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WILLIAM GUNTER, PRIEST.*

WILLIAM Gunter was born at Ragland, in Monmouthshire; was an alumnus and priest of Douay college, during its residence at Rhemes; from whence he was sent upon the English mission, anno 1587. He was apprehended, tried, and condemned, barely for his priestly character, and the exercise of his functions in this realm; and he was drawn, on the 28th of August, from Newgate to the new pair of gallows set up at the theatre, and there was hanged, bowelled, and quartered. He suffered, as did all the rest that were executed at this time, with great constancy and joy. And though they were not permitted to speak, yet their very silence spoke for them, and strongly recommended the religion for which they so willingly died.

ROBERT MORTON, PRIEST, AND HUGH MOOR,
GENTLEMAN.†

ROBERT MORTON was born in Yorkshire, and going abroad, had his education partly in the English college at Rome, and partly in that of Douay, at that time residing at Rhemes. In the latter he was promoted to priesthood; and from thence was sent missioner into England, anno 1587. He was apprehended, tried, and condemned by the sanguinary statute of the 27th of Elizabeth, barely for his priestly character and functions. He received sentence of death on the 26th of August, 1588, and on the 28th of the same month, was drawn from Newgate to a new pair of gallows, set up in Lincoln's-inn-fields, and there hanged, bowelled, and quartered. With him was executed,

HUGH MOOR, gentleman, born at Grantham, in Lincolnshire; who, after a protestant education, being reconciled to the catholic church, went abroad to the college then residing at Rhemes, and was for some time a student there; but returning into England, was apprehended and cast into prison, and, after some time, tried and condemned, for being reconciled to the catholic church, and going abroad to a Roman seminary. He absolutely refused to go to church, for this would have made atonement for his pretended treason; and, therefore, had sentence to die, and was executed accordingly, August 28, in Lincoln's-inn-fields.

Of these two, and of all the others that suffered at this time, father Ribadaneira, in his appendix to Dr. Saunders's history, writes, that they all suffered with admirable constancy and patience, yea, with joy and pleasure; that they were not allowed, indeed, to speak to the people, because the persecutors were afraid lest their words should make a strong

From the Douay diary, the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue, and a letter of a missioner, written the December following, apud Yepez, p. 6.

+ From the same memoirs.

impression on the minds of the hearers, in favour of the old religion. But that the very death of so many saint-like, innocent men, (whose lives were unimpeachable,) and of several young gentlemen, which they endured with so much joy, strongly pleaded for the cause for which they died.

THOMAS HOLFORD, ALIAS, ACTON, PRIEST.*

'Mr. THOMAS HOLFORD, (whom Stow calleth Acton,) was born in Cheshire, but in what place I know not; "the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue says, it was at Aston," his father being a minister. I knew him in Herefordshire, where he was schoolmaster to Sir James Scudamore, of Holm Lacy, that now is, and his two brethren, Mr. Harry and John. After my first coming over into England, going unto Hereford city, where I was born, to see my parents, I did send for him, and so dealt with him, gratia Dei cooperante, "with the help of God's grace," that before I knew any thing of it, he was gone to Rhemes, "to the English college then residing there," where he received holy orders, and was returned again within the space of two years.

• Meeting with him again some four years after, I acquainted him where I lay myself; where, to his welcome, at his first coming, the house was searched upon All Souls day, when Mr. Bavin was making a sermon. The pursuivants were Newall and Woresley; but we all three escaped. After that, he fell into a second danger, in the time of the search for Babington and his company, (of which tragedy, Sir Francis Walsingham was the chief actor and contriver, as I gathered by Mr. Babington himself, who was with me the night before he was apprehended): for after he "Mr. Holford," had escaped two or three watches, he came to me; and the next day the house where I remained, was searched, but we both escaped by a secret place, which was made at the foot of the stairs, where he lay, going into a hay-barn. Which troubles being passed, Mr. Holford, the next year after, went into his own country, which was Cheshire, hoping to gain some of his friends there unto the catholic church: but there he was apprehended, and imprisoned in the castle of West Chester, and from thence, was sent, with two pursuivants (as I take it,) to London, who lodging in Holborn, at the sign of the bell, or the Exchequer (I do not well remember whether,) the good man rising about five in the morning, pulled on a yellow stocking upon one or his legs, and had his white hose on the other, and walked up and down the chamber. One of his keepers looked up, (for they had drank hard the night before, and watched late,) and seeing him there, fell to sleep again. Which he perceiving, went down into the hall. The tapster met him, and asked him, What lack you, gentleman? but the tapster being gone, Mr. Holford went out, and so down Holborn to the conduit, where a catholic gentleman meeting him, (but not knowing him), thought he was a madThen he turned into the little lane into Gray's-inn-fields, where

