ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER
Saints celebrated on the 8th of September
BLESSED THOMAS PALASOR, PRIEST AND MARTYR
Thomas Palasor, or Pallicer, was born at Ellerton, upon Swale, in the parish of Boulton, in the county of York; and performed his studies abroad, partly in the college or seminary, then residing at Rheims; from whence he was sent into Spain in 1592, and partly in the college of Valladolid, where he was made priest; and from whence, he was sent upon the English mission.
Dr Worthington gives him the character of a virtuous and learned priest.
He was apprehended in the house of Mr John Norton, (a gentleman of the family of the Nortons of Norton-Coniers) near Raven's Hall, in the parish of Laymsley. Mr Norton and his lady, were both also apprehended at the same time, for harbouring Mr Palasor, and with them, Mr John Talbot, another Yorkshire gentleman, (born at Thornton in Street,) for being found in his company, and for aiding and assisting him.
They were all brought upon their trials at Durham, in the summer assizes, and all condemned to die; Mr Pallasor for being a seminary priest, and returning to England, contrary to the statute of Elizabeth 27; and the other three for relieving and assisting him. Another lay gentleman was condemned at the same time, and for the same cause; but he, through frailty, consented to go to [government enforced protestant] church, and so saved his life, as the others might have done, if they had yielded to the same condition; which they generously refusing to do, were all executed at Durham, August the 9th, 1600; only Mrs Norton, being supposed to be with child, was reprieved.
The Reverend Mr Cuthbert Trollop, in a manuscript relation which I have in my hands, writes, that Mr Pallasor and his companions, being in prison, were like to be poisoned by the malice of the jailor's wife; for an empoisoned broth was prepared for them, and first brought to Mr Pallasor; who offering to taste of it, the mutton in the dish began to run blood, in form of crosses, and of O's, in the broth, which he wondering at, abstained from eating it. The maid who brought him the broth, noting this, carried it back to her mistress; she, casting some spice over it, sent the broth again by the same maid to Mr Talbot and Mr Norton; which they offering also to taste, the blood in like sort issued forth of the meat, as before, which caused them likewise to abstain. The servant seeing this again, was touched in conscience, and came upon her knees to Mr Pallasor, and asked him forgiveness; and desired, for Jesus Christ's sake, that he would make her one of his faith, and instruct her what she had to do to be saved; which he did, resolving her in all points, and reconciling her to the catholic church. The aforesaid maid, whose name was Mary Day, at that time servant to the jailor, afterwards served a catholic gentlewoman called Eleanor Forcer, who informed me of this. So far Mr Trollop.
In the beginning of this same year, 1600, viz. upon the 19th of January, says Howes, in his chronicle, (p. 789), sixteen priests, and four laymen, were removed out of divers prisons in and about London, and sent to the castle of Wisbech; whereof one was a bishop of Ireland, and another a Franciscan of the order of capuchins, who wore his friar's weed all the way he went, &c.
This capuchin was father Bennet Canfield, whose name in the world was William Fitch, a gentleman, born at Canfield, in Essex, and brought up to the law in Gray's Inn; whose wonderful conversion to the catholic faith, and call to that religious order, of which, in his time, he was esteemed one of the brightest lights, together with his other virtues, may be seen in his life, translated from the French, and published in our language, anno 1623. After three years' imprisonment, he was banished, with divers other priests, and at length died in the odour of sanctity at Roan, anno 1611.
This year also, the catholic prisoners for their conscience in York castle, upwards of fifty in number, were, by orders of the lord Burleigh, then president of the north, once a week, dragged by force into the hall of the castle, and there forcibly detained to hear protestant sermons, preached by the archbishop, and the most eminent of the clergy of that city. This was continued for near twelve months. The behaviour and speeches of the prisoners, upon these occasions, and other remarkable passages that then happened, are set down at large in a manuscript of about forty chapters, written by the Rev. Mr. W. Richmont. The issue was, that the preachers finding their eloquence nothing availed, and that the prisoners either stopped their ears, or contradicted their discourses, and could not be silenced, either by their chains or dungeons, at last concluded, after fifty sermons, to let them alone, and give them no further molestation of this kind.
The chief of these prisoners were: Mr George Raines, priest, William Middleton, of Stockeld, William Stillington, of Kelfield, Richard Danby, of Cave, Richard Fenton, of Burnwallis, Thomas Gelstrop, of Burrowby, Esqrs., Michael Jenison, of, James Rosse, of Igmanthorp, William Gascoigne, of Thorp, gentlemen.
From Dr Worthington's relation of sixteen martyrs; from the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue, and from a Douay manuscript.
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 1
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