Carthusian Martyrs
Encyclopedia
The Carthusian Martyrs were a group of monks of the London Charterhouse
, the monastery of the Carthusian Order in central London, who were put to death by the English state from June 19, 1535 to September 20, 1537. The method of execution
was hanging, disembowelling while still alive and then quartering. The group also includes two monks who were brought to that house from the Charterhouses of Beauvale
and Axholme and similarly dealt with. The total is of 18 men, all of whom have been formally recognized by the Catholic Church as true martyrs.
At the outset of the "King's Great Matter," (the euphemism given to Henry VIII's decision to divorce Catherine of Aragon, marry Anne Boleyn and break with the Catholic Church in Rome) the government was anxious to secure the public acquiescence of the monks of the London Charterhouse
, since for the austerity and sincerity of their mode of life they enjoyed great prestige. When this attempt failed in this, the only alternative was to annihilate the resistance, since a refusal engaged the prestige of the monks in the opposite sense. This took the form of a long process of attrition.
three leading English Carthusian
s, John Houghton, prior of the London house, Robert Lawrence and Augustine Webster, respectively priors of Beauvale
and Axholme
, along with a Bridgettine monk, Richard Reynolds of Syon Abbey
.
on June 19. Newdigate was a personal friend of Henry VIII, who twice visited him in the prison to persuade him to give in, in vain.
in Nottinghamshire
, while Dom John Rochester and Dom James Walworth were taken to the Charterhouse of St Michael at Hull
in Yorkshire
. They were made an "example" of on May 11, 1537, when condemned on trumped up charges of treason, they were hanged in chains from the York city battlements until dead.
were required to take the Oath of Supremacy
. Of these, the choir monks Thomas Johnson, Richard Bere, Thomas Green (priests), and John Davy (a deacon) refused. Richard Bere was the nephew, and named for, Richard Bere the Abbot of Glastonbury (1493–1525). The younger Bere abandoned his studies in the law, and became a Carthusian
in February 1523. "Thomas Green" may be the Thomas Greenwood who obtained the B.A. degree at Oxford, and later the M.A. at Cambridge in 1511, who became Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge
in 1515 and the Doctorate in Divinity in 1532. This may associate him with John Fisher.
Likewise, of the brothers, Robert Salt, William Greenwood, Thomas Redyng, Thommas Scryven, Walter Pierson, and William Horne also refused.
As to the rest, the monastery was "surrendered" and they were expelled.
Those refusing the oath were all sent on May 29 to Newgate Prison
, and treated as had been their fellow Carthusians in June 1535. They were chained standing and with their hands tied behind them to posts in the prison. This time, however, no further proceeding was foreseen and they were simply left to die of starvation.
Margaret Clement
(née Giggs), who had been brought up in the household of St Thomas More
, bribed the gaoler to let her have access to the prisoners, and disguised as a milkmaid carried in a milk-can full of meat which she fed to them. She also relieved them as best she could of the filth. However, King Henry became suspicious and began to ask whether they were already dead. When this filtered back to the gaoler, he became too afraid to let Margaret enter again. For a brief time she was allowed to go on the roof and uncover the tiles, and let down meat in a basket as near as she could to their mouths. This method meant the monks could get little or nothing from the basket, and in any case the gaoler became too afraid and stopped any contact.
The laybrother William Greenwood died first, on June 6, and two days later the deacon John Davy, on June 8. Brother Robert Salt died on June 9, Brother Walter Pierson and the priest Thomas Green on June 10, and Brothers Thomas Scryven and Thomas Redyng on June 15 and June 16. These last named had survived a remarkably long time. It seems likely that at this point the King and his Council decided upon a change of plan which entailed bringing the survivors to execution and that Cromwell gave orders that those still living were to be given food so as to keep them alive. At any rate, the priest Dom Richard Bere did not die till August 9, and the priest Thomas Johnson not until September 20.
on August 4, 1540 along with five other Catholics: the two laymen Robert Bird
and Giles Heron, Lawrence Cook, Carmelite Prior of Doncaster, the Benedictine Thomas Epson, and (probably) the secular priest William Bird, Rector of Fittleton
and Vicar of Bradford, Wiltshire.
