Thomas Belson (c. 1563 - 5 July 1589) 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 let ...

layman and martyr,

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 1987.

Life

Belson was born at

Brill Brill may refer to: Places * Brielle (sometimes "Den Briel"), a town in the western Netherlands * Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village in England * Brill, Cornwall, a small village to the west of Constantine, Cornwall, UK * Brill, Wisconsin, an un ...

in Buckinghamshire, although the date is uncertain. He was the son of Augustine Belson. He studied at

St Mary's Hall, Oxford St Mary Hall was a medieval academic hall of the University of Oxford. It was associated with Oriel College from 1326 to 1545, but functioned independently from 1545 until it was incorporated into Oriel College in 1902. History In 1320, ...

, part of

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, w ...

, but did not take the B. A.; and then at the Catholic seminary in Reims. In 1584 he returned to England and was arrested, and imprisoned in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

. Eventually, in 1586, he was banished. In 1589 he was in

Aston Rowant Aston Rowant (anciently ''Aston Rohant'') is a village, civil parish and former manor about south of Thame in South Oxfordshire, England. The parish includes the villages of Aston Rowant and Kingston Blount, and adjoins Buckinghamshire to the ...

, Oxfordshire when he evaded being captured and fled to Ixhill Lodge in

Oakley, Buckinghamshire Oakley is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It has an area of and includes about 400 households. The 2011 Census recorded the population as 1,007. At one time it was thought Oakley held a rare (and possibly unique) doub ...

where he hid in a

priest hole A priest hole is a hiding place for a priest built into many of the principal Catholic houses of England, Wales and Ireland during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law. When Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558, there were se ...

, after some days he went to Oxford and was again arrested, at the Catherine Wheel Inn, near Balliol College, Oxford. He was with his confessor George Nicols, Richard Yaxley, a priest, and Humphrey Pritchard, a servant. They were sent to London, whence, after examination before Walsingham and repeated tortures in

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 corre ...

and the Tower, they were sent back to Oxford to be tried. Belson was found guilty of felony for assisting the priests, and was executed at Oxford on 5 July 1589. In 1987, Belson and his companions were among

eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales The Eighty-five Martyrs of England and Wales, also known as George Haydock and Eighty-four Companion Martyrs, are a group of men who were executed on charges of treason and related offences in the Kingdom of England between 1584 and 1679. Of the e ...

to be

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. A memorial to these four Roman Catholic martyrs was erected on the nearest house to the Holywell Gallows in October 2008. A book entitled
"Blessed Thomas Belson: His Life and Times 1563 - 1589"
' was written by Christine Kelly in 1988. This narrative provides insights into the courage and devotion of English Catholics at a time when the practice of their faith was punishable by death.

Notes

References

* * *Diego de Yepes, ''Historia Particular de la persecucion de Inglaterra'' (Madrid, 1599); *

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 h ...

, ''Memoirs''; *

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''; *Mrs Bryan Stapleton, ''Post-Reformation Catholic Missions in Oxfordshire'' (London, 1906) {{DEFAULTSORT:Belson, Thomas 1589 deaths English beatified people 16th-century venerated Christians Year of birth unknown 16th-century Roman Catholic martyrs Eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford People from Aylesbury Vale Prisoners in the Tower of London People executed under Elizabeth I English torture victims Executed people from Buckinghamshire

Life

See also

Notes

References