List of Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation


The Roman Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation are men and women executed under treason legislation in the English Reformation, between 1534 and 1680, and recognised as martyrs by the Roman Catholic Church. Though consequences of the English Reformation were felt in Ireland and Scotland as well, this article only covers those who died in the Kingdom of England.
On 25 February 1570, Pope Pius V's "Regnans in Excelsis" bull excommunicated the English Queen Elizabeth I, and any who obeyed her. This papal bull also required all Roman Catholics to rebel against the English Crown as a matter of faith. In response, in 1571 legislation was enacted making it treasonable to be under the authority of the Pope, including being a Jesuit, being Roman Catholic or harbouring a Roman Catholic priest. The standard penalty for all those convicted of treason at the time was execution by being hanged, drawn and quartered.
In the reign of Pope Gregory XIII, authorisation was given for 63 recognised martyrs to have their relics honoured and pictures painted for Roman Catholic devotions. These martyrs were formally beatified by Pope Leo XIII, 54 in 1886 and the remaining nine in 1895. Further groups of martyrs were subsequently documented and proposed by Roman Catholic bishops of England and Wales and formally recognised by Rome.

Numbers in various categories

In 1874 a Process was begun, containing 353 names, to which six were added in Rome, making 359. Of those: -
  1. 54 were beatified in 1886.
  2. 9 were beatified in 1895.
  3. One was beatified in 1920.
  4. 136 were beatified in 1929.
  5. 85 were beatified in 1987.
  6. .
  7. 30 were declared venerable, of whom one, John Travers, was executed in Dublin and appears in Irish Catholic Martyrs.
  8. 44 were postponed - 36 died in prison and 8 were postponed for other reasons.

    Canonised by Pope Pius XI on 19 May 1935

  9. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, 22 June 1535
  10. Thomas More, layman, 6 July 1535

    Canonised by Pope Paul VI on 25 October 1970

  11. John Almond, priest, 1612
  12. Edmund Arrowsmith, Jesuit priest, 1628
  13. Ambrose Edward Barlow, Benedictine priest, 10 September 1641
  14. John Boste, priest, 24 July 1594
  15. Alexander Briant, Jesuit priest, 1 December 1581
  16. Edmund Campion, Jesuit priest, 1 December 1581
  17. Margaret Clitherow, laywoman, 25 March 1586
  18. Philip Evans, Jesuit priest, 1679
  19. Thomas Garnet, Jesuit priest, 1608
  20. Edmund Gennings, priest, 1591
  21. John Griffith, Franciscan friar, 1598
  22. Richard Gwyn, layman, 1584
  23. John Houghton, Prior of the London Charterhouse, 4 May 1535
  24. Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, layman, 1595
  25. John Kemble, priest, 1679
  26. Luke Kirby, priest, 30 May 1582
  27. Robert Lawrence, Prior of the Beauvale Charterhouse, 4 May 1535
  28. David Lewis, Jesuit priest, 1679
  29. Anne Line, laywoman, 1601
  30. John Lloyd, priest, 1679
  31. Cuthbert Mayne, priest, 1577
  32. Henry Morse, Jesuit priest, 1645
  33. Nicholas Owen, Jesuit lay-brother, 1606
  34. John Payne, priest, 1582
  35. Polydore Plasden, priest, 1591
  36. John Plessington, priest, 1679
  37. Richard Reynolds, Brigittine monk of Syon Abbey, 4 May 1535
  38. John Rigby, layman, 1600
  39. John Roberts, Benedictine priest, 1610
  40. Alban Bartholomew Roe, Benedictine priest, 1642
  41. Ralph Sherwin, priest, 1 December 1581
  42. John Southworth, priest, 1654
  43. Robert Southwell, Jesuit priest, 1595
  44. John Stone, Augustinian friar
  45. John Wall, Franciscan priest, 1679
  46. Henry Walpole, Jesuit priest, 1595
  47. Margaret Ward, laywoman, 1588
  48. Augustine Webster, Prior of the Axholme Charterhouse, 4 May 1535
  49. Swithin Wells, layman, 1591
  50. Eustace White, priest, 1591

    Canonised by Pope Paul VI on 12 October 1975

  51. Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh, 1 July 1681.

