William Southerne

William Southerne (executed at Newcastle-under-Lyme, 30 April 1618) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.

Life

An alumnus and priest of the English College at Douai, he worked on the English mission mainly at Baswich, near Stafford, which then belonged to a branch of the Fowler family. He was arrested while saying Mass, and committed by a neighboring justice to Stafford gaol.

He was immediately sentenced to death for being a Catholic priest and refusing to take the oath of allegiance. He remained in prison for six days after condemnation, while a hangman was found.

References

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ven. William Southerne". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.

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