BUT JUST WHO WERE THEY?

Of course we have all heard of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales but just who were they?

The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales were some of the hundreds of brave, faithful Catholics who, during the dark days of persecution in this country, laid down their lives rather than apostatize.  Among them were priests, teachers, fathers and mothers.  The following is a brief breakdown of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

THIRTEEN WERE SECULAR PRIESTS

           1.      Cuthbert Mayne                Launceston                  29^th November 1577

2.      Ralph Sherwin                  Tyburn                        1^st December 1581

St John Lloyd

3.      John Payne                        Chelmsford                 2^nd April 1582

4.      Luke Kirby                        Tyburn                         30^th May 1582

5.      Edmund Gennings             London                  10^th December 1591

6.      Polydore Plasden              Tyburn                  10^th December 1591

7.      Eustace White                   Tyburn                   10^th December 1591

8.      John Boste                         Durham                   24^th July 1594

9.      John Almond                    Tyburn                     5^th December 1612

10.  John Southworth               Tyburn                        28^th June 1654

11.  John Plessington               Chester                        19^th July 1679

12.  John Lloyd                        Cardiff                          22^nd July 1679

13.  John Kemble                     Hereford                       22^nd August 1679

TEN WERE JESUITS

         14      Edmund Campion               Tyburn                         1^st December 1581

St David Lewis S J

         15.      Alexander Briant                 Tyburn                         1^st December 1581

        16.      Robert Southwell                Tyburn                         21^st February 1595
         17.      Henry Walpole                    York                            7^th April 1595

          18.     Nicholas Owen                    London                       2^nd March 1606

19.    Thomas Garnet                    Tyburn                         23^rd June 1608

20.      Edmund Arrowsmith          Lancaster                     28^th August 1628

21.       Henry Morse                        Tyburn                         1^st February 1645

22.      Philip Evans                         Cardiff                          22^nd July 1679

23.       David Lewis                        Usk                              27^th August 1679

THREE WERE BENEDICTINES

24.     John Roberts                     Tyburn                         10^th December 1610

25.     Ambrose Barlow               Lancaster                     10^th September 1641

26.    Alban Roe                         Tyburn                         21^st January 1642

THREE WERE CARTHUSIANS

             27.     John Houghton                       Tyburn                         4^th May 1535

             28.     Augustine Webster                 Tyburn                         4^th May 1535
             29.     Robert Lawrence                    Tyburn                         4^th May 1535

TWO WERE FRANCISCANS

              30.     John Jones                               Southwark                   12^th July 1598
              31.    John Wall                                Worcester                    22^nd August 1679

ONE WAS A BRIGITTINE

         32.      Richard Reynolds                   Tyburn                         4^th May 1535

ONE WAS AN AUGUSTINIAN

              33.      John Stone                              Canterbury                  27^th December 1539

St John Rigby

FOUR WERE LAYMEN

              34.      Richard Gwyn                         Wrexham              15^th October 1584
              35.      Swithun Wells                         London                 10^th December 1591
              36.      Philip Howard                         London                  19^th October 1595
              37.   John Rigby                                  London                 21^st June 1600

St Margaret Clitherow

THREE WERE LAYWOMEN

              38.     Margaret Clitherow    York     25^th March 1586
              39.     Margaret Ward       Tyburn     30^th August 1588
              40.     Anne Line        Tyburn         27^th February 1601

All Forty were canonised on 25th October 1970 by Pope Paul VI.