    Beatified 29 December 1886 by Pope Leo XIII

As well as those listed below, John Fisher and Thomas More were beatified on this date, as were the following 11 members of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales - Alexander Briant, Edmund Campion, John Houghton, Luke Kirby, Robert Lawrence, Cuthbert Mayne, John Payne, Richard Reynolds, Ralph Sherwin, John Stone, Augustine Webster - making a total of 54.
  1. Thomas Abell, priest, 30 July 1540
  2. Richard Bere, Carthusian monk, 9 August 1537
  3. Thomas Cottam, Jesuit priest, 30 May 1582
  4. John Davy, Carthusian, 8 June 1537
  5. William Exmew, Carthusian monk, 19 June 1535
  6. John Felton, layman, 8 August 1570
  7. Richard Fetherston, Archdeacon, 30 July 1540
  8. William Filby, 30 May 1582
  9. Thomas Ford, 28 May 1582
  10. John Forest, Franciscan friar, 22 May 1538
  11. German Gardiner, layman, 7 March 1544
  12. Thomas Green, Carthusian, 10 June 1537
  13. William Greenwood, Carthusian brother, 6 June 1537
  14. John Haile, priest, 4 May 1535
  15. Everard Hanse, priest, 1581
  16. William Hart, priest, 1583
  17. William Horne, Carthusian lay brother, 4 August 1540
  18. Robert Johnson, priest, 1582
  19. Thomas Johnson, Carthusian, 20 September 1537
  20. Richard Kirkman, priest, 1582
  21. William Lacy, priest, 22 August 1582
  22. John Larke, priest, 7 March 1544
  23. Humphrey Middlemore, Carthusian monk, 19 June 1535
  24. John Nelson, priest, 1577
  25. Sebastian Newdigate, Carthusian monk, 19 June 1535
  26. Walter Pierson, Carthusian brother, 10 June 1537
  27. Thomas Plumtree, priest, 1570 - Chaplain to the Rising of the North
  28. Edward Powell, 30 July 1540
  29. Thomas Redyng, Carthusian, 16 June 1537
  30. Laurence Richardson, 30 May 1582
  31. John Rochester, Carthusian monk, 11 May 1537
  32. Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, laywoman, 27 May 1541
  33. Robert Salt, Carthusian brother, 9 June 1537
  34. Thomas Scryven, Carthusian, 15 June 1537
  35. John Shert, priest, 1582
  36. Thomas Sherwood, layman, 1579
  37. John Story, Chancellor to Bishop Bonner, 1571 - for high treason
  38. Richard Thirkeld, priest, 1583
  39. James Tompson, priest, York, 1582
  40. James Walworth, Carthusian monk, 11 May 1537
  41. Thomas Woodhouse, priest, 1573

    Beatified 13 May 1895 by Pope Leo XIII

  42. John Beche, Abbot of Colchester, 1 December 1539
  43. John Eynon, priest, 14 November 1539
  44. Hugh Faringdon, Abbot of Reading, 14 November 1539
  45. Adrian Fortescue, Knight of St. John of Jerusalem, 9 July 1539
  46. Roger James, Benedictine, 15 November 1539
  47. Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland, layman, 1572 - Leader of the Rising of the North
  48. John Rugg, Benedictine monk, 15 November 1539
  49. John Thorne, Benedictine monk, 15 November 1539
  50. Richard Whiting, Abbot of Glastonbury, 15 November 1539