man.

* From a manuscript Relation, by the Reverend Mr. Davis.

he pulled off his stocking and boot hose. What ways he went afterwards, I know not, but betwixt ten and eleven of the clock at night, he came to me, where I lay, about eight miles from London. He had eaten nothing of all that day, his feet were galled with gravel stones, and his legs all scratched with briars and thorns (for he dared not to keep the highway,) so that the blood followed in some places. The gentleman and mistress of the house caused a bath, with sweet herbs, to be made, and their two daughters washed and bathed his legs and feet; after which, he went to bed.

After this escape, he avoided London for a time, but the next year, 1588, he went to London to buy him a suit of apparel. At which time, going to Mr. Swithin Well's house, near St. Andrews's church in Holborn, to serve God, (i. e., to say mass) Hodgkins the pursuivant, espying him as he came forth, dogged him into his tailor's house, and there apprehended him.

He was executed on the 28th of August, at Clerkenwell.' So far Mr. Davis.

JAMES CLAXTON, PRIEST, AND THOMAS FELTON, GENTLEMAN.*

MR. JAMES CLAXTON, or Clarkson, was born in Yorkshire, studied in Douay college, during its residence at Rhemes, and was there made priest; and from thence, was sent upon the English mission, anno 1582. He was apprehended and committed to prison some time in or before the year 1585, for he was one of those priests that were sent into banishment in that year. But he returned again to his missionary labours; and falling again into the hands of the persecutors, was tried and condemned, upon the statute of the 27th of Elizabeth, for being a priest, and remaining in this realm. He had sentence to die, as in cases of high treason, and was executed between Branford and Hounslow, on the 28th of August, 1588.

Thomas Felton was born, says my manuscript, about the year of our Lord, 1567, at Bermondsey-abbey, in the parish of St. Mary Magdalene, within a mile of Southwark, London, in Surry. He was son to John Felton, gentleman, who suffered at London, in the year 1570, for setting up the bull of Pius V., concerning the excommunication of queen Elizabeth. Being yet a young youth, he was taken by the old lady Lovett, to be her page; but not staying there long, he was sent over to the English college, at Rhemes, to be brought up in piety and learning. In both which he profited so much, that shortly after he became a clergyman, receiving tonsure by the hands of the cardinal de Guise, then archbishop of Rhemes; which was in the year 1583. After that he had continued a while longer in the college of Rhemes, he had a desire to enter into the order of the Minims; and was admitted thereinto by the commendations of Dr. Allen, then president of the

From the Douay records, and from a manuscript in my hands, by Mrs. Salisbury, sister to Mr. Felton.

English college. But his body not serving well for the strictness of that life, he was enforced, within a while, to return into his native country, and resolving to return again beyond the seas, it happened that he was stayed at the seaside by the officers; and, after examination, sent up to London, and committed to the Compter, in the Poultry. In which place, he remained prisoner some two years. In this time, an aunt of his, one Mrs. Blount, out of love to Thomas, laboured much, by the means of some friends she had at court, to procure his liberty, which was at length effected. After his releasement, thinking to pass over into France, as formerly he intended, he was, the second time intercepted, and committed to Bridewell; from whence, after some time of durance, he was released by the procurement of the lady Lovett, his mistress in time past, then prisoner in the Fleet for her religion. Being a second time released, he again adventured to get beyond the seas, to the college of Rhemes: but was again, the third time stayed, and apprehended at the port: and, there, withal, committed again to Bridewell, from whence he had been delivered but a little before.

