The Year 1644

This year the civil wars continuing, two priests of the venerable order of St. Benedict lost their lives by the savage cruelty of the Parliament soldiers; of whom thus writes Father B. W., in his manuscript: ‘ Father Boniface Kempe, alias Kipton, professed at Mountserrat in Spain, with Father Ildephonse Hesketh, in the civil wars in 1644, were taken by Parliament soldiers, and driven on foot before them in the heat of summer; by which cruel and outrageous usage they were so heated and spent that they either forthwith or soon after died.’

This same year also, as Mr. Austin writes (under the name of William Birchley) in his Christian Moderator, Mr. Price, a Catholic gentleman, was murthered at Lincoln, in hatred of his religion. The story he relates thus — ‘ I remember an officer of my acquaintance, under the Earl of Manchester ^ told me, that at their taking of Lincoln ^ from the Cavaliers, in the year 1644, he was an eye-witness of this tragedy. The next day after the town was taken, some of our (the Parliament) common soldiers in cold blood, meeting with Mr. Price of Washingley in Huntingdonshire, a Papist, asked him. Art thou Price the Papist? I am, said he. Price the Roman Catholic; whereupon one of them immediately shot him dead.’

Likewise two reverend priests were executed this year at Tyburn for their character, viz., Mr. John Duckett of the secular clergy, and Father Ralph Corby of the vSociety of Jesus.

JOHN DUCKETT, Priest.^

JOHN DUCKETT was the third son of James Duckett (by his wife Mrs. Frances Girlington), a gentleman of an ancient family but small estate. He was born at Underwinder in the parish of Sedbergh in Yorkshire, anno 1613. He performed his studies in the English College of Doway, and received all his orders there, being made priest in September, 1639. After he was ordained he went to Paris in company of Mr. Francis Gage (afterwards doctor of Sorbon and President of Doway College) and there remained three years in the College of Arras. The Doway Diary takes notice that he was much addicted to mental prayer, so that whilst he was yet a student in the College he was known to have employed whole nights in those heavenly communications. However, as he was very humble and discreet when he wa= going upon the English mission, not content with having before conferred at Paris with some very spiritual persons, who approved of his way of prayer (though what passed therein betwixt his soul and God was so sublime, that they owned it was above their comprehension), for farther security he called at Newport, on purpose to consult his kinsman, the Reverend Father Duckett, son of James Duckett the martyr, and Prior of the English Carthusians there, and to put himself under his direction, to the end that he might proceed more safely in the internal way, and avoid the delusions of the enemy, to which contemplatives are often exposed. Here he spent about two months in preparing himself, by spiritual exercises, for the great work of the conversion of souls.¹

His mission was in the Bishopric of Durham^ where he had been about a year, when he was taken in the following manner: — He was called from Drusame^ the place of his residence, to baptize two children upon the Feast of the Visitation of our Blessed Lady, Jw/y; 2; and as he was going on his way, in the company of two Catholic laymen, some Parliament soldiers, who had intelligence of it, waylaid him and apprehended him and his companions between Whissingham and Lenchester, and carried them to Sunderland, where there was sitting at that time a committee of the sequestrators. These examined him whether he was a priest or no. He declined giving them a positive answer, and told them. If he were brought thither as a delinquent, he expected to see what proofs could he alleged against him, and if none were produced, he conceived that by the course of the law he was quit. But as they had strong suspicions of his being what he was, from the books and holy oils which were found about him, they committed him to prison, and a little while after, sending for him again, still pressed him to give a direct answer, and threatened to put lighted matches betwixt his fingers and to burn him therewith till he would confess what he was. But let us hear Mr. Ducketfs own relation of this part of his history, and of the motives upon which he at length confessed himself a priest. ‘ They committed me to prison,’ says he, ‘ making no doubt of my being a priest, by reason of my holy oils, and such like things they found about me; afterwards I was called again, and seeing I would not answer directly that I was no priest they threatened to put fired matches betwixt my fingers till I would confess what I was. But when their threats would not prevail they sent me to gaol again and put irons on me. About an hour after they called me again. In the mean time they were examining the other two that were taken with me, who, when I heard they would be shipped and sent away, seeing it was because I would not confess what I was, and also fearing lest some of the country should come who knew me, whereby the most part there [i.e., the Catholics of that neighbourhood] might have suffered, but especially those with whom I lived, I confessed myself to be a priest to free them and the country.’

