Thomas Woodhouse was an English Catholic priest and martyr 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 ...

on 19 June 1573, being disembowelled alive.

Biography

Ordained during the latter part of Queen Mary Tudor's reign, he was a Lincolnshire

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

for under a year, and in 1560 acted as a private tutor in Wales."Blessed Thomas Woodhouse." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 9 August 2018 However, he resigned that post as well over religious differences. On 14 May 1561, he was committed to the

Fleet Fleet may refer to: Vehicles *Fishing fleet *Naval fleet *Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles *Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company Places Canada * Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet England * The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Beach ...

, London, having been arrested while saying Mass. For the rest of his life he remained in custody, uncompromising in his opposition to heresy, saying Mass in secret daily, and reciting his Office regularly. In early May 1571, having heard that John Story had been condemned to death for having supported the

Rising of the North The Rising of the North of 1569, also called the Revolt of the Northern Earls or Northern Rebellion, was an unsuccessful attempt by Catholic nobles from Northern England to depose Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of ...

two years before, Woodhouse offered to take Story's place on the scaffold.Del Re, Niccolò. "Beato Tommaso Woodhouse", Santi e Beati, 2 March 2009
/ref> After secret negotiations with the Jesuit Provincial of Paris, he was welcomed by letter into the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, (although the Decree of the Congregation of Rites, 4 December 1886, describes him as a secular priest). Treated with considerable leniency till 19 November 1572, he sent the prison washerwoman to

Lord Burghley William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...

's house with his famous letter. In it he begs him to seek reconciliation with the pope and earnestly to "persuade the Lady Elizabeth, who for her own great disobedience is most justly deposed, to submit herself unto her spiritual prince and father". Some days later in a personal interview he used equally definite language. Confined then by himself he wrote "divers papers, persuading men to the true faith and obedience", which he signed, tied to stones, and flung into the street. He was repeatedly examined both publicly and privately. The Queen's private council was inclined to dismiss him as mad. Once, when he had denied the queen's title, someone said, "If you saw her Majesty, you would not say so, for her Majesty is great". "But the Majesty of God is greater", he answered. Tried in mid-April 1573 at the

Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...

, Woodhouse not only refused to recognize the authority of the judges, but also challenged the jurisdiction of the secular court to judge a priest. Found guilty of treason, he was executed at Tyburn on 19 June 1573 by being

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 King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the reign of King Henry III ( ...

. He defiantly argued that the Queen needed to beg pardon from the Pope, leading some in the crowd to cry out "hang him, hang him, this man is worse than

Story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

". Thomas Woodhouse 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 ...

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

in December 1886; the Jesuits consider him the protomartyr of the Company on English soil. Blessed Thomas Woodhouse is commemorated on 19 June.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodhouse, Thomas English beatified people 1573 deaths 16th-century venerated Christians 16th-century English Jesuits People executed at Tyburn Jesuit martyrs 1535 births Forty-one Martyrs of England and Wales