Michael Derrick
John Michael Derrick (3 January 1915 – 5 August 1961) was the son of the artist, illustrator and cartoonist Thomas Derrick, and older brother of the writer Christopher Derrick. He was a leading figure in Roman Catholic journalism in mid-20th-century England.
Michael Derrick | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Michael Derrick 3 January 1915 |
| Died | 5 August 1961 (aged 46) |
| Education | Douai School |
| Occupation | editor, journalist, translator |
Notable credit(s) | The Tablet, Dublin Review, L'Osservatore Romano |
| Spouse(s) | Anneliese Burkhardt |
| Children | two sons |
| Relatives | Christopher Derrick (brother) |
| Family | son of Thomas Derrick |
Life
Derrick was brought up in rural Berkshire by back-to-the-land parents and attended Douai School, where the headmaster, Dom Ignatius Rice, was a friend of his father. On a holiday in Hungary, not long after beginning his studies at the University of Oxford, Derrick was incapacitated by a severe intestinal infection and spent several years as an invalid. During this period he wrote The Portugal of Salazar (1938), a sympathetic study of the Corporatist regime of António de Oliveira Salazar.
In 1938, at the suggestion of Fr Ignatius, he was taken on as assistant editor of The Tablet.[1] He remained in this position until his early death, throughout the period of the weekly newspaper's greatest prestige.[2] He frequently wrote the editorial "Notebook" column. In 1956 he became editor of the Dublin Review, which was actually published in London and under his editorship was renamed The Wiseman Review to avoid confusion. For a few months before his death he was London correspondent of L'Osservatore Romano. He also wrote pamphlets for the Catholic Truth Society and for Sword of the Spirit, and translated a number of books on Catholic subjects.
Derrick was Chairman of the Challoner Club, and from 1958 Secretary of the Catholic Union of Great Britain. He stood as the Liberal candidate for Reading North in the election of 1950, losing to the Labour candidate.
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In 1951 he married Anneliese Burkhardt, and the couple made their home in Petersham. They had two sons.
On 29 July 1961 he fell seriously ill, and he died on 5 August, a few hours after receiving the viaticum.
Publications
Books
- The Portugal of Salazar. London: Sands; Paladin Press, 1938.
Pamphlets and essays
- A guerra e a aliança luso-britânica. Lisboa: Bertrand, 1940.
- Eastern Catholics under Soviet Rule. London: Sword of the Spirit and The Tablet, 1946.
- Cardinal Mindszenty. Sword Pamphlet. London: Richard Madley, [1948].
- 'The Treasonable Clerks of 1848', Dublin Review 442 (1948), pp. 49–67.
- Persecution in Poland. London: Sword of the Spirit, [1953].
- Tito and the Catholic Church. With a foreword by Cardinal Griffin. London: Sword of the Spirit, [1953].
- Spain and Colombia: the Position of Protestants. London: Catholic Truth Society, [1955].
- Pope John XXIII. London: Catholic Truth Society, 1958.
- 'Epilogue' to Zsolt Aradi, John XXIII, Pope of the Council. London: Burns & Oates, [1961].
Books edited or translated
- Lou Tseng-Tsiang, Ways of Confucius and of Christ, tr. Michael Derrick. London: Burns & Oates, 1948.
- Nazareno Padellaro, Portrait of Pius XII, tr. Michael Derrick etc. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1956.
- Wladimir d'Ormesson, The Papacy, tr. Michael Derrick. Faith and Fact Books no. 80. London: Burns & Oates, 1959.
- René Metz, What is Canon Law?, tr. Michael Derrick. Faith and Fact Books no. 79. London: Burns & Oates, 1960.
- William Eric Brown, The Catholic Church in South Africa: from its origins to the present day, ed. Michael Derrick. London: Burns & Oates, 1960.
Notes
- Obituary in The Tablet, August 12, 1961, pp. 773-774.
- "Woodruff, Douglas", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
