Henry Abbot

A layman and convert to Catholicism, martyred at York in 1597. Explains the circumstances which led to his martyrdom

Layman, martyred at York, 4 July, 1597, pronounced Venerable in 1886. His acts are thus related by Challoner:

A certain

Protestant

minister

, for some misdemeanour put into York Castle, to reinstate himself in the favour of his superiors, insinuated himself into the good opinion of the

Catholic

prisoners, by pretending a deep sense of

repentance

, and a great desire of embracing the

Catholic

truth

. . . So they directed him, after he was enlarged, to Mr. Henry Abbot, a

zealous

convert

who lived in Holden in the same country, to procure a

priest

to reconcile him . . . Mr. Abbot carried him to Carlton to the house of Esquire Stapleton, but did not succeed in finding a

priest

. Soon after, the traitor having got enough to put them all in danger of the law, accused them to the magistrates . . . They confessed that they had explained to him the

Catholic

Faith

, and upon this they were all found guilty and sentenced to die.

The others,

Errington

,

Knight

, and Gibson, were executed on 29 November, 1596; Abbot was reprieved till the next July.