London Charterhouse
The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, the monastery of the Carthusian Order in central London, who were put to death by the English state from June 19, 1535 to September 20, 1537. The method of execution
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
was hanging, disembowelling while still alive and then quartering. The group also includes two monks who were brought to that house from the Charterhouses of Beauvale
Beauvale Charterhouse
Beauvale Charterhouse was a Carthusian monastery in Beauvale, Nottinghamshire. It is a scheduled ancient monument.-History:...
and Axholme and similarly dealt with. The total is of 18 men, all of whom have been formally recognized by the Catholic Church as true martyrs.
At the outset of the "King's Great Matter," (the euphemism given to Henry VIII's decision to divorce Catherine of Aragon, marry Anne Boleyn and break with the Catholic Church in Rome) the government was anxious to secure the public acquiescence of the monks of the London Charterhouse
London Charterhouse
The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, since for the austerity and sincerity of their mode of life they enjoyed great prestige. When this attempt failed in this, the only alternative was to annihilate the resistance, since a refusal engaged the prestige of the monks in the opposite sense. This took the form of a long process of attrition.
The First Group
On May 4, 1535 the authorities sent to their death at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, London
Tyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
three leading English Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
s, John Houghton, prior of the London house, Robert Lawrence and Augustine Webster, respectively priors of Beauvale
Beauvale Charterhouse
Beauvale Charterhouse was a Carthusian monastery in Beauvale, Nottinghamshire. It is a scheduled ancient monument.-History:...
and Axholme
Axholme Charterhouse
Axholme Charterhouse, North Lincolnshire is one of the ten medieval Carthusian houses in England. It was established in 1397/1398 by Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham. The house was centred around a pre-existing chapel at Low Melwood in the Isle of Axholme...
, along with a Bridgettine monk, Richard Reynolds of Syon Abbey
Syon Abbey
Syon Monastery , was a monastery of the Bridgettine Order founded in 1415 which stood until its demolition in the 16th c. on the left bank of the River Thames within the parish of Isleworth, in the county of Middlesex on or near the site of the present Georgian mansion of Syon House...
.
The Second Group
Little more than a month later, it was the turn of three leading monks of the London house: Humphrey Middlemore, William Exmew and Sebastian Newdigate, who were to die at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, London
Tyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
on June 19. Newdigate was a personal friend of Henry VIII, who twice visited him in the prison to persuade him to give in, in vain.
The Third Group
The next move was to seize four more monks of community, two being taken to the Carthusian house at BeauvaleBeauvale Charterhouse
Beauvale Charterhouse was a Carthusian monastery in Beauvale, Nottinghamshire. It is a scheduled ancient monument.-History:...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, while Dom John Rochester and Dom James Walworth were taken to the Charterhouse of St Michael at Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. They were made an "example" of on May 11, 1537, when condemned on trumped up charges of treason, they were hanged in chains from the York city battlements until dead.
The Fourth Group
The government continued to play a game of intimidation until May 18, 1537, when the twenty choir monks and eighteen laybrothers remaining in the London CharterhouseLondon Charterhouse
The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
were required to take the Oath of Supremacy
Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy, originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I of England and reinstated under Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England under the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or...
. Of these, the choir monks Thomas Johnson, Richard Bere, Thomas Green (priests), and John Davy (a deacon) refused. Richard Bere was the nephew, and named for, Richard Bere the Abbot of Glastonbury (1493–1525). The younger Bere abandoned his studies in the law, and became a Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
in February 1523. "Thomas Green" may be the Thomas Greenwood who obtained the B.A. degree at Oxford, and later the M.A. at Cambridge in 1511, who became Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
in 1515 and the Doctorate in Divinity in 1532. This may associate him with John Fisher.
Likewise, of the brothers, Robert Salt, William Greenwood, Thomas Redyng, Thommas Scryven, Walter Pierson, and William Horne also refused.
As to the rest, the monastery was "surrendered" and they were expelled.
Those refusing the oath were all sent on May 29 to Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, and treated as had been their fellow Carthusians in June 1535. They were chained standing and with their hands tied behind them to posts in the prison. This time, however, no further proceeding was foreseen and they were simply left to die of starvation.
Margaret Clement
Margaret Clement
Margaret Clement or Clements , nee Giggs was one of the most learned ladies of the Tudor era and the adopted daughter of Sir Thomas More....
(née Giggs), who had been brought up in the household of St Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
, bribed the gaoler to let her have access to the prisoners, and disguised as a milkmaid carried in a milk-can full of meat which she fed to them. She also relieved them as best she could of the filth. However, King Henry became suspicious and began to ask whether they were already dead. When this filtered back to the gaoler, he became too afraid to let Margaret enter again. For a brief time she was allowed to go on the roof and uncover the tiles, and let down meat in a basket as near as she could to their mouths. This method meant the monks could get little or nothing from the basket, and in any case the gaoler became too afraid and stopped any contact.