‘ It seems,’ says another manuscript, ‘ this was an inspiration from heaven, for immediately no more inquiry was made after his friends, but he was sent up to London with Father Ralph Carlington {Corby), a Jesuit, who was taken in those parts in his vestments, as he was going to the altar to say Mass. So Mr. Duckett imitated our Saviour: If you seek me, let these go their way I What follows is taken from a letter dated September 19, 1644. ‘ The two confessors being brought up to London^ were examined by a committee of Parliament, where they both stoutly confessed themselves to be priests, as they had done before in the country, so were committed to Newgate, and brought to their trial the next sessions; where Mr. Duckett being asked by Mr. Glyn (the Recorder), if he were a priest? Replied, Yes, I am. Upon this Mr. Recorder said to the jury. You know what follows; he confesseth himself a traitor. No, said Mr. Duckett, I do not confess myself a traitor, though I confess myself a priest. But this sufficed to the forward jurymen and judge; for upon this alone he was cast by the jury and condemned by the judge,’ says another manuscript relation.

Mr. Duckett adds, in his written account of himself, that when he was condemned, he told the judge. That he rejoiced more to hear the sentence pronounced against him than he did to pronounce it. And both the other manuscripts and the College Diary all agree that whereas Mr. Duckett's natural complexion was pale, immediately upon his arraignment his countenance became in a manner angelical and his cheeks beautifully red, and continued so till his death. Insomuch, that some who knew him before, and appointed his picture to be drawn, condemned the painter for not making it like him; but all that had seen the man in the three last days of his life, confessed the picture exactly represented him as he then appeared. See what a transformation grace can work in human creatures!

‘ It was also much noted,’ says the letter of September 19, 1644,

‘ that his cheerful countenance proceeded from a heart overjoyed that he was to die in such a cause, and himself hath testified in many letters under his own hand, that ever since he was a priest he did much fear to live, hut nothing fear to die. Insomuch that he wrote a letter to one of those who were taken in company with him (if he were importuned) to confess that he knew him to be a priest; For, said the blessed man,z/ other witnesses fail, I shall supply all defects in that point myself, God willing; knowing what it will avail me to die for such a cause; much like St. Ignatius the martyr, casting himself on the lion’s jaws, saying Scio quid mihi prodest, ignoscite mihi filioli.

‘ He was a true humble man (continues my author) and contemned riches and the vanities of this world. The first appeared in his refusing many accommodations of money and apparel, offered him, not only by myself, but by others, even when he had never a cloak to his back; but rather chose to borrow one when he went to the sessions, &c. The other, in refusing to hear the confession of the Duchess of Guise, who came back from Dover on purpose to spend the last night of the martyr’s life with him in watching and prayer in the prison. For although he pretended scruple of not having French enough, yet it is probable, he having been so long abroad, and especially coming lately from Paris ^ might easily have understood the lady, had not his humility made him refer her to others.

‘ He was much importuned to accept of a pardon of his life, by way of exchange for a Scotch Lieutenant-Colonel, in prison under the Emperor in Germany; and when he saw the matter of grace (as the world termed it) far advanced, and offered unto him * by the father of the Society, that was condemned with him, he returned the favour back to the father, saying. It is a thing procured and prosecuted by your friends, he you therefore pleased to accept thereof. But being persuaded by them (Father Corby and his friends) that there was another way to save that father’s life, by his being an Irishman born, and therefore not subject to the penalty of the laws; then Mr. Duckett, however willing to die, thought he was bound not to refuse the offer of life, upon such fair terms. And this I insert here to shew how little he esteemed life; for he was nothing altered, upon notice that the Parliament (which had by their committee given hopes formerly of such a thing) was now resolved not to save a priest’s life by any such exchange. Had this happened to a soul less resigned than blessed Mr. Duckett's, it would have made some alteration, whereas here it made none at all in this constantly cheerful martyr.

‘ It was noted by all sorts of spectators that he had a continual smile in his looks all the way he went to execution, which smile it seemed was from the heart. For when the blessed man came to the hurdle, he was not content to be helped up, but of himself leaped into the straw, and composed himself upon it, as if he had been riding in triumph. Before he went out of prison to the hurdle, seeing many weeping about him, he smiling said. Why weep you for me, who am glad at heart of this happy day? And added, Hcec dies quam fecit Dominus, exultemus et Icetemur in ed. And some of the jailers observing his smiling farewell from the prison, said. Assuredly this man dies for a good cause, since he and all of his profession go cheerfully to the gallows, whereas those of our religion go weeping and wringing their hands.