    Beatified 15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI

As well as those listed below, 29 members of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales were also beatified on that date, making a total of 136.
  1. Henry Abbot, layman, 4 July 1597
  2. John Amias, priest, 16 March 1589
  3. Robert Anderton, priest, 25 April 1586.
  4. William Andleby, priest, 4 July 1597
  5. Ralph Ashley, Jesuit priest, 7 April 1607
  6. Thomas Aufield, priest, 6 July 1585
  7. Christopher Bales, priest, 4 March 1590
  8. Mark Barkworth, Benedictine, 27 February 1601
  9. William Barrow, alias William Harcourt, 20 June 1679
  10. James Bell, priest, 1584
  11. James Bird, layman, 25 March 1592
  12. John Bodey, priest, 2 November 1583
  13. Thomas Bosgrave, layman, 4 July 1594
  14. William Browne, layman, 1605
  15. Christopher Buxton, priest, died Canterbury, 1 October 1588
  16. Edward Campion, 1 October 1588
  17. John Carey, Dublin born lay helper of John Cornelius S.J., 4 July 1594
  18. Edmund Catherick, priest, 1642
  19. James Claxton, priest, 1588
  20. Edward Colman, layman, 1678
  21. Ralph Corbie, Jesuit, 7 September 1644
  22. John Cornelius, Jesuit priest, 4 July 1594
  23. Ralph Crockett, priest, 1 October 1588
  24. Robert Dalby, priest, York, 16 March 1589
  25. William Dean, priest, 28 August 1588
  26. Francis Dicconson, priest, 1590
  27. Roger Dicconson, priest, 7 July 1591
  28. James Duckett, layman, 1601
  29. John Duckett, priest, 1644
  30. Thomas Felton, Franciscan, 1588
  31. James Fenn, priest, 1584
  32. John Fenwick, Jesuit priest, 1679
  33. John Finch, 1584
  34. William Freeman, priest, 1595
  35. Edward Fulthrop, layman, 1597
  36. John Gavan, Jesuit priest, 1679
  37. Miles Gerard, priest, 1590
  38. George Gervase, Benedictine, 1608
  39. David Gonson, layman, 12 July 1541
  40. Hugh Green, priest, 1642
  41. John Grove, layman, 1679
  42. William Gunter, priest, 1588
  43. William Harrington, priest, 1594
  44. William Hartley, priest, 1588
  45. Thomas Hemerford, priest, 1584
  46. Richard Herst, layman, 29 August 1628
  47. John Hewitt, priest, 1588
  48. Sydney Hodgson, layman, 10 December 1591
  49. Thomas Holford, priest, 1588
  50. Thomas Holland, priest, 12 December 1642
  51. Laurence Humphreys, layman, 1591
  52. John Ingram, priest, 1594
  53. John Ireland, priest, 7 March 1544
  54. William Ireland, Jesuit priest, 1679
  55. Edward James, priest, 1588
  56. Edward Jones, priest, 1590
  57. Brian Lacey, layman, 1591
  58. Richard Langhorne, layman, 1679
  59. Richard Langley, layman, 1586
  60. Richard Leigh, priest, 1588
  61. John Lockwood, priest, 1642
  62. William Marsden, priest, 25 April 1586
  63. Richard Martin, layman, 30 August 1588
  64. John Mason, layman, 1591
  65. Thomas Maxfield, priest, 1616
  66. Anthony Middleton, priest, 1590
  67. Ralph Milner, layman, 7 July 1591
  68. Hugh More, layman, 28 August 1588
  69. Robert Morton, priest, 1588
  70. John Munden, priest, 1584
  71. George Napper, priest, Oxford, 1610
  72. John Nutter, priest, 1584
  73. Edward Oldcorne, Jesuit priest, 1606
  74. Francis Page, Jesuit, 1602
  75. William Patenson, priest, 1592
  76. John Pibush, priest, 1601
  77. Thomas Pickering, Benedictine, 1679
  78. Philip Powell, Benedictine, 1646
  79. Alexander Rawlins, priest, 1595
  80. Richard Reynolds, priest, 1 January 1642
  81. William Richardson, priest, 1603
  82. John Robinson, priest, 1588
  83. John Roche, layman, 1588
  84. Patrick Salmon, layman, 4 July 1594
  85. Maurus Scott 1612
  86. Edward Shelley, 30 August 1588,
  87. John Slade, layman, 1583
  88. Richard Smith,, priest, 1612
  89. Thomas Somers, priest, 1610
  90. John Speed, layman, 4 February 1594
  91. William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, layman, 29 December 1680
  92. Edward Stransham, priest, 1586
  93. Robert Sutton, layman, 5 October 1588
  94. George Swallowell, layman, 26 July 1594
  95. Thomas Thwing, priest, 1679
  96. Thomas Tunstall, priest, 1616
  97. Anthony Turner, Jesuit, 1679
  98. Thomas Warcop, layman, 4 July 1597
  99. William Ward, priest, 1641
  100. Edward Waterson, priest, 1593
  101. Robert Watkinson, priest, 1602
  102. William Way, priest, 1588
  103. Thomas Welbourne, layman, 1 August 1605
  104. Thomas Whitbread, Jesuit, 1679
  105. Robert Widmerpool, layman, 1 October 1588
  106. Robert Wilcox, priest, 1 October 1588
  107. Peter Wright, Jesuit, 1651

