William Baldwin (Jesuit)
Encyclopedia
William Baldwin or Bawden (1563–1632), was an English Jesuit implicated in the Gunpowder plot
.
, on 20 December 1577, studied in that university for five years, and passed over to the English College of Douay, then temporarily removed to Rheims, where he arrived on 31 December 1582. The following year he proceeded to Rome, and entered the Venerable English College there. He was ordained priest in 1588, and served as served one year as English penitentiary at St. Peter's Basilica
.
His health failing in Rome, he was sent to Belgium, where he entered the Society of Jesus in 1590, and was advanced to the dignity of a professed father in February 1602. He was professor of moral theology at Louvain for some time. Having been summoned to Spain at the close of the year 1594 or early in 1595, he was captured by the English fleet, then besieging Dunkirk, and sent as a prisoner to England; but the privy council, being unable to discover anything against him, set him at liberty. He remained for six months in England, living with Mr. Richard Cotton at Warblington, Hampshire, where he rendered great assistance to the catholic cause. Called thence to Rome, he was for some time minister at the English college, under Father Vitelleschi, the rector.
His health failing again he next went to Brussels
(about 1599 or 1600), where he succeeded Father Holt as vice-prefect of the English mission. This important post he held for ten years. His zeal gave such offence to the privy council, that, although he had never left Belgium, they proclaimed him a traitor, and an accessory in the Gunpowder plot with Fathers Garnett and John Gerard, and further accused him of having formerly treated with Frederick Spinola about the Spanish invasion.
In 1610 Baldwin had to make a journey on business to Rome, during which, when passing the confines of Alsace and the Palatinate, he was apprehended by the soldiers of the Elector Palatine, Frederick VI
, not far from the city of Spires
. As the elector knew that he would be conferring a great favour upon James I of England
, he kept him in close custody in various public prisons, and then sent him to England escorted by a guard of twelve soldiers, travelling sometimes on horseback and sometimes in a cart, bound with a heavy chain from the neck to the breast, where it was turned and wound round his entire body, 'being twice as long as would have been required to secure an African lion.' As if that did not suffice, they hung another chain behind him, eighteen feet long, to carry which it was necessary to have an assistant, whom in jest they called his train-bearer. To loosen or tighten these chains, four men, with as many keys, preceded him. They allowed him to have only one hand at liberty for the purpose of conducting food to his mouth, never both hands at once, nor was he permitted the use of a knife and fork, lest he might be driven by the infamy of the plot and the anticipation of the gallows to commit suicide. On his arrival in this country he was at once committed a close prisoner to the Tower of London
. Although nothing was proved against him, his captivity lasted for eight years, till 15 June 1618, when, at the intercession of the Count de Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador, he was released and sent into banishment.
In 1621 Baldwin was rector of Louvain, and then (1622) the fifth rector of the College of St. Omer, which, under his government, prospered to such a degree as to number nearly 200 scholars. He died at St. Omer on 28 Sept. 1632.
Baldwin left in manuscript several voluminous treatises on pious subjects. A list of them is given in Southwell's
Bibliotheca Scriptorum Soc. Jesu.
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...
.
Biography
Baldwin was a native of Cornwall. He entered Exeter College, OxfordExeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, on 20 December 1577, studied in that university for five years, and passed over to the English College of Douay, then temporarily removed to Rheims, where he arrived on 31 December 1582. The following year he proceeded to Rome, and entered the Venerable English College there. He was ordained priest in 1588, and served as served one year as English penitentiary at St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
.
His health failing in Rome, he was sent to Belgium, where he entered the Society of Jesus in 1590, and was advanced to the dignity of a professed father in February 1602. He was professor of moral theology at Louvain for some time. Having been summoned to Spain at the close of the year 1594 or early in 1595, he was captured by the English fleet, then besieging Dunkirk, and sent as a prisoner to England; but the privy council, being unable to discover anything against him, set him at liberty. He remained for six months in England, living with Mr. Richard Cotton at Warblington, Hampshire, where he rendered great assistance to the catholic cause. Called thence to Rome, he was for some time minister at the English college, under Father Vitelleschi, the rector.
His health failing again he next went to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(about 1599 or 1600), where he succeeded Father Holt as vice-prefect of the English mission. This important post he held for ten years. His zeal gave such offence to the privy council, that, although he had never left Belgium, they proclaimed him a traitor, and an accessory in the Gunpowder plot with Fathers Garnett and John Gerard, and further accused him of having formerly treated with Frederick Spinola about the Spanish invasion.
In 1610 Baldwin had to make a journey on business to Rome, during which, when passing the confines of Alsace and the Palatinate, he was apprehended by the soldiers of the Elector Palatine, Frederick VI
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
, not far from the city of Spires
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
. As the elector knew that he would be conferring a great favour upon James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, he kept him in close custody in various public prisons, and then sent him to England escorted by a guard of twelve soldiers, travelling sometimes on horseback and sometimes in a cart, bound with a heavy chain from the neck to the breast, where it was turned and wound round his entire body, 'being twice as long as would have been required to secure an African lion.' As if that did not suffice, they hung another chain behind him, eighteen feet long, to carry which it was necessary to have an assistant, whom in jest they called his train-bearer. To loosen or tighten these chains, four men, with as many keys, preceded him. They allowed him to have only one hand at liberty for the purpose of conducting food to his mouth, never both hands at once, nor was he permitted the use of a knife and fork, lest he might be driven by the infamy of the plot and the anticipation of the gallows to commit suicide. On his arrival in this country he was at once committed a close prisoner 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...
. Although nothing was proved against him, his captivity lasted for eight years, till 15 June 1618, when, at the intercession of the Count de Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador, he was released and sent into banishment.
In 1621 Baldwin was rector of Louvain, and then (1622) the fifth rector of the College of St. Omer, which, under his government, prospered to such a degree as to number nearly 200 scholars. He died at St. Omer on 28 Sept. 1632.
Baldwin left in manuscript several voluminous treatises on pious subjects. A list of them is given in Southwell's
Nathaniel Bacon (Jesuit)
Nathaniel Bacon , also known under the assumed name of Southwell, , was an English Jesuit who served in Rome from 1647 until his death as Secretary of the Society of Jesus...
Bibliotheca Scriptorum Soc. Jesu.