‘ He gave his benediction to all that asked it on the way, with his head raised from the hurdle, and a smiling look. This was testified unto me by many, but especially by Don Antonio de Sousa, Resident for the King of Portugal, who attended the martyrs unto the place of² execution, and twice upon the way spoke to them and asked their benedictions, and affirmed with what alacrity Mr. Duckett gave it him.

‘ At the gallows he said little, only he told the minister that went about to pervert him. Sir, I come not hither to he taught my faith, hut to die for the profession of it. It seems there was a fear lest Mr. Duckett would have spoken much out of the abundant joy that appeared in him; so to prevent that he was in a manner throttled alive (by an ill-favoured hampering of the rope about his neck, which the hangman used to none but to him), and he was observed to stand a long time in prayer upon the cart, before it was drawn away, half-hanged indeed. When the hangman came to cast the rope about his neck, Mr. Duckett took it into his own hands, and smiling, kissed it for joy that he was thereby so near the end of his time and the beginning of eternity; for he did many times express the sense he had of eternity, and his longing after it, which made him glad at the shortness of his time upon so happy an occasion.

‘ One thing was singular in these blessed martyrs, more than in ail that went before them in England of latter days, that they both appeared in their own weeds in this last scene of their lives; going with hair cut, shaved crowns, and in their cassocks, from the prison to the place of execution, which if they had asked leave to do, perhaps had been denied them, as it was to some who had asked leave before, and were denied. [As to this whole relation] I can assure you, I have many of these particulars under Mr. Ducketfs own handwriting, and all the rest from persons of good credit, both ear and eye-witnesses thereof.’ So far the letter.

Whilst he was in Newgate he reconciled one of the felons, who afterwards died with him.

Mr. Duckett suffered at Tyhurn, September 7, 1644, in the thirty-first year of his age, the fifth of his priesthood, and the second of his mission.

RALPH CORBY, alias CARLINGTON, Priest, S.J.³

Ralph CORBY, who was known upon the mission by the name of Carlington, was born near Dublin in Ireland, of English parents, natives of the Bishopric of Durham, and zealous converts, who went over into Ireland for the freer exercise of their religion. Here our confessor was brought into this world, on Lady Day in March, 1598, and when he was five years old accompanied his parents in their return to England, with whom he lived partly in Lancashire, and partly in the Bishopric (for the persecutors suffered them not to continue long in the same place) till the age of fifteen, being all the while remarkably dutiful and obedient to his parents, modest and reserved in his words, peaceful and meek in his temper, wonderfully sincere and exact in his speech, despising money, and, when any was given him, giving it away to a younger brother, and above all very devout at his prayers, and a great lover of the Blessed Virgin, whose Little Office he used to recite upon all Sundays and holidays. All which virtues were, under God, due to his pious education; his parents being very virtuous themselves, and taking care to bring up their children such. Insomuch that both parents and children all entered into religion; the father and his three sons in the Society oi Jesus, the mother and her two daughters in the holy Order of St. Bennet.

Young Mr. Ralph at fifteen years of age was admitted into the English College of St. Omers, where he spent six years in the study of humanity, and then was sent into Spain, where he employed five years more in the study of philosophy and divinity; one year at Seville, where his health permitted him not to remain any longer, and four at Valladolid, where he was made priest. He then returned into Flanders, made his noviceship in the Society of Jesus at Watten; finished his divinity at Liege, and after two years spent at Ghent was sent upon the English mission in 1632. His missionary labours were employed amongst the poorer sort of Catholics in the bishopric of Durham, where he travelled much, winter and summer, day and night, and generally on foot, to instruct, comfort, and administer the sacraments to a persecuted people, scattered here and there in the villages of that country, and this for the space of twelve years, suffering very much all the while from a bad state of health, and meeting with very indifferent accommodations both as to lodging and diet from his country hosts, whose hearts nevertheless he had gained in such manner by his virtue and charity, that they loved him as their father and reverenced him as an apostle.

