Robert Ludlam
Encyclopedia
Blessed Robert Ludlam was an English
priest
, martyr
ed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
. He was born around 1551, in Derbyshire
. His father was a yeoman. He matriculated at St John's College, Oxford
, in 1575, and remained there for two or three years, but left without taking a degree. He was admitted to the English College
at Rheims on 25 November 1580, and the following September, he was ordained as a priest. He set out for England on 30 April 1582.
Little is known of his ministry in England. An unnamed source, quoted in Hayward, says that he was
On 12 July 1588, Robert Ludlam and fellow priest Nicholas Garlick
were arrested at Padley, home of Catholic recusant
, John Fitzherbert. The raid was made for the purpose of arresting Fitzherbert; the finding of two priests was an unexpected bonus. In Derby Gaol
, Ludlam and Garlick met with another priest, Richard Simpson
, who had been earlier condemned to death but had been granted a reprieve, either, as stated by most sources, including Richard Challoner
, because he had given some hope that he would attend a Protestant service, or, as suggested by Sweeney, because the Queen may have given orders to halt the persecution of priests in order to remove the threat of invasion from Spain. Whether or not Simpson was wavering, it is certain that he remained firm after his meeting with Garlick and Ludlam. The three priests were tried on 23 July 1588, were found guilty of treason, and were sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. The sentence was carried out the next day, at St. Mary's Bridge, in Derby. Ludlam was the last of the three to be executed, and, according to eyewitnesses, stood smiling while the execution of Garlick was being carried out, and smiled still when his own turn came. His last words, and the only words of his that are recorded, were Venite benedicti Dei (Come, you blessed of God"), which he uttered just before he was thrown off the ladder.
Robert Ludlam, Nicholas Garlick, and Richard Simpson were declared venerable
in 1888, and were among the eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales
beatified
by Pope John Paul II
on 22 November 1987.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. He was born around 1551, in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. His father was a yeoman. He matriculated at St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, in 1575, and remained there for two or three years, but left without taking a degree. He was admitted to the English College
English College, Douai
The English College, Douai was a Catholic seminary associated with the University of Douai . It was established in about 1561, and was suppressed in 1793...
at Rheims on 25 November 1580, and the following September, he was ordained as a priest. He set out for England on 30 April 1582.
Little is known of his ministry in England. An unnamed source, quoted in Hayward, says that he was
- [a]t liberty in England six or seven years. He was a very mild man, did much good in the country; for that he did much travel, and was beloved.
On 12 July 1588, Robert Ludlam and fellow priest Nicholas Garlick
Nicholas Garlick
Blessed Nicholas Garlick was an English catholic priest, martyred in Derby in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.- Early life :...
were arrested at Padley, home of Catholic recusant
Recusancy
In the history of England and Wales, the recusancy was the state of those who refused to attend Anglican services. The individuals were known as "recusants"...
, John Fitzherbert. The raid was made for the purpose of arresting Fitzherbert; the finding of two priests was an unexpected bonus. In Derby Gaol
Derby Gaol
The term Derby Gaol historically refers to the five gaols in Derby, England. Today, the term usually refers to one of two tourist attractions, the gaol which stood on Friar Gate from 1756 to 1846 and the cells of which still exist and are open to the public as a museum, and the 1843 to 1929 Vernon...
, Ludlam and Garlick met with another priest, Richard Simpson
Richard Simpson (martyr)
Blessed Richard Simpson was an English priest, martyred in the reign of Elizabeth I. He was born in Well, in Yorkshire. Little is known of his early life, but according to Challoner's Memoirs of Missionary Priests, he became an Anglican priest, but later converted to Catholicism...
, who had been earlier condemned to death but had been granted a reprieve, either, as stated by most sources, including Richard Challoner
Richard Challoner
Richard Challoner was an English Roman Catholic bishop, a leading figure of English Catholicism during the greater part of the 18th century. He is perhaps most famous for his revision of the Douay Rheims translation of the Bible.-Early life:Challoner was born in the Protestant town of Lewes,...
, because he had given some hope that he would attend a Protestant service, or, as suggested by Sweeney, because the Queen may have given orders to halt the persecution of priests in order to remove the threat of invasion from Spain. Whether or not Simpson was wavering, it is certain that he remained firm after his meeting with Garlick and Ludlam. The three priests were tried on 23 July 1588, were found guilty of treason, and were sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. The sentence was carried out the next day, at St. Mary's Bridge, in Derby. Ludlam was the last of the three to be executed, and, according to eyewitnesses, stood smiling while the execution of Garlick was being carried out, and smiled still when his own turn came. His last words, and the only words of his that are recorded, were Venite benedicti Dei (Come, you blessed of God"), which he uttered just before he was thrown off the ladder.
Robert Ludlam, Nicholas Garlick, and Richard Simpson were declared venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
in 1888, and were among the eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales
Eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales
The Eighty-five Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of men who were executed on charges of treason and related offences in the Kingdom of England between 1584 and 1679...
beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on 22 November 1987.