English Speaking Saints And Martyrs

Bl. William Howard Feastday: December 29 1680 Martyr of England. He was born the son of Thomas, earl of Arundel, in 1616 and raised a Catholic. The grandson of Blessed Philip Howard and a member of the noble family of the Howards, William held the title of Viscount Stafford. He was made a Knight of the Bath by King Charles I (r.1624-1649), and married Mary Stafford in 1637. In 1640, William was named Baron Stafford. A county in Virginia in the United States bears his name. He was arrested on the false accusation of complicity in the so-called Popish Plot and imprisoned for two years before finally being beheaded on Tower Hill on December 29. He was beatified in 1929

St. John Almond Feastday: December 5 1612 One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. A native of Allerton, England, he was educated in Ireland and then at Reims and in Rome. After his ordination in 1598, he returned to England as a missionary, and was arrested in 1602. John was imprisoned in 1608 for a time and arrested again in 1612. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn. St. John Roberts Feastday: December 9 1610 Benedictine member of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born in Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd, Wales, and studied at Oxford. John became a Catholic and went to Paris in 1598, Studying and becoming a Benedictine priest in 1602. He then returned to England and aided so many victims of the plague of 1603 that he became quite famous. He left England for a time to establish a seminary but then returned to London. He had many adventures until his final arrest for being a priest. With Blessed Thomas Somers, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn. Bl. Thomas S...

Bl. Alexander Briant Feastday: December 1 1581 Missionary and martyr, one of the English priests slain in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Alexander was born in Somerset, England, circa 1556 , and entered Oxford University at a young age. He was called "the beautiful Oxford youth" because of his handsome appearance and the radiance of his holiness. Alexander converted to Catholicism at Oxford and met Richard Holtby, following Holtby to the English seminary college at Reims, France. He was ordained a priest there on March 29, 1578. Returning to England, Alexander worked in Somerset and was caught up in a search by British authorities in April 1581. Taken to the Tower of London, he was subjected to inhuman tortures but did not reveal the names of other priests. He also wrote to the Jesuit Fathers, asking permission to join. He was accepted. In November 1581, he was condemned to death by an English court. Again Alexander suffered hideous tortures and died on December 1,1581, at t...

St. James Thompson, Blessed Feastday: November 28 1582 English martyr. A native of York, he studied for the priesthood at Reims and was ordained there in 1581. Arrested soon after his return to England, he was hanged at York. He used the name Hudson in his mission work. James was beatified in 1895. Feast day: November 28. St. Cuthbert Mayne Feastday: November 29 1577 An English martyr, born near Branstaple, in Devonshire, as a Protestant. He converted to Catholicism at St. John’s, Oxford. Cuthbert was ordained at Douai, France, and sent home to England about 1575. Working in Cornwall, he was captured after a year. Condemned for celebrating a Mass, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered on November 25. Cuthbert was a friend of Edmund Campion, and he was aided by Francis Tregian in Cornwall. He was the first Englishman trained for the priesthood at Douai and was the protomartyr of English seminaries. Cuthbert was canonized by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

St. James Thompson, Blessed Feastday: November 28 1582 English martyr. A native of York, he studied for the priesthood at Reims and was ordained there in 1581. Arrested soon after his return to England, he was hanged at York. He used the name Hudson in his mission work. James was beatified in 1895. Feast day: November 28. St. Cuthbert Mayne Feastday: November 29 1577 An English martyr, born near Branstaple, in Devonshire, as a Protestant. He converted to Catholicism at St. John’s, Oxford. Cuthbert was ordained at Douai, France, and sent home to England about 1575. Working in Cornwall, he was captured after a year. Condemned for celebrating a Mass, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered on November 25. Cuthbert was a friend of Edmund Campion, and he was aided by Francis Tregian in Cornwall. He was the first Englishman trained for the priesthood at Douai and was the protomartyr of English seminaries. Cuthbert was canonized by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Bl. Hugh Faringdon November 15 1539 Benedictine abbot of Reading, once a friend of King Henry VIII. When he refused to allow the king to dissolve Reading Abbey, he was martyred with two companions. St. Hugh Green , Blessed November 15 1642 Martyr of England. He was educated at Cambridge, converted to Catholicism, and went to Douai, France. There he was ordained in 1612. Returning to England, Hugh labored in Dorset until his arrest. He was hanged at Dorchester. Bl. John Eynon November 15 1539 Martyred Benedictine of St. Giles, Reading. John served as the pastor of the local parish in St. Giles. He refused to surrender the parish to the authorities and was taken to Reading Abbey. He was executed at the abbey gateway with Blessed Hugh Farington and Blessed John Rugg. They were beatified in 1895. Bl. John Rugg November 15 1539 Martyred monk of Chichester, England. In residence at Reading Abbey, he was martyred by King Henry VIII at Reading, with Blessed Hugh Farington and John Eynon for re...