He had long aspired after the happiness of dying for Christ, and now the time came on when his desire was to be accomplished. It was on the 8th o^July, 1644, when going to Mass at a country house in Hampsterly, not far from Newcastle, he was apprehended by the Parliament soldiers rushing into the house, and scarce giving him time to put off his vestments, and was hurried away to Sunderland,

RALPH CORBY where a committee of the sequestrators was then sitting. To these men he readily confessed himself to be a priest; and being required to sign a paper in which his confession was set down in writing, he obeyed, and without more ado was put on shipboard to be carried to London. Here to his great comfort he found the Rev. Mr. John Duckett, a prisoner for the same cause, and now designed to be his companion in the same voyage, as he afterwards was both in prison and in death. And here these two servants of God contracted a holy friendship which death itself could not dissolve, and being founded in God will unite them in God to all eternity.

As soon as these two confessors of Christ were arrived at London, they were carried before a committee of the Parliament at West-minster, where their confession, which they had signed before of their being priests, was produced and acknowledged by them for their act and deed. Upon which they were ordered to Newgate, and conducted thither through the streets lined with the mob, by a whole company of soldiers with their captain at their head, beating their drums and shooting off their muskets from time to time, as if they had taken in war the generals of their enemies, and, like the old Romans, were carrying them in triumph. In Newgate the servants of God remained close prisoners till the next sessions, that is, till the month of September. And as the violent disposition of the Parliament at that time with regard to priests made them look for nothing else but the sentence of death, so they took care to prepare for it by giving themselves up to prayer and other religious exercises; seeming at the same time, by a pious emulation, to vie with one another which should excel in humility, charity, patience, zeal for the divine glory, and other heroical virtues; yet so as to maintain a wonderful harmony of will and mutual concord in all things, to the great edification of all that came near them.

But what was particularly remarkable in these two confessors was their pious strife upon the occasion lately mentioned in our account of Mr. Duckett; when some hopes being given that the life of one of them might be saved, by way of exchange for a Scottish officer (a lieutenant-colonel) at that time the Emperor’s prisoner, the imperial Resident made the offer first to Father Corby, and he, after many thanks to his Excellency, modestly declined it, and desired it might be conferred on Mr. Duckett, who, he said, was young and healthful, and in all other respects well qualified to do good service upon the mission; whereas for himself he was grown infirm, and if his life were spared could do little service. On the other hand, Mr. Duckett, when the offer was made to him, returning thanks both to the Resident and Father Corby ^ equally declined the favour, and professed it would be better placed on Father Corby, a person of known experience, zeal, and piety, and far better qualified to serve the mission than himself. And thus to the great edification of the Resident, who came in person to Newgate on this occasion, the offer he made was handed to and fro between them, neither being willing to accept of it, till an expedient was proposed to save them both; but it succeeded not, for the Parliament, it seems, was resolved they both should suffer.

They were both therefore brought to the bar upon the 4th of September, at the Old Bailey, where their trials were soon over, both having confessed before under their own hands that they were priests. ’Tis true Mr. Corby alleged that he was a native of Ireland, and therefore out of the case of the statute; but the Recorder told him he was mistaken, and ordered the statute of the 27th of Elizabeth to be read, by which it is made high treason for any man born within the Queen’s dominions, of which Ireland is a part, to remain in England after being made priest, &c. The jury, therefore, as directed, brought them both in guilty, and the following day they both received sentence of death according to the usual form, and returned with joy to the prison, there to wait for that blessed and happy Saturday, as Father Corby expresses it in his letter written to his superior the day that he was condemned, which is the vigil of her glorious Nativity (the 7th of September) by whose holy intercession, I hope, says he, to be born again to a new and everlasting life.

At their return to Newgate they were thrust dowm into the condemned hole amongst the felons by one of the turnkeys, who also began to strip them, and load them with irons, till the master-keeper, who was more humane (though not without some consideration of money to be paid by them) allowed them a better lodging. The last day of their mortal life, and the whole ensuing night, they devoted to prayer, fasting, watching (so as not so much as once to close their eyes), and spiritual conferences with those who came to visit them, as many did both English and foreigners; and amongst the latter most of the Ministers of Catholic princes and states, then residing in London, as also the Duchess of Guise, who passed the whole night in watching and prayer with them; and having made her confession to Father Corby, received the Blessed Sacrament at his hands, and purchased the chalice in which he said his last Mass, which she afterwards kept as a precious relic. The Erench envoy also made his confession to the father, and received from him a pair of beads and a blessed medal to be sent to the queen-mother

RALPH CORBY of France y and professed after his departure, how much he had been edified by the sight and conversation of both these champions of Christ, and that he had never seen their equals for Christian fortitude. Many others also there were that confessed to them and received at their hands in their last Masses, to the great comfort of their souls.

