ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER
Saints celebrated on the 5th of October
WELCOME!
BLESSED JOHN WELDON, PRIEST AND MARTYR
London Oratory,
The Martyrs of Tyburn Tree (detail)
On October 5, 1588¹, John Weldon, priest "of the college of Douay, according to Champney and Molanus," condemned to die upon account of his priestly character, was drawn to Mile's-End-Green, and there executed.
On the same day was martyred William Hartley, who was born in the diocese of Litchfield, performed his higher studies in the College of Rheims; from whence he was sent priest upon the English mission, anno 1580.
Mr Stow says he was ordained at Paris, which may very well be; for the superiors of the college had an indult from the pope to present their alumni for holy orders to any of the bishops of the province of Rheims, or Sens, one of which the bishop of Paris was at that time. Mr Hartley had not laboured above a twelvemonth in the vineyard of his Lord, before he was apprehended in the house of the Lady Stonor, and carried prisoner to the Tower, August the 13th, 1581, together with Mr John Stonor and Mr Steven Brinkley, lay gentlemen. Here he was confined till September 16, 1582, and then was translated from the Tower to another prison, where he remained till January 1585; when, with about twenty other priests, he was shipped off into banishment.
Upon this occasion he returned to Rheims to the college; but, after some short stay there, set out again for England, being more afraid of being wanting to the cause of God, and the salvation of souls, than of a cruel death, which he was certainly to look for, if he fell again, as most probably he would, into the hands of the persecutors. In effect, he was again apprehended, some time in or before the year 1588, and then brought upon his trial, and condemned to die upon account of his priestly character. He was executed near the Theatre, October 5, 1588, his mother looking on, as Raissius relates, "Catalog. Martyr Anglo Duac, p. 52," and rejoicing exceedingly that she had brought forth a son to glorify God by such death.
About the same time (some say the same day) Richard Williams, a venerable priest, who had been ordained in England before the change of religion, was also, for religious matters, hanged at Holloway, near London.
Robert Sutton, layman, suffered on the same day at Clerkenwell. The cause of his death was purely his religion, viz. because he had been reconciled to the church of Rome. His life was offered him at the gal-lows, if he would acknowledge the Queen's ecclesiastical supremacy, as I learn from the copy of a letter which I have in my hands, written by Mr William Naylor, who was an eye-witness of his death. "I saw, says he, one Mr Sutton, a layman, and a schoolmaster, put to death at Clerkenwell in London; to whom the sheriff promised to procure his pardon, if he would but pronounce absolutely the word all; for he would that he should acknowledge the queen to be supreme head in all causes without any restriction; but he, 'Mr Sutton' would acknowledge her to be supreme head in all causes temporal; and for that he would not pronounce the word all without any restriction, he was executed. This I heard and saw." So far Mr Naylor.
¹Some sources state October 6.
From the Douay Diary and Catalogues, and from the Journal of things transacted in the Tower, from 1580 till 1585.
 |
| London Oratory, The Martyrs of Tyburn Tree (detail) |
On October 5, 1588¹, John Weldon, priest "of the college of Douay, according to Champney and Molanus," condemned to die upon account of his priestly character, was drawn to Mile's-End-Green, and there executed.
On the same day was martyred William Hartley, who was born in the diocese of Litchfield, performed his higher studies in the College of Rheims; from whence he was sent priest upon the English mission, anno 1580.
Mr Stow says he was ordained at Paris, which may very well be; for the superiors of the college had an indult from the pope to present their alumni for holy orders to any of the bishops of the province of Rheims, or Sens, one of which the bishop of Paris was at that time. Mr Hartley had not laboured above a twelvemonth in the vineyard of his Lord, before he was apprehended in the house of the Lady Stonor, and carried prisoner to the Tower, August the 13th, 1581, together with Mr John Stonor and Mr Steven Brinkley, lay gentlemen. Here he was confined till September 16, 1582, and then was translated from the Tower to another prison, where he remained till January 1585; when, with about twenty other priests, he was shipped off into banishment.
Upon this occasion he returned to Rheims to the college; but, after some short stay there, set out again for England, being more afraid of being wanting to the cause of God, and the salvation of souls, than of a cruel death, which he was certainly to look for, if he fell again, as most probably he would, into the hands of the persecutors. In effect, he was again apprehended, some time in or before the year 1588, and then brought upon his trial, and condemned to die upon account of his priestly character. He was executed near the Theatre, October 5, 1588, his mother looking on, as Raissius relates, "Catalog. Martyr Anglo Duac, p. 52," and rejoicing exceedingly that she had brought forth a son to glorify God by such death.
About the same time (some say the same day) Richard Williams, a venerable priest, who had been ordained in England before the change of religion, was also, for religious matters, hanged at Holloway, near London.
Robert Sutton, layman, suffered on the same day at Clerkenwell. The cause of his death was purely his religion, viz. because he had been reconciled to the church of Rome. His life was offered him at the gal-lows, if he would acknowledge the Queen's ecclesiastical supremacy, as I learn from the copy of a letter which I have in my hands, written by Mr William Naylor, who was an eye-witness of his death. "I saw, says he, one Mr Sutton, a layman, and a schoolmaster, put to death at Clerkenwell in London; to whom the sheriff promised to procure his pardon, if he would but pronounce absolutely the word all; for he would that he should acknowledge the queen to be supreme head in all causes without any restriction; but he, 'Mr Sutton' would acknowledge her to be supreme head in all causes temporal; and for that he would not pronounce the word all without any restriction, he was executed. This I heard and saw." So far Mr Naylor.
¹Some sources state October 6.
From the Douay Diary and Catalogues, and from the Journal of things transacted in the Tower, from 1580 till 1585.
Comments
Post a Comment