William Gibson (martyr)
Encyclopedia
Blessed William Gibson (1548 – 29 November 1596) was martyr
ed by Anglicans
at York
for professing the Roman Catholic faith. He was from Ripon
, in Yorkshire
.
With him also suffered the Venerable George Errington
of Herst, Northumberland
; the Venerable William Knight of South Duffield; and the Venerable William Abbot of Howden, Yorkshire.
, and the grandson of Thomas, Lord Gibson, also of Goldingstones, Fife, a free baron under charter
by King James IV
of Scotland
. He was accused of heresy
and denounced to the authorities for being a Catholic. He was at once seized and committed to the custody of Colyer, a pursuivant
, who treated him with indignity and severity.
Gibson was sent in August, 1593, to York Castle
, where he was joined shortly thereafter by fellow martyrs William Knight and George Errington, both arrested for participation in a rising.
A certain Anglican clergyman chanced to be among their fellow prisoners. To gain his freedom he had recourse to an act of treachery: feigning a desire to become a Roman Catholic, he won the confidence of Gibson and his two companions, who explained their faith to him. With the connivance of the authorities, he was directed to one Henry Abbot, then at liberty, who endeavoured to procure a priest to reconcile him to the Church. Thereupon Abbot was arrested and, together with Knight and his two comrades, accused of persuading the Anglican clergyman to embrace Catholicism — an act of treason
under the penal laws. They were all found guilty, before being hanged, drawn, and quartered at York
, on 29 November 1596.
The Blessed and Venerable William Gibson was one of the eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales
beatified
by Pope John Paul II
on 22 November 1987.
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed by Anglicans
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
at York
York
York 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...
for professing the Roman Catholic faith. He was from Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
, 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...
.
With him also suffered the Venerable George Errington
George Errington (martyr)
Blessed George Errington of Hurst Castle - from the minor gentry branch of Bingfield, St John Lee, Northumberland - was a Roman Catholic martyr who was hanged, drawn and quartered at York, on 29 November 1596. Two years before his own death, Errington had ridden with Father John Boste on his last...
of Herst, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
; the Venerable William Knight of South Duffield; and the Venerable William Abbot of Howden, Yorkshire.
Life
A member of a rich family, Gibson was the son of a George Gibson of Goldingstones, FifeFife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, and the grandson of Thomas, Lord Gibson, also of Goldingstones, Fife, a free baron under charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
by King James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was accused of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
and denounced to the authorities for being a Catholic. He was at once seized and committed to the custody of Colyer, a pursuivant
Pursuivant
A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval era, many great nobles employed their own officers of...
, who treated him with indignity and severity.
Gibson was sent in August, 1593, to York Castle
York Castle
York Castle in the city of York, England, is a fortified complex comprising, over the last nine centuries, a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings on the south side of the River Foss. The now-ruinous keep of the medieval Norman castle is sometimes referred to as Clifford's...
, where he was joined shortly thereafter by fellow martyrs William Knight and George Errington, both arrested for participation in a rising.
A certain Anglican clergyman chanced to be among their fellow prisoners. To gain his freedom he had recourse to an act of treachery: feigning a desire to become a Roman Catholic, he won the confidence of Gibson and his two companions, who explained their faith to him. With the connivance of the authorities, he was directed to one Henry Abbot, then at liberty, who endeavoured to procure a priest to reconcile him to the Church. Thereupon Abbot was arrested and, together with Knight and his two comrades, accused of persuading the Anglican clergyman to embrace Catholicism — an act of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
under the penal laws. They were all found guilty, before being hanged, drawn, and quartered at York
York
York 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 29 November 1596.
The Blessed and Venerable William Gibson was one of 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.