The Douai Martyrs is a name applied by the Catholic Church to 158 Catholic priests trained in the English College at

Douai, France Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the ...

, who were executed by the English state between 1577 and 1680.

History

Having completed their training at Douai, many returned to England and Wales with the intent to minister to the Catholic population. Under the Jesuits, etc. Act 1584 the presence of a priest within the realm was considered high treason. Missionaries from Douai were looked upon as a papal agents intent on overthrowing the queen. Many were arrested under charges of treason and conspiracy, resulting in torture and execution. In total, 158 members of Douai College were martyred between the years 1577 and 1680."The Martyrs of Douai", Diocese of Westminster
/ref> The first was

Cuthbert Mayne Cuthbert Mayne (c. 1543–29 November 1577) was an English Roman Catholic priest executed under the laws of Elizabeth I. He was the first of the seminary priests, trained on the Continent, to be martyred. Mayne was beatified in 1886 and canonise ...

, executed at Launceston, Cornwall. The last was Thomas Thwing, hanged, drawn, and quartered at York in October 1680. Each time the news of another execution reached the College, a solemn Mass of thanksgiving was sung. Many people risked their lives during this period by assisting them, which was also prohibited under the Act. A number of the "seminary priests" from Douai were executed at a three-sided gallows at Tyburn near the present-day Marble Arch. A plaque to the "Catholic martyrs" executed at Tyburn in the period 1535 - 1681 is located at 8 Hyde Park Place, the site of Tyburn convent. They were beatified between 1886, 1929 and 1987, and only 20 were canonized in 1970. Today, British Catholic dioceses celebrate their feast day on 29 October. *Bl Alexander Crow *Bl Anthony Middleton *Bl Antony Page *Bl Christopher Bales *Bl Christopher Buxton *Bl Christopher Robinson *Bl

Christopher Wharton Christopher Wharton (before 1546 – 28 March 1600) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987. Life Wharton was born at Middleton, Yorkshire, before 1546. He was the second son of Sir Thomas Wharton o ...

*Bl

Edmund Catherick Edmund Catherick (''c''. 1605 – 13 April 1642) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929. Life Catherick was probably born in Lancashire about 1605. He was descended from the Catholic family of Cather ...

*Bl Edmund Duke *Bl

Edmund Sykes Edmund Sykes (born at Leeds; executed at York Tyburn, 23 March 1587) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987. Life He was a student at the English college at Reims, where he was ordained 21 February ...

*Bl

Edward Bamber Edward Bamber (alias Reading) (b. c. 1600, at the Moor, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire; executed at Lancaster 7 August 1646) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He was beatified in 1987. Life Educated at the English College, Valladolid, he was ...

*Bl Edward Burden *Bl

Edward James Edward Frank Willis James (16 August 1907 – 2 December 1984) was a British poet known for his patronage of the surrealist art movement. Early life and marriage James was born on 16 August 1907, the only son of William James (who had inherite ...

*Bl Edward Jones *Bl Edward Osbaldeston *Bl Edward Stransham *Bl Edward Thwing *Bl Edward Waterson *Bl Everald Hanse *Bl

Francis Ingleby Francis Ingleby (c. 1551 – 3 June 1586) was a Roman Catholic martyr executed in York, England during the reign of Elizabeth I. Born about 1551, he was the fourth son of Sir William Ingleby and Anne Malory of Ripley Castle, North Yorkshi ...

*Bl Francis Page *Bl George Beesley *Bl George Gervase *Bl George Haydock *Bl

George Napper George Napper (Napier) (born at Holywell manor, Oxford, 1550; executed at Oxford 9 November 1610) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI. Life George Napper was a son of Edward Napper (d ...

*Bl George Nichols *Bl Henry Heath *Bl Hugh Green *Bl

Hugh More Thomas Holford (sometimes called Thomas Acton) (1541–1588) was an English Protestant schoolteacher who became a Catholic priest during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was martyred at Clerkenwell in London, and is recognised by the Catholic C ...

