John Hornyold

John Joseph Hornyold (19 February 1706 – 26 December 1778) was an English Catholic bishop, Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, England, and titular Bishop of Phiomelia.

He was descended from two ancient Catholic families, his father being John Hornyold, of Blackmore Park and Hanley Castle, Worcestershire; his mother, Mary, daughter of Sir Pyers Mostyn, 2nd Baronet, of Talacre, Flintshire. At the age of 22, on 7 August 1758, he entered the English College at Douai to study for the priesthood. After his ordination he returned to England and served the mission at Grantham for some time, meeting with persecution and more than once narrowly escaping arrest as a priest.

In 1739 he went as chaplain to Longbirch near Wolverhampton, the seat of "the good Madam Giffard", a widow. While there he published his first work, The Decalogue Explained, published in London in 1744, and afterwards running through many editions. Bishop John Milner, in a Memoir of him in the Laity's Directory (1818), says:

In the former of these, The Sacraments Explained (London, 1747), he included several discourses written by his predecessor at Longbirch, the Rev. John Johnson. The book on the Creed was called The Real Principles of Catholicks or a Catechism for the Adult (London, 1749), One of the later editions appeared as Grounds of the Christian Belief or the (Apostles') Creed Explained (Birmingham, 1771). In this book, according to Charles Butler, he made large use of Maurus Corker's Roman Catholic Principles in Reference to God and the King, but this was denied by Milner.

In 1751 John Talbot Stonor, the Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, applied for a coadjutor and Hornyold was selected. He was consecrated 10 February 1752, but continued to act as Mrs. Giffard's chaplain until her death, 13 Feb., 1753. Her house was then rented for the use of the vicar Apostolic and Hornyold resided there for the rest of his life.

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