagh, and of the British commissioners appointed to deal with the claims.