*Bl Hugh Taylor *Bl James Claxton *Bl James Fenn *Bl James Thompson *Bl

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...

*Bl John Amias *Bl

John Bodey John Bodey (15492 November 1583) was an English Roman Catholic academic jurist and lay theologian. He was martyred in 1583, and beatified in 1929. Life John Bodey was born in Wells, Somerset, in 1549. His father was a wealthy merchant. He stud ...

*Bl John Cornelius *Bl John Duckett *Bl John Hambley *Bl John Hogg *Bl John Ingram *Bl John Lockwood *Bl

John Lowe John Lowe may refer to: Sports * John Lowe (darts player) (born 1945), English darts player. * John Lowe (footballer) (1912–1995), Scottish football player * John Lowe (rugby league), English rugby league footballer * John Lowe (cricketer) (18 ...

*Bl

John Munden Sir John Munden (c. 1645 – 13 March 1719) was a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy who was dismissed from the service for having failed to engage a French fleet, despite having been acquitted by a court-martial of any misconduct in the matter. Ear ...

*Bl John Nelson *Bl John Nutter *Bl John Pibush *Bl John Robinson *Bl John Sandys *Bl John Shert *Bl John Slade *Bl John Sugar *Bl John Thules *Bl Joseph Lambton *Bl Lawrence Richardson *Bl Mark Barkworth *Bl Matthew Flathers *Bl Montfort Scott *Bl

Nicholas Garlick Nicholas Garlick (c. 1555 – 24 July 1588) was an English Catholic priest, martyred in Derby in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Early life He was born around 1555, near Dinting in Glossop, within the county of Derby. In January 1575 he ...

*Bl Nicholas Postgate *Bl Nicholas Woodfen *Bl

Peter Snow Peter John Snow (born 20 April 1938) is a British radio and television presenter and historian. Between 1969 and 2005, he was an analyst of general election results, first on ITV and later for the BBC. He presented ''Newsnight'' from its la ...

*Bl Ralph Crockett *Bl Richard Hill *Bl Richard Holiday *Bl Richard Kirkman *Bl Richard Newport *Bl Richard Sergeant *Bl Richard Simpson *Bl Richard Thirkeld *Bl Richard Yaxley *Bl Robert Anderton *Bl

Robert Dalby Robert Dalby (died 1589) was an English Catholic priest and martyr. Life Robert Dalby (sometimes called Drury), came from Hemingbrough in the West Riding of Yorkshire (now North Yorkshire) lived at first as a Protestant minister. Becoming a Ca ...

*Bl Robert Dibdale *Bl Robert Drury *Bl

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

*Bl Robert Ludlam *Bl Robert Nutter *Bl

Robert Sutton Robert Sutton may refer to: Politicians *Robert Sutton (died 1414), MP for Lincoln *Robert Sutton (MP for Derby), see Derby *Robert Dudley alias Sutton (died 1539), MP *Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexinton (1594–1668), Member of Parliament for Nott ...

*Bl Robert Thorpe *Bl Robert Wilcox *Bl Roger Cadwallador *Bl

Roger Filcock Roger Filcock (alias Arthur Naylor) (died 27 February 1601, London) was an English Jesuit priest. He was beatified as a Catholic martyr by Pope John Paul II on 22 November 1987. Life Born at Sandwich, Kent, England, the son of Simon and Margar ...

