John Bodey (15492 November 1583) was an English

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 lette ...

academic jurist and lay theologian. He was martyred in 1583, and beatified in 1929.

Life

John Bodey was born in

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, in 1549. His father was a wealthy merchant.Wainewright, John Bannerman. "Venerable John Body, Layman", ''Lives of the English Martyrs'', (Edwin H. Burton and J. H. Pollen eds.), London. Longmans, Green and Co., 1914
/ref> He studied at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

, of which he became a Fellow in 1568 and took an M.A. degree in February 1576. In June 1576, he and seven others were deprived of their fellowships by the

visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

, Robert Horne,

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' (except dur ...

, and expelled.Camm, Bede. "Ven. John Bodey." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 26 March 2016 The following year he went to Douay College to study civil law, but returned to England in February 1578. Upon his return, he became a schoolmaster in Hampshire. Arrested in 1580, he was kept in iron shackles in

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

gaol, and was condemned in April, 1583, together with John Slade, a schoolmaster, for

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

by denying the

Royal Supremacy The Acts of Supremacy are two acts passed by the Parliament of England in the 16th century that established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England; two similar laws were passed by the Parliament of Ireland establishing the Eng ...

. There was apparently a feeling that this sentence was unjust and illegal, and they were retried—and condemned again—at

Andover, Hampshire Andover ( ) is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton, a major tributary of the Test, and is situated alongside the major A303 trunk road at the eastern end of Salisbury Plain, west of the town of Basingsto ...

, in August 1583. Bodey had a controversy with

Lawrence Humphrey Lawrence Humphrey (or Laurence Humfrey) DD (1525/7? – 1 February 1589) was an English theologian, who was President of Magdalen College, Oxford, and Dean successively of Gloucester and Winchester. Biography Humphrey was born at Newport Pa ...

Dean of Winchester The Dean of Winchester is the head of the Chapter of Winchester Cathedral in the city of Winchester, England, in the Diocese of Winchester. Appointment is by the Crown. The first incumbent was the last Prior, William Kingsmill, Catherine Ogl ...

, on the Nicene Council, and his notes from Eusebius still exist. After his second trial, he wrote from prison to Dr.

Humphrey Ely Humphrey Ely, LL.D., (died 1604) was an English Catholic divine. Life Ely was the brother of William Ely, president of St John's College, Oxford, and was a native of Herefordshire. After studying at Brasenose College, Oxford, he was elected a ...

, "We consider that iron for this cause borne on earth shall surmount gold and, precious stones in Heaven. That is our mark, that is our desire. In the mean season we are threatened daily, and do look still when the hurdle shall be brought to the door. I beseech you, for God's sake, that we want not the good prayers of you all for our strength, our joy, and our perseverance unto the end. ... From our school of patience the 16th September, 1583." Bodey was

hanged, drawn and quartered To be hanged, drawn and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352 under Edward III of England, King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the rei ...

at Andover on 2 November 1583. At his execution, he said: Bodey's brother Gilbert was arrested with

Alexander Briant Alexander Briant (17 August 1556 – 1 December 1581) was an English Jesuit and martyr, executed at Tyburn. Life He was born in Somerset, and entered Hart Hall, Oxford (now Hertford College), at an early age. While there, he became a p ...

on 28 April 1581. He was

scourged A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorg ...

Bridewell Bridewell Palace in London was built as a residence of King Henry VIII and was one of his homes early in his reign for eight years. Given to the City of London Corporation by his son King Edward VI for use as an orphanage and place of correc ...

and afterwards confined at one of the Counter Prisons. He was released on bond, and when not called to appear, escaped to Rheims. Pollen, John Hungerford. "Venerable John Slade and Venerable John Bodey", ''Acts of English Martyrs Hitherto Unpublished'', Burns and Oates, 1891, p. 54
/ref>

John Slade

Like Bodey, Slade attended the New College, Oxford until, being expelled for being Catholic, he traveled to Douai to take the study of law. However, since as a Catholic he was not permitted to practice, he became a tutor in a gentleman's household in Dorset. Slade was eventually arrested and confined with Bodey at Winchester. Slade was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Winchester 30 October 1583.

References

Sources

*''Account of the trial and execution of John Slade, schoolmaster, and John Body, M.A.'', by R. B. (London, 1583); *

Richard Challoner Richard Challoner (29 September 1691 – 12 January 1781) was an English Roman Catholic bishop, a leading figure of English Catholicism during the greater part of the 18th century. The titular Bishop of Doberus, he is perhaps most famous for hi ...

, ''Memoirs''; *

Nicholas Sanders Nicholas Sanders (also spelled Sander; c. 1530 – 1581) was an English Catholic priest and polemicist. Early life Sanders was born at Sander Place near Charlwood, Surrey, one of twelve children of William Sanders, once sheriff of Surrey, who ...

, ''Anglican Schism'', ed. Lewis (London, 1877); *J. B. Wainewright, ''Two English Martyrs: Body and Munden'' (London,

Catholic Truth Society Catholic Truth Society (CTS) is a body that prints and publishes Catholic literature, including apologetics, prayerbooks, spiritual reading, and lives of saints. It is based in London, the United Kingdom. The CTS had been founded in 1868 by ...

); *

Thomas Francis Knox Father Francis Knox (born as Thomas Francis Knox; 24 December 1822 – 20 March 1882, LondonThompson Cooper''Knox, Thomas Francis (1822–1882)'' reviewed by Sheridan Gilley, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press ...

, ''Douay Diaries'' (London, 1878); *

William Allen William Allen may refer to: Politicians United States *William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio *William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio *William ...

, ''A true, sincere, and modest defence of English Catholiques'' (Reims, 1584) ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bodey, John 1549 births 1583 deaths Fellows of New College, Oxford English beatified people People from Wells, Somerset 16th-century venerated Christians 16th-century English writers 16th-century male writers 16th-century English Roman Catholic theologians English male non-fiction writers Beatifications by Pope Pius XI One Hundred and Seven Martyrs of England and Wales

Life

John Slade

See also

References

Sources