In this, his imprisonment, he was very cruelly treated: for, first he was put into Little Ease, where he remained three days and three nights, not being able to stand, or lie, or sit, and fed only with bread and water, as both the keeper's wife, and Thomas himself, afterwards told Frances Felton, (then a maid, but afterwards married to one Mr. Salisbury,) his own sister. After this, he was put into the mill to grind, and was fed no otherwise, all the while he laboured in it, than he had been before in Little Ease, viz. with bread and water only. Then he was hanged up by the hands, to the end to draw from him, by way of confession, what priests he knew beyond the seas, or in England: which punishment was so grievous, that, therewith, the blood sprung forth at his fingers' ends. At another time, upon a Sunday, he was violently taken by certain officers, and carried betwixt two, fast bound in a chair, into the chapel at Bridewell, to their service. He having his hands at first at liberty, stopped his ears with his fingers, that he might not hear what the minister said: then, they bound down his hands also, to the chair; but being set down to the ground, bound in the manner aforesaid, he stamped with his feet, and made that noise with his mouth, shouting and hollowing, and crying oftentimes, Jesus, Jesus, that nothing which the minister said could be heard by any then present at the service. His sister, Frances Felton, afore-mentioned, who, at that time, came to the prison to visit him, was present at the church at this passage, not being then a catholic.

'After this, he was called to the bar, at the sessions of Newgate; the Spanish fleet making towards England, having then newly been defeated, he was questioned, whether he would have taken the queen's part, or the pope's and Spaniards', if those forces had landed? He answered, he would have taken part with God and his country. Then the judge asked him, whether he did acknowledge the queen to be the supreme head of the church of England? Whereupon, he made answer, That he had read divers chronicles, but never read that God ordained a woman should be supreme head of the church. For this

speech of his, the judge condemned him. The next day, being Wednesday, the 28th of August, he was hanged near Branford, in Middlesex, with a priest, at the same time condemned with him, whose name was Mr. James Claxton or Clarkson. They were carried together, from Bridewell, on horseback, about four of the clock in the afternoon, and presently hanged, after their arrival at the place of execution. He suffered, about the age of twenty, or twenty-one. His friends had got a pardon for him, after his condemnation, which was brought to him immediately before he was to go to the place of execution; which, notwithstanding, he refused to accept of, choosing rather to die for God, than to live any longer in this world.' So far the manuscript relation of Mrs. Salisbury. Others say, that he was condemned for being reconciled to the catholic church. What his sister mentions, of his not accepting the pardon, I suppose must be understood by reason of some condition with which this pardon was clogged, which he could not, in conscience, accept of.

RICHARD LEIGH, PRIEST. *

He was born in London, and going abroad, was, for some time, student in the college of Rhemes, and from thence, in 1582, was, with several others, sent to Rome, where he finished his studies, and was made priest, and so went upon the English mission. Here, he was soon after apprehended and cast into prison, and then sent into banishment: but he returned again, to the work of his Lord, and fell a second time, into the hands of the persecutors, by whom he was marked out for the slaughter, amongt the many others that were butchered in this year of blood. The bishop of Tarrasona, who calls Mr. Leigh a learned priests, relates, p. 607, that he, being present, with many others, when a catholic gentleman was examined upon his religion, by Elmer, the protestant bishop of London; and the lay gentleman excused himself from entering into argument with his lordship: upon which, the prelate began to triumph, as if the gentleman could say nothing for his religion. Mr. Leigh thought himself obliged modestly to offer not only to satisfy the queries which the bishop had proposed, but, in all other points of religion, to give an answer to whatever his lordship should think fit to object. The bishop, instead of accepting the proffer, called him a popish dog, and a traitor, and delivered him up to the secular court for his mouth to be stopped with a halter, as it was, not long after; though this way of arguing and determining controversies, appeared not a little shocking even to the protestants themselves, who were witnesses of it.

Mr. Leigh was condemned, as we have already seen from Mr. Stow's chronicle, on the 26th of Angust, 1588, for no other crime, but for having been made priest beyond the seas, and remaining in this realm

* From the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue, from Dr. Champney's manuscript history, and from Bishop Yepez, 1. 5, chap. I.

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