    Beatified 22 November 1987 by Pope John Paul II

  108. John Adams, priest, 8 October 1586
  109. Thomas Atkinson, priest, 1616
  110. Edward Bamber, priest, 1646
  111. George Beesley, priest, 5 July 1591
  112. Arthur Bell, Franciscan priest, 1643
  113. Thomas Belson, layman, 5 July 1589
  114. Robert Bickerdike, layman, 23 July 1586
  115. Alexander Blake, layman, 4 March 1590;
  116. Marmaduke Bowes, layman, 26 November 1585
  117. John Britton, layman, 1 April 1598
  118. Thomas Bullaker, Franciscan priest, 1642
  119. Edward Burden, priest, 1588
  120. Roger Cadwallador, priest, 1610
  121. William Carter, layman, 11 January 1584
  122. Alexander Crow, priest, 30 November 1587
  123. William Davies, priest, 27 July 1593
  124. Robert Dibdale, priest, 8 October 1586
  125. George Douglas, priest, 1587
  126. Robert Drury, priest, 1607
  127. Edmund Duke, priest, 27 May 1590
  128. George Errington, layman, 1596
  129. Roger Filcock, priest, 1601
  130. John Finglow, priest, 8 August 1586
  131. Matthew Flathers, priest, 1608
  132. Richard Flower, layman, 1588
  133. Nicholas Garlick, priest, 1588
  134. William Gibson, layman, 1596
  135. Ralph Grimston, layman, 1598
  136. Robert Grissold, layman, 1604
  137. John Hambley, priest, 1587
  138. Robert Hardesty, layman, 1589
  139. George Haydock, priest, 12 February 1584
  140. Henry Heath, Franciscan priest, 1643
  141. Richard Hill, priest, 27 May 1590
  142. John Hogg, priest, 27 May 1590
  143. Richard Holiday, priest, 27 May 1590
  144. Nicholas Horner, layman, 4 March 1590
  145. Thomas Hunt, priest, 1600
  146. Thurstan Hunt, priest, 1601
  147. Francis Ingleby, priest, 3 June 1586
  148. William Knight, layman, 1596
  149. Joseph Lambton, priest, 24 July 1592
  150. William Lampley, layman, 1588
  151. John Lowe, priest, 8 October 1586
  152. Robert Ludlam, priest, 1588
  153. Charles Mahoney, Franciscan priest, 1679
  154. Robert Middleton, priest, March 1601
  155. George Nichols, priest, 1589
  156. John Norton, layman, 1600
  157. Robert Nutter, priest, 1600
  158. Edward Osbaldeston, priest, 1594
  159. Antony Page, priest, 1593
  160. Thomas Palasor, priest, 1600;
  161. William Pike, layman, 1591
  162. Thomas Pilchard, priest, 21 March 1587
  163. Thomas Pormort, priest, 20 February 1592
  164. Nicholas Postgate, priest, 1679
  165. Humphrey Pritchard, layman, 1589
  166. Christopher Robinson, priest, 1597
  167. Stephen Rowsham, priest, 1587
  168. John Sandys, priest, 11 August 1586
  169. Montford Scott, priest, 1591
  170. Richard Sergeant, priest, 2 April 1586
  171. Richard Simpson, priest, 1588
  172. Peter Snow, priest, 1598
  173. William Southerne, priest, 1618
  174. William Spenser, priest, 1589
  175. Thomas Sprott, priest, 1600
  176. John Sugar, priest, 1604
  177. Robert Sutton, priest, 1587
  178. Edmund Sykes, priest, 23 March 1587
  179. John Talbot, layman, 1600
  180. Hugh Taylor, priest, 25 November 1585
  181. William Thomson, priest, 20 April 1586
  182. Robert Thorpe, priest, 1591
  183. John Thulis, priest, 18 Mar 1616
  184. Edward Thwing, priest, 26 July 1600
  185. Thomas Watkinson, layman, 31 May 1591
  186. Henry Webley, 28 August 1588
  187. Christopher Wharton, priest, 1600
  188. Thomas Whitaker, priest, 1646
  189. John Woodcock, Franciscan priest, 7 August 1646
  190. Nicholas Woodfen, priest, 21 January 1586
  191. Roger Wrenno, layman, 1616
  192. Richard Yaxley, priest, 1589