The laybrother William Greenwood died first, on June 6, and two days later the deacon John Davy, on June 8. Brother Robert Salt died on June 9, Brother Walter Pierson and the priest Thomas Green on June 10, and Brothers Thomas Scryven and Thomas Redyng on June 15 and June 16. These last named had survived a remarkably long time. It seems likely that at this point the King and his Council decided upon a change of plan which entailed bringing the survivors to execution and that Cromwell gave orders that those still living were to be given food so as to keep them alive. At any rate, the priest Dom Richard Bere did not die till August 9, and the priest Thomas Johnson not until September 20.
A Lone Survivor
For some reason Brother William Horne was kept alive. Refusing to abandon his religious habit, he was not attainted till 1540, when he was hanged, disembowelled, and quartered at TyburnTyburn
Tyburn is a former village just outside the then boundaries of London that was best known as a place of public execution.Tyburn may also refer to:* Tyburn , river and historical water source in London...
on August 4, 1540 along with five other Catholics: the two laymen Robert Bird
Robert Bird
Robert Bird was a Welsh Liberal politician. He served as mayor of Cardiff in 1882. Appointed an Alderman he later served as President of the Cardiff Liberal Association...
and Giles Heron, Lawrence Cook, Carmelite Prior of Doncaster, the Benedictine Thomas Epson, and (probably) the secular priest William Bird, Rector of Fittleton
Fittleton
Fittleton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. The parish also contains the adjacent settlement of Haxton.-Location:...
and Vicar of Bradford, Wiltshire.
A Summary List of Carthusian Martyrs
- Saint John Houghton, prior of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, executed at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
, on May 4, 1535. - Saint Robert Lawrence, prior of Beauvale CharterhouseBeauvale CharterhouseBeauvale Charterhouse was a Carthusian monastery in Beauvale, Nottinghamshire. It is a scheduled ancient monument.-History:...
, executed at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
, on May 4, 1535. - Saint Augustine Webster, prior of Axholme CharterhouseAxholme CharterhouseAxholme Charterhouse, North Lincolnshire is one of the ten medieval Carthusian houses in England. It was established in 1397/1398 by Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham. The house was centred around a pre-existing chapel at Low Melwood in the Isle of Axholme...
, executed at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
, on May 4, 1535. - Blessed Humphrey Middlemore, vicar of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, executed at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
, on June 19, 1535. - Blessed William Exmew, procurator of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, executed at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
, on June 19, 1535. - Blessed Sebastian Newdigate, choir monk of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, executed at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
, on June 19, 1535. - Blessed John Rochester, choir monk of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, exiled by the government to the Charterhouse of St Michael at HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
in YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, executed at YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
on May 11, 1537, by being hanged in chains from the city battlements until dead. - Blessed James Walworth, choir monk of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, exiled by the government to the Charterhouse of St Michael at HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
in YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, executed at YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
on May 11, 1537, by being hanged in chains from the city battlements until dead. - Blessed William Greenwood, laybrother of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on June 6, 1537 - Blessed John Davy, deacon, choir monk of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
on June 8. 1537 - Blessed Robert Salt, laybrother of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on June 9, 1537 - Blessed Walter Pierson, laybrother of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on June 10, 1537 - Blessed Thomas Green (perhaps alias Thomas Greenwood), choir monk of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on June 10, 1537 - Blessed Thomas Scryven, laybrother of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on June 15, 1537 - Blessed Thomas Redyng, laybrother of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on June 16, 1537 - Blessed Richard Bere, choir monk of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on August 9, 1537 - Blessed Thomas Johnson, choir monk of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, died of starvation in Newgate PrisonNewgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on September 20, 1537 - Blessed William Horne, laybrother of the London CharterhouseLondon CharterhouseThe London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, hanged, disembowelled, and quartered at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
on August 4, 1540.
See also
- CarthusianCarthusianThe Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
- HermitHermitA hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
- Desert FathersDesert FathersThe Desert Fathers were hermits, ascetics, monks, and nuns who lived mainly in the Scetes desert of Egypt beginning around the third century AD. The most well known was Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270–271 and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism...
- PoustiniaPoustiniaA poustinia is a small sparsely furnished cabin or room where one goes to pray and fast alone in the presence of God. The word poustinia has its origin in the Russian word for desert...
- List of Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation