German Gardiner (Germain, Jermyn) (date of birth unknown; executed at

Tyburn Tyburn was a manor (estate) in the county of Middlesex, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. The parish, probably therefore also the manor, was bounded by Roman roads to the west (modern Edgware Road) and south (modern O ...

, 7 March 1544) was a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

layman and nephew to

Stephen Gardiner Stephen Gardiner (27 July 1483 – 12 November 1555) was an English Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I and King Philip. Early life Gardiner was ...

who became involved in the

Prebendaries' Plot The Prebendaries' Plot was an attempt during the English Reformation by religious conservatives to oust Thomas Cranmer from office as Archbishop of Canterbury. The events took place in 1543 and saw Cranmer formally accused of being a heretic. The h ...

against

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry ...

. Henry VIII was becoming more severe on Protestants and Cranmer fell under suspicion. Gardiner was (or was thought to have been) employed in drawing up a list of Cranmer's errors in the Faith. His condemnation was part of a deal with which Cranmer gained the king's full support: Cranmer's higher-ranked enemies were allowed to remain in place, while a charge of collusion with Cardinal Pole was brought against Gardiner. He wrote a tract against John Frith, dated 1 August 1534. Gardiner's indictment states that he was executed for endeavouring "to deprive the King of his dignity, title, and name of Supreme Head of the English and Irish Church". Thomas Haywood, who had been condemned with him, was afterward pardoned on recanting his opinions. His other companions at the bar were John Larke, and John Ireland, a priest who had once been

Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...

's chaplain. They suffered the death of traitors at

. German Gardinar was

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

in 1886,Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, Stephen Bunson, ''Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints'' (2003), p. 426. John Ireland in 1929.

Notes

References

* The entry cites: **

Bede Camm Dom Bede Camm, O.S.B., (26 December 1864 – 8 September 1942) was an English Benedictine monk and martyrologist. He is best known for his many works on the English Catholic martyrs, which helped to keep their memories alive in the newly reemer ...

, ''Lives of English Martyrs'' (London, 1904), i, 543–7; **

John Strype John Strype (1 November 1643 – 11 December 1737) was an English clergyman, historian and biographer from London. He became a merchant when settling in Petticoat Lane. In his twenties, he became perpetual curate of Theydon Bois, Essex and lat ...

, ''Cranmer'' (1694), 163–8; **More, ''Life of More'' (1726), 27 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gardiner, German 1544 deaths English beatified people 16th-century venerated Christians Year of birth unknown People executed under the Tudors for treason against England Executed English people People executed under Henry VIII Forty-one Martyrs of England and Wales