The Year 1598

JOHN BRITTON, Gentleman *

This year, on the ist of April, John Britton, gentleman, was executed at York as in cases of high treason. He was born at Britton in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and being of old a zealous Catholic, was, for a great part of his life, exposed to persecutions on account of his conscience, and generally obliged to be absent from his wife and family to keep himself further from danger. At length, being now advanced in years, he was falsely accused by a malicious fellow of having uttered some treasonable words against the Queen, for which he was condemned to die. He refused to save his life by renouncing his faith, and thereupon was put to death.

PETER SNOW, Priest.f

PETER SNOW was born at or near Ripon, in Yorkshire, says the Rev. Mr. Ralph Fisher in his relation of him; but in the Doway Catalogue he is marked down to have been of the Diocese of Chester. He performed his higher studies at the College then residing at Rhemes, where he was made priest in 1591, and sent the same year upon the English mission. Here he laboured till 1598, when, going towards York, in company of Ralph Grimston, of Nidd, gentleman, about the Feast of St. Philip and James, he was apprehended with the same gentleman. They were both shortly after arraigned and condemned, Mr. Snow of treason, as being a Seminary priest, and Mr. Grimston of felony, as being aiding and assisting him; and, as it is said, lifting up his weapon to defend him at the time of his apprehension.

They both suffered at York, June 15, 1598.¹

JOHN JONES, alias BUCKLEY, Priest, O.S.F.^

JOHN JONES was born of a gentleman’s family, in the Parish of Clenock^ in the county of Carnarvon. At what place he had his education or where he was made priest, I have not yet found, only I have seen a list of priests'prisoners in Wisheach Castle., ^5^7y in which I meet with his name with a note that at that time he was a secular priest. How or when he got out of Wisheach Castle I cannot tell; but certain it is that after this time he was received into the Order of St. Francis, either at Rome, as Father Garnet insinuates, or at Pontoise, as Dr. Champney expressly affirms.

Returning into England about the year 1593, he laboured there for three years with great fruit, and then fell again into the hands of the persecutors, and was kept in prison for about two years more, where many resorting to him received great benefit to their souls from his conversation, till Topclijfe, the arch-persecutor, caused him to be arraigned (together with Mr. Barnet and Mrs. Wiseman, who had been aiding and assisting him) in the beginning of July, 1 598. Father Jones pleaded. That he had nevei' been guilty of any treason against his Queen or country, and desired, That his case should rather he referred to the conscience of the judges than to an ignorant jury. Judge Clinch told him they were sensible he was no plotter against the Queen, but that he was a Romish priest, and being such, had returned into England contrary to the statute of Elizabeth 27, which was high treason by the laws. If this be a crime, said the confessor, / must own 7ny self guilty; for I am a priest, and came over into England to gain as many souls as I could to Christ. Upon this he was condemned, and when sentence was pronounced upon him, according to the usual form, as in cases of high treason, falling upon his knees with a loud voice he gave thanks to God. Mr. Barnet and Mrs. Wiseman were also condemned to die, but were not executed.

On the 1 2th oijidy in the forenoon, Mr. Jones was drawn to St. Thomas's Waterings, the place designed for his execution, where, being taken off the sled and set up into the cart, he declared. That he had never spoke a word or entertained a thought in his whole life against the Queen or his country, but daily prayed for their welfare. He stood there for about an hour (for it seems the hangman had²

CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON forgot to bring the rope with him), sometimes speaking to God in prayer, sometimes preaching to the people, till at length a rope being brought and fitted to his neck, the cart was drawn away and he was permitted to hang until he was quite dead. His body afterwards was bowelled and quartered, and his quarters were set up on poles in the roads to Newington and Lambeth, and his head in Southwark. His execution is mentioned by Mr. Stow in his Chronicle. Dr. Champney adds that both his head and quarters were afterwards taken down by the Catholics, though not without great danger; and that he knew two young gentlemen, of considerable families, who were apprehended and committed to prison for attempting it. He also informs us that one of his forequarters is kept at Pontoise, in the convent of the Franciscans, where he was professed.

He suffered July the 12th, 1598, and Father Garnet, who calls him Godofredus Mauricius, wrote his account of his death the 15th of the same month and year.

CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON, Priest.^

Mr. ROBINSON was born at Woodside in the county of Cumberland, and was a priest of Doway College, during its residence at Rhemes. He was ordained and sent upon the English mission in 1592. His missionary labours seem to have been in his own country, where at length he was apprehended and committed to prison. During his confinement he had some conferences with the then Bishop of Carlisle, whose name also was Robinson. This Protestant prelate expressed a great deal of good nature in regard to his namesake, and spared no pains to bring him over to the new religion by persuasions and promises; but this generous soul was proof against all his allurements and fair speeches, and remained constant in his faith. He was sentenced to die, as in cases of high treason, barely on account of his being a Roman Catholic priest, and exercising his functions in this nation. His meek behaviour at the place of execution, the sweetness of his words and of his countenance, and the constancy and cheerfulness with which he died, touched the hearts of many of the spectators, and was the occasion of many conversions.

He suffered at Carlisle, August 19, 1598.³

RICHARD HORNER, Priest.^

Richard HORNER was bom at BoUon Bridge, in Yorkshire, and was educated in Doway College, where he was made priest soon after the return of that community from Rhemes to Dcway, viz., in 1595, and from thence was sent that same year upon the English mission; where, falling into the hands of the adversaries of his faith, he was arraigned and condemned merely as a Catholic priest, and after having suffered much in prison, was executed at York, as in cases of high treason.

He suffered with great courage and constancy, September 4, 159B.

Footnotes

1. Ven. John Britton. — See Gillow; Catholic Encyclopcedia. t Ven. Peter Snow. — From a Douay Manuscript, and the Journal of the College; see also Troubles, in.', Records, iii.; Catholic Encyclopcedia. ↩

2. Ven. John Jones, alias Buckley. — From the Bishop of Chalcedon’s Catalogue: Dr. Champney’s Manuscript History; and a relation of his death penned by Father Garnet, and recorded by Bishop Yepez; see also Thaddeus, Franciscans in England; Lives of E. M.; Gillow; Catholic Encyclopcedia. ↩

3. Ven. Christopher Robinson. — From Dr. Champney’s Manuscript and the Bishop of Chalcedon’s Catalogue; see also Catholic Encyclopcedia; C.R.S.,i. ↩