    Declared venerable in 1886 and not subsequently beatified

  193. Anthony Brookby, Franciscan, 7 July 1537:
  194. Thomas Cort, Franciscan, 27 July 1538:
  195. Thomas Belchiam, Franciscan friar, 3 August 1538:
  196. John Griffith, priest, 8 July 1539
  197. Friar Waire, Franciscan, 8 July 1539
  198. Sir Thomas Dingley, layman, 9 July 1539
  199. Edmund Brindholme, priest, 4 August 1540
  200. Clement Philpott, layman, 4 August 1540
  201. Thomas Ashby, layman, 19 March 1544 - "there was some doubt that he died as a Catholic"
  202. Thomas Webley, layman, 6 July 1585
  203. Richard Williams, priest, 21 February 1592
  204. Roger Ashton, soldier, 23 June 1592 - assisted Sir William Stanley in the surrender of Deventer to Spain
  205. John Lion, layman, 16 July 1598
  206. James Dowdall, layman, 13 August 1598
  207. Richard Horner, priest, 4 September 1598
  208. Nicholas Tichborne, layman, 24 August 1601,
  209. Thomas Hackshott, layman, 24 August 1601,
  210. James Harrison, priest, 22 March 1602
  211. Anthony Bates, layman, 22 March 1602
  212. Thomas Tichborne, priest, 20 April 1602
  213. Laurence Bailey, layman, August 1604
  214. John Goodman, priest, 8 April 1642
  215. Edward Morgan, priest, 26 April 1642
  216. Robert Price, layman, shot by Puritan soldiers, 7 May 1644
  217. Brian Cansfield, 3 August 1645
  218. Edward Mico, Jesuit, 1678
  219. Thomas Bedingfeld, 21 December 1678
  220. Francis Nevil, Jesuit, February 1679
  221. Francis Levison, Franciscan, 11 February 1680

