Stephen Rowsham
Encyclopedia
Stephen Rowsham was an English
Catholic
priest, executed on 3 April 1587. He is a Catholic martyr, and was beatified by Pope John Paul
in 1987.
, born c. 1555, he entered Oriel College, Oxford, in 1572. He took orders in the English Church, and was minister at the University Church about 1578.
Becoming convinced of the truth of the Catholic religion he went to the English College, Douai
and Reims
(23 April, 1581), where he was ordained priest, and sent on the English mission (30 April, 1582). Being recognized almost immediately on his landing, he was apprehended and sent to the Tower of London
, 19 May, 1582, and remained a prisoner for more than three years, during half of which time (14 August, 1582, until 12 February, 1584) he was confined to the dungeon known as the "Little Ease". On the latter date he was transferred to the Marshalsea
, from which prison he was carried into exile in the autumn of 1585.
He arrived at Reims, 8 October, but set out from England again, 7 February, 1586. The field of his labours, which were continued for about a year, was in the west of England. He was taken at the house of the Widow Strange in Gloucester. His trial and martyrdom were at Gloucester in March, 1586-87.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest, executed on 3 April 1587. He is a Catholic martyr, and was beatified by Pope John Paul
Pope John Paul
Pope John Paul is the name of two Popes of the Roman Catholic Church:*Pope John Paul I , who named himself in honor of his predecessors, Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. Pope John Paul I reigned for only 33 calendar days....
in 1987.
Life
A native of OxfordshireOxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, born c. 1555, he entered Oriel College, Oxford, in 1572. He took orders in the English Church, and was minister at the University Church about 1578.
Becoming convinced of the truth of the Catholic religion he went to the English College, Douai
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...
and Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
(23 April, 1581), where he was ordained priest, and sent on the English mission (30 April, 1582). Being recognized almost immediately on his landing, he was apprehended and sent to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, 19 May, 1582, and remained a prisoner for more than three years, during half of which time (14 August, 1582, until 12 February, 1584) he was confined to the dungeon known as the "Little Ease". On the latter date he was transferred to the Marshalsea
Marshalsea
The Marshalsea was a prison on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark, now part of London. From the 14th century until it closed in 1842, it housed men under court martial for crimes at sea, including those accused of "unnatural crimes", political figures and intellectuals accused of...
, from which prison he was carried into exile in the autumn of 1585.
He arrived at Reims, 8 October, but set out from England again, 7 February, 1586. The field of his labours, which were continued for about a year, was in the west of England. He was taken at the house of the Widow Strange in Gloucester. His trial and martyrdom were at Gloucester in March, 1586-87.