Saints celebrated on the 30th of May
BLESSED LAURENCE RICHARDSON, PRIEST AND MARTYR
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| Colleges at the University of Douai, 16th century |
Laurence Richardson (alias Johnston) was born in Lancashire, and educated in Brazen-nose college, in Oxford, and was a fellow of that college, but quitting his fellowship and protestant religion, as a great many of the most hopeful subjects did in those days, he went over to Douay college in 1573, here having passed through his course of divinity, he was made priest in 1577.
His labours upon the mission were in his native country of Lancashire, where he was much esteemed for his extraordinary zeal and piety. He was apprehended in some part of the year 1581, and being in prison at the time that the pretended plot of Rheims and Rome was set on foot by the enemies of the catholics; he was also charged with the rest of the priests then in prison of that pretended conspiracy, though he was in England at the time that he was accused to have been plotting at Rheims; and the wretches that were his accusers had never seen him there or elsewhere before his imprisonment.
However, all this was not regarded in his trial, and he was condemned November 21, 1581, and executed the 30th of May, 1582.
My author, an eye-witness of his death, tells us, that immediately after the cart was drawn away from
Mr Kirby, Mr Richardson and Mr Cottam, priests and graduates were brought together to look upon him whilst he was hanging; and that he being cut down, they were put up into the cart, where, with cheerful countenances, they signed themselves with the sign of the cross, saying, in nomine Patris &c. Mr Cottam turning him about said, God bless you all, our Lord bless you all, with a smiling countenance. Mr Richardson being commanded by the sheriff's man to look upon his companion who was in cutting up, said, O! God's will be done with that. One Field, a preacher, said, Dispatch, dispatch, to whom Mr Cottam said, with smiling countenance, What are you, an executioner or a preacher? fye, fye. A minister standing by, said, Leave off those jests, it is no time to jest; he is a preacher, and not an executioner; he cometh to exhort you to die well. Mr Cottam replied, Truly by his words he seemed to be an executioner: for he said, Dispatch, dispatch.
Then Mr Richardson being placed right under the place where he was to hang, divers persons moved speeches to him all at one time. To whom he answered, I pray you do not trouble me: if you demand any questions of me, let them be touching the matter whereof I was condemned, and do not move new questions: and thereupon he was turned back to look upon Mr Kirby, who was then in quartering, which he did; and the head being cut off, they held it up, saying, God save the queen, and he being demanded, said; I say, amen, I pray God save her.
And further he said, I am come hither to die for treason, and I protest before God, I am not guilty of any treason, more than all catholic bishops that ever were in this land since the conversion thereof till our time; and were they alive they might as well be executed for treason as I am now. To whom a minister replied, The case is not the same; for then popish priests lived under popish princes, and did not disobey them, and so were no traitors. Whilst they were talking with Mr Richardson, Mr Cottam took Bull the hangman by the sleeve, and said to him, God forgive thee and make thee his servant; take heed in time and call for grace, and no doubt but God will hear thee: take example by the executioner of St Paul, who, during the time of the saint's execution, a little drop of blood falling from St Paul upon his garment, white like milk, did afterwards call him to remembrance of himself, and so he became penitent for his sins, and became a good man; whose example I pray God thou mayest follow; and I pray God give thee his grace.
Then the six articles were read, and Mr Richardson's answer, who said, as touching the doctrine of Dr Saunders and Dr Bristow, he allowed of it no farther than they agreed with the true catholic church of Rome. Topcliff, and some ministers said, he built his faith upon Saunders: to whom he answered, I build not my faith upon any one man whatsoever, but upon the whole catholic church. Then the rope being put about both their necks, and fastened to the post, the sheriff said, Now, Richardson, if thou wilt confess thy faults and renounce the pope, the queen will extend her mercy towards thee, and thou shalt be carried back again. Mr Richardson answered, I thank her majesty for her mercy; but I must not confess an untruth, or renounce my faith.
All this while Mr Cottam was in prayer, and uttering divers good sentences; saying, All that we here sustain is for saving of our souls: and therewithal lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, O Lord, thou knowest our innocency. Then he was bid to confess his treasons. O Lord, said he, how willingly would I confess, if I did know anything that they did charge me; and if we had been guilty of any such thing, surely one or other of us, either by racking or death, would have confessed it, or else we had been such people as never were heard of. And I protest before God, that before my coming into England, I was prepared to go into the Indies; and if I were to be set at liberty, I would never rest but on the journey towards those countries. With that the sheriff said, the queen will be merciful to thee, if thou wilt thyself; he answered, I thank her grace; saying further, do with me what you think good. Therewithal the sheriff commanded that the rope should be loosed from the post, and he removed down from the cart.
Then Mr Richardson was once more called upon to confess and ask pardon of the queen he answered, that he had never offended her to his knowledge. Then he was willed to pray; which he did, desiring all catholics to pray with him. He said his Pater, Ave, and creed: and when the cart began to move, he said, Lord receive my soul, Lord Jesu receive my soul.
From Raisstus his catalogue of martyrs, and the Douay diary: his death from an eye-witness.
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 1
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