    Dilati

They "were left with their fate still in suspense, and are called Dilati. "Confessors", who certainly died in prison for their faith, though it is not yet proven that they died precisely because of their imprisonment... put off for various causes."
  1. Robert Dymoke, layman, 1580
  2. John Cooper, layman, 1580
  3. William Tyrwhit, layman, 1580
  4. William Chaplin, seminary priest, 1583
  5. Thomas Cotesmore, priest, 1584
  6. Robert Holmes, priest, 1584
  7. Roger Wakeman, priest, 1584
  8. James Lomax, priest, 1584
  9. Mr Ailworth, layman, 1584
  10. Thomas Crowther, priest, 1585
  11. Edward Pole, priest, 1585
  12. Laurence Vaux, priest, 1585
  13. John Jetter, priest, 1585
  14. John Harrison, priest, 1586
  15. Martin Sherson, priest, 1587
  16. Gabriel Thimelby, layman, 1587
  17. Thomas Metham, Jesuit, 1592
  18. James Atkinson, layman, 1595
  19. Matthew/Matthias Harrison, seminary priest, 1599
  20. Mrs Swithun Wells, widow, 1602
  21. Henry Garnet, Jesuit, executed 1606
  22. John Mawson, layman, executed 1614
  23. Thomas Dyer, Benedictine, c.1618-1630 - his identity 'has not been fully proved'
  24. Edward Wilkes, priest, 1642
  25. Boniface Kemp, priest, OSB, 1642
  26. Ildephonse Hesketh, Benedictine, 1642
  27. Thomas Vaughan, priest, probably 1644
  28. Richard Bradley, Jesuit, 1645
  29. John Felton, priest, SJ, 1646
  30. Thomas Blount, priest, probably 1646
  31. Robert Cox, Benedictine, 1650
  32. Laurence Hill, layman, 1679
  33. Robert Green, layman, 1679
  34. Thomas Jennison, Jesuit, 1679
  35. William Lloyd, seminary priest, 1679
  36. Placid Adelham, Benedictine, 1680
  37. Richard Birkett, priest, 1680
  38. Richard Lacey, Jesuit, 1680
  39. William Atkins, Jesuit, 1681
  40. Edward Turner, Jesuit, 1681
  41. William Allison, priest, 1681
  42. Benedict Constable, Benedictine, 1683
  43. William Bentney, Jesuit, 1692

    Executed for their faith in England 1534–1680

1534–1547

During the reign of Henry VIII of England.
During the reign of Mary I, papal authority was officially reinstated and under three hundred of the minority Protestant population were martyred. Upon Elizabeth I's accession to the throne, an Act of Supremacy denied papal authority over the English church; but only a decade later, in February 1570, did Pope Pius V excommunicate Elizabeth and any who obeyed her, issuing the bull Regnans in Excelsis, which purported to "release subjects from their allegiance to her".
In the words of the New Catholic Encyclopedia, "Without question it was Elizabeth I's intention to supplant the old religion with the new in a bloodless manner. It is significant that there were no martyrs in the first 12 years of her reign, and only five in the years 1570 to 1577." Of those five, Thomas Plumtree had been chaplain to the insurgents in the Rising of the North, John Felton had published Pope Pius V's Bull Regnans in Excelsis, excommunicating Queen Elizabeth, John Story was tried for high treason, for having supported the Rising of the North and encouraging the Duke of Alba to invade, Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, had led the Rising of the North, and Thomas Woodhouse had declared in a letter to William Cecil that Elizabeth "for her own great disobedience is most justly deposed".
The threat of invasion by a Roman Catholic country assisted by English subjects led the Crown to try to repress Roman Catholicism. Responding to Pius V's action, Elizabeth I's government passed anti-Roman Catholic decrees in 1571 forbidding anyone from maintaining the jurisdiction of the pope by word, deed or act; requiring use of the Book of Common Prayer in all cathedrals, churches and chapels, and forbidding criticism of it; forbidding the publication of any bull, writing or instrument of the Holy See ; and prohibiting the importing of Agnus Dei images, crosses, pictures, beads or other things from the Bishop of Rome.
Later laws made illegal the drawing of anyone away from the state church; non-attendance at a Church of England church; raising children with teachers who were not licensed by an Anglican diocesan bishop; and attending or celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass.
In 1585, a new decree made it a crime punishable by death to go overseas to receive the sacrament of Ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood. Nicholas Devereux and Edward Barber were both put to death in 1586 under this law. William Thomson and Richard Lea were hanged, disembowelled and quartered under the same law. In 1588, eight priests and six laymen at Newgate were condemned and executed under this law.

1570–1603