Saints celebrated on the 28th of May
BLESSED THOMAS FORDE, PRIEST AND MARTYR
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| Portrait of Fr Thomas Forde The English Convent/Bruges |
Thomas Forde [Thomas Ford] was born in Devonshire; at Trinity College, Oxford, he took the degree of master of arts, in 1567, and was soon after admitted fellow of that college but not liking the protestant religion, he quitted his fellowship, and all other temporal hopes, and went over to the college or seminary lately instituted at Douay, where he arrived in 1571.
After having for some time there seriously applied himself to the study of divinity, he was made priest in 1573, at the same time with those two eminent divines, Richard Bristow and Gregory Martin; these being the three first that were presented to holy orders from Douay college. He took his degree of bachelor of divinity, in 1576; and soon after, returned into England upon the mission, where he laboured for some years with great fruit in the conversion of many souls.
He was apprehended on the 17th of July, 1581, with Father Campion, in the house of Mr Yates, of Lyford, in Berkshire; and with him was carried up to London, and cast into the Tower, and condemned the November following for the pretended conspiracy of Rheims and Rome; whereas he had never been in his life either at Rheims or Rome; nor had the witnesses that appeared against him, "Sledd and Munday, the Oates and Bedlow of those days," ever so much as seen Mr Forde before his imprisonment.
He received sentence of death, the 21st of November, 1581; but was not executed till May, 28, 1582. In the meantime, to make his execution, and that of his companions, more plausible, and that it might appear to the world, if they were not guilty of the pretended conspiracy, (which even the queen herself, did not believe,) that they were at least disaffected persons to her majesty, and as such, deserved to die, they sent to them the queen's attorney and solicitor, Popham and Egerton, with two civilians, Hammond and Lewes, to propose six articles to them concerning the bull of Pius V., and what obedience was to be paid to that decree; and what they thought of the pope's deposing power; and of certain passages of the writings of Dr Saunders and Dr Bristow; in fine, what they would do in case of an invasion on account of religion?
To these interrogatories, Mr John Shert, Mr Laurence Richardson, and Mr Thomas Cottam would make no other answer but that they were Catholics, and believed in all points as the Catholic Roman Church taught them. Mr Richardson added, that in all matters not repugnant to the Catholic religion, he professed obedience to her majesty. Mr Forde answered that he did not know what to say to the bull of Pius V. as being a stranger to the circumstances of that bull: that as to the deposing power, he thought the pope might have a power upon certain occasions, which he did not name, "as, where a whole kingdom would otherwise be perverted," to discharge subjects from their allegiance, that he would not pretend to answer for the doctrine of Dr Saunders or Dr Bristow, let them answer for themselves - and, as to the last point, he thought it would be time enough to determine what was to be done when the case should happen. And not unlike to his were the answers of Mr Robert Johnson, Mr Luke Kirby, and Mr William Filbie.
On the 28th of May, 1582, after a long series of cruel treatments, and much art used to make them either confess the feigned treason, or deny their faith, the reverend priests, Mr Thomas Forde, Mr John Shert, and Mr Robert Johnson were all trailed upon hurdles, from the Tower of London through the streets to Tyburn, betwixt six and seven of the clock in the morning.
And, first, Mr Forde, being set up in the cart, blessed himself with the sign of the cross; being so weak, that he fell down in the cart, and after he was up, he said, I am a Catholic, and do die in the Catholic religion.
And therewith, he was interrupted by sheriff Martin, saying, you come not hither to confess your religion, but as a traitor and malefactor to the queen's majesty, and the whole realm, moving and stirring of sedition: and, therefore, I pray you, go to and confess your fault, and submit yourself to the queen's mercy, and not doubt, but she would forgive you.
Whereunto, Mr Forde answered, That supposed offence, whereof I was indicted and condemned, was the conspiring of her majesty's death at Rome and Rheims, whereof I was altogether not guilty: for the offence was supposed: for conspiring the queen's majesty's death in the 22nd year of her majesty's reign; at which time, I was in England remaining, and long before that; for I have remained here for the space of six or seven years, and never during that time, departed this realm; whereof, I might bring the witness of an hundred, yea, of five hundred sufficient men, and had thereupon been discharged at the bar, if I would have disclosed their names with whom I have been; which I did forbear to do, for fear of bringing them into trouble.
Then sheriff Martin, said, here is your own handwriting, with the testimony of worshipful men, the queen's attorney, Dr Hammond, Dr Lewis and others; and if that will not serve, here is one of your own companions (Munday) that was the pope's scholar, to testify your offence.
Mr Forde answered that, Notwithstanding, I am altogether not guilty, whatever you have written. He continued, for the most part, in prayer secretly to himself during the time that the sheriff, or any other, spoke to him.
Then was a scroll of his examination (of which, we have spoken above) read by a minister; and Munday, the pope's scholar, being called as a witness against him, said, that Forde was privy to their conspiracies; but was not able to affirm, that ever he saw him beyond the seas. This, his assertion, Mr Forde utterly denied upon his death, and being asked what he thought of the queen's majesty; and withal, willed to ask her and the whole realm forgiveness; he said, he acknowledged her for his sovereign and queen, and that he never in his life had offended her. And so praying secretly, he desired all those that were of his faith to pray with him; and ended with this prayer, Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, esto mihi Jesus, and hanged until his companion, Mr Shert, (likely to terrify him the more) might see him.
From the records of Douay [Douai] college; and from a printed account of the execution of him and his companions, by an eyewitness.
[Fr Thomas was beatified on December 29, 1886 by
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 1
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