Bl. John Bodey Feastday: November 2 1583 English martyr and schoolmaster. He was born at Wells, Somerset, and educated at Oxford. Converting to the faith, John studied law at Douai in 1557 and returned to England to become a schoolmaster and to marry. When he repudiated King Henry VIII’s claim of supremacy in spiritual matters, he was arrested in 1550. John was imprisoned at Winchester until 1583, when he was taken on November 2 to Andover where he was hanged. He was beatified in 1929

Douai Martyrs Feastday: October 29 More than 160 priests trained in the English College of Douai, France, returned to England and Wales and faced arrest, torture, and execution by English authorities. A large group - more than eighty- were beatified in 1929, and English dioceses celebrate the feasts of these martyrs. A group of 160 priests trained at the English College of Douai, in France. They were martyred in England and Wales during the century following the foundation of the famed college by Cardinal William Allen in 1568. All perished at the hands of English authorities while laboring to reconvert the island. Eighty alumni of Douai were beatified in 1929. Bl. John Slade Feastday: October 30 1583 Martyr of England. He was a native of Manston, Dorchestershire, and was educated at Oxford. John denied King Henry Viii’s supremacy in religious matters and was arrested and tried with Blessed John Bodey. They were hanged, drawn, and quartered at Winchester. He was beatified in 1929

St. Richard Gwyn Feastday: October 17 1584 One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Also called Richard White, he was born in Montgomeryshire, Wales, in 1547, and stud­ied at Cambridge University, England. Converted from Protestantism, he returned to Wales in 1562, married, had six children, and opened a school. Arrested in 1579, he spent four years in prison before his execution by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Wrexham on October 15, for being a Catholic. While jailed, he com­posed many religious poems in Welsh. He is considered the protomartyr of Wales and was included among the canonized martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI in 1970. St. Philip Howard Feastday: October 19 1595 One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Philip was the earl of Arundel and Surrey and, although a Catholic, led a religiously apathetic life until his personal conversion, after which he was a zealous Catholic in the midst of Elizabethan England. Arrested by authorities, he was plac...

Bl. Edward Campion Feastday: October 1 1588 English martyr. He was born at Ludlow and studied at Oxford, England. A convert, he studied at Reims, France, and was ordained in 1587. Edward returned to England and a year later he was martyred at Canterbury. He was beatified in 1929 Bl. Edward James Feastday: October 1 1588 English martyr. He was born near Breaston, and studied at Oxford, England. Converting to the faith, Edward studied at Reims, France, and Rome, and was ordained in 1583. Returning as a missionary to England, he was arrested and martyred at Chichester. He was beatified in 1929. Bl. John Robinson Feastday: October 1 1588 Martyr of England. He was from Ferrensby, Yorkshire, and a widower who went to Reims for ordination. Ordained in 1585, John went back to England and was executed at Ipswich, receiving beatification in 1929. Bl. Robert Widmerpool Feastday: October 1 1588 English martyr. Originally from Nottingham, England, he studied at Oxford and worked as a tutor for the ...

Bl. Robert Sutton Feastday: October 5 1588 English martyr. Born at Kegwell, Leicestershire, he became an Anglican priest, studying at Oxford. In 1575, he converted and went to Douai, France. He returned to England and was arrested in London and hanged at Clerkenwell.

English Martyrs 

Bl. Thomas Ford Feastday: May 28 1582 Martyr of England. He was born in Devon and educated at Oxford. There he converted and set out for Douai, France. Ordained a priest in 1573, he was sent back to England three years later. Thomas labored in Oxfordshire and Berckshire until his arrest. He was martyred on May 28 at Tyburn by being hanged, drawn, and quartered. He was a companion of St. Edmund Campion, and he died with Blesseds Robert Johnson and John Shert. Thomas was beatified in 1882 Bl. John Shert Feastday: May 28 1582 English martyr. He was born at Shert Hall, near Macclesfield, Cheshire, and educated at Oxford. Converting to the Church, John studied at Douai and Rome. Ordained in 1576, he went to England three years later, working only two years before his arrest. John was martyred at Tyburn with Blessed Thomas Ford and Blessed Robert Johnstone by being hinged, drawn, and quartered. Pope Leo XIII beatified him in 1886. Bl. Robert Johnson Feastday: May 28 1582 English martyr. Bo...