It was observed that Father Corhy^ who from the time of his condemnation till then had been full of joy at the approach of his happy dissolution, whilst he was saying his last Mass, like his Saviour in the garden, appeared to be as it were in an agony of sadness and fear, which discovered itself in his gestures, and in his voice, to the surprise of the standers-by. Who afterwards inquiring of him the meaning of it, learnt from his own mouth that certain melancholy thoughts at that time pressed in upon him, which over-clouded his soul, till by earnest prayer to God they were dispelled, and tranquillity and joy succeeded in their place. And so from that time till his happy death, he continued cheerful and joyful; and told his friends who wept at their last parting with him, when he was going out in order for execution, that they had no reason to weep, but rather if they loved him ought to rejoice and congratulate with him who was going to meet so great a happiness.

And now the 7th of Septemher was come, when these two soldiers of Christ were to fight their last battle. When about ten o’clock in the morning they were called down to the hurdle, they went forth with their crowns shaved, the one in the religious habit of the Society oi Jesus y and the other in his clergyman’s cassock; and being pinioned down according to custom, they were drawn from Newgate to Tyhurn. Many Catholics asked and received their blessing in the way, and even the Protestants who saw them could not help admiring their courage and constancy. When they were arrived at the place of execution they kissed the gallows, and giving God thanks they got into the cart, where there stood five malefactors who were to be executed with them. Mr. Duckett for his part made no speech, but stood silent with his eyes lifted up towards heaven. Father Corby contented himself with a short discourse, in which he gave an account of the cause for which he and his companions were to die, viz.y merely for being Catholic priests; nothing else being alleged against either of them. The Sheriff told him they had seduced many, and were to die because, having been made priests beyond the seas, they had returned into England and seduced the King’s subjects in contempt of the laws of God and the kingdom. Pardon mey Mr. Sheriff y said Father Corby y there is no contempt of the laws of God in the case; and if our desiring the salvation of our neighbours y if our receiving for this purpose the holy order of priesthood instituted hy Christy if our bringing hack to Christ's fold the sheep that were gone astray, he against the laws of the kingdom and punishable hy death; I would have the whole world understaiid that in such a cause we are not afraid of death, hut earnestly desire it, and embrace it with open arms. Yes, Mr. Sheriff, we most willingly render this day to our Saviour, Who most lovingly died for us all, this life of ours, due a thousand times over to His merits and death; and we shall joyfully die for the love of Him, and for the cause of our religion. This was the sum of his words, says my author, diligently noted by a Catholic that stood near; nor was there opportunity for his speaking much more to the people; but the confessor was not wanting in exhorting and animating one of the five who were to suffer with him, Hauard by name, condemned, though as ’tis thought wrongfully, for coining, who had been lately reconciled in prison, and made a public profession of his faith at the gallows, regretting very much that he had known it so late, and declaring aloud that there was no other way to eternal salvation.

And now the two confessors most lovingly embraced each other, and took their leave for a moment to meet for ever in a happy eternity. The Sheriff would not permit them to be cut down, till he was assured they were quite dead. But then on the other hand he shewed his zeal against popery by ordering all things to be burnt, even to the very apron and sleeves of the hangman, that had been sprinkled with any of their blood, that the Papist dogs, as he said, might have nothing to keep for relics. Yet some there were who, notwithstanding all this diligence of the Sheriff, found means to procure some pieces of Mr. Duckett's cassock, one of his hands, and the whole cassock of Father Corby.

He suffered September 7, 1644, cetatis anno forty-six, Societatis twenty.

Footnotes

1. Ven. John Duckett. — From three Manuscript relations sent me from Douay — one by Mr. Duckett himself — and from the College Diary; see also De Marsys, ii.; Gillow; Life, by Camm (C.T.S.). ↩

2. Mr. Corby, when it was proposed to him, referred it to me, and I again to him; thus to and fro it went, till etc. — Mr. Duckett's MSS. ↩

3. Ven. Ralph Corby, alias Carlington. — From his Life, printed at Antwerp, in 1645 [Certamen Triplex]; see also De Marsys, ii.; Foley, Records, iii.; Gillow; Catholic Encyclopcedia. ↩