*Bl Stephen Rowsham *Bl Thomas Alfield *Bl Thomas Atkinson *Bl Thomas Belson *Bl Thomas Cottam *Bl Thomas Maxfield *Bl Thomas Palaser *Bl Thomas Pilchard *Bl Thomas Pormort *Bl Thomas Reynolds *Bl Thomas Sherwood *Bl Thomas Somers *Bl Thomas Sprott *Bl Thomas Thwing *Bl Thomas Tunstal *Bl Thurstan Hunt *Bl William Andleby *Bl William Davies *Bl William Filby *Bl William Harrington *Bl William Hart *Bl William Hartley *Bl William Lacey *Bl William Marsden *Bl William Patenson *Bl William Southerne *Bl William Spenser *Bl William Thomson *Bl William Ward *Bl

William Way William Way (alias May, alias Flower) (died 1588) was an English Catholic priest and martyr executed under Elizabeth I after the Protestant Reformation. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. Early life and education William Way was born ...

*St Alban Bartholomew Roe *St

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 ...

*St

Ambrose Edward Barlow Ambrose Edward Barlow, O.S.B. (1585 – 10 September 1641) was an English Benedictine monk who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. He is one of a group of saints canonized by Pope Paul VI who became known as the Forty Martyrs of E ...

*St

*St Edmund Arrowsmith *St

Edmund Campion Edmund Campion, SJ (25 January 15401 December 1581) was an English Jesuit priest and martyr. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Anglican England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason, he was h ...

*St

Edmund Gennings Edmund Gennings, sometimes called ''Edmund Jennings'', (1567 – 10 December 1591), was an English martyr, who was executed during the English Reformation for being a Roman Catholic priest. He came from Lichfield, Staffordshire. Life Gen ...

*St Eustace White *St

Henry Morse Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

*St Henry Walpole *St John Almond *St

John Boste John Boste (c. 1544 – 24 July 1594) is a saint in the Catholic Church, and one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Life John Boste was born in Dufton, Westmorland around 1544, the son of Nicholas Boste, landowner of Dufton and Penri ...

*St John Kemble *St John Payne *St John Southworth *St

John Wall Johnathan Hildred Wall Jr. (born September 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A Raleigh, North Carolina native, Wall was chosen with the first overa ...

*St

Luke Kirby Luke Farrell Kirby (born June 29, 1978) is a Canadian actor. In 2019, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his guest role as Lenny Bruce on the television series ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel''. Early life Kirby was born in Hamilton, Ontario, to ...

*St

Ralph Sherwin Sherwin (25 October 1550 – 1 December 1581) was an English Roman Catholic priest, executed in 1581. He is a Catholic martyr and saint. Early years and education Sherwin was born at Rodsley, Derbyshire to John and Constance Sherwin and ...

*St Robert Southwell *Ven Edward Morgan *Ven Thomas Tichborne * Bl Alexander Rawlins * Bl Edward Campion * Francis Dickinson * James Bird * James Harrison * John Finglow *

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he rec ...

* John Hewitt * Matthias Harrison *

Miles Gerard Miles Gerard (born about 1550 at Wigan; executed at Rochester 13 (30?) April, 1590) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929. Life Descended perhaps from the Gerards of Ince, he was, about 1576, tutor to t ...

* St Polydore Plasden * Richard Horner * Robert Leigh * Robert Morton * Robert Watkinson * Roger Dickinson * Thomas Felton * Thomas Ford * Thomas Hemerford *

Thomas Holford Thomas Holford (sometimes called Thomas Acton) (1541–1588) was an English Protestant schoolteacher who became a Catholic priest during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was martyred at Clerkenwell in London, and is recognised by the Catholic C ...

* William Dean * William Freeman * William Gunter * Bl William Richardson

The Douay Martyrs School The Douay Martyrs RC School is a Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Ickenham within the London Borough of Hillingdon, England. It serves around 1,300 pupils from a range of social backgrounds. Hist ...

Ickenham Ickenham is an area in Greater London, forming the eastern part of Uxbridge and within the London Borough of Hillingdon. While no major historical events have taken place in Ickenham, settlements dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

is named in their honour.

References

External links

English-Scottish-Irish-Welsh Martyrs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douai Martyrs Catholic martyrs of England and Wales English College, Douai alumni English beatified people Welsh beatified people

History

See also

References

External links