would promise to conform to their religion. Mr. Bamber was speaking to him in the most tender and feeling manner, to be upon his guard, and beware of the enemy in that critical hour, on which the welfare of his soul was to depend for an eternity;-when the sheriff called out hastily to the executioner to despatch him; and so he was that moment turned off the ladder, and permitted to hang a very short time, when the rope was cut, the confessor being yet alive; and thus was he butchered in a most cruel and savage manner, as my author, a priest and confessor, then actually a prisoner at Lancaster, has avowed in the relation abovementioned, which he drew up upon the subject of the death of these three priests. Mr. Bamber suffered at Lancaster, August 7, 1646.' An ode or sonnet composed on his death, and that of his companions, speaks of him :— STANZA 27 and 28. Few words he spoke, they stopp'd his mouth, And lest he should be dead too soon, No mercy they afford. But quick and live they cut him down, Behead, tear, and dismember straight, JOHN WOODCOCK, ALIAS, FARINGDON, PRIEST. O.S. P.* JOHN WOODCOCK, called in religion, father Martin, of St. Felix, was born in Clayton, near Preston, in Lancashire, in the year 1603. His father was a protestant, his mother a catholic, who found means of sending her son over to the English college of St. Omer's to be there trained up by the fathers of the Society, in piety and learning. Here he studied his humanity; and from hence he was sent to the English college of Rome, to learn his philosophy and divinity. But before he had gone through the usual course of his studies in that college, he conceived a strong desire of embracing a more strict and penitential kind of life. In order to this, he first applied himself to the Capuchins, but not succeeding with them, he made his application to the English Franciscans of Douay, by whom he was received, being clothed by R. F. Paul Heath, in 1631, and after his year's noviceship, making his profession in the hands of R. F. Francis Bell, who, as we have already seen, both gave a glorious testimony to their faith at Tyburn, anno 1643. Within a year or two after his profession, he was presented to the sacred order of priesthood; and some time after made preacher and confessor. He lived also for some time at Arras with Mr. Sheldon, in quality of his chaplain and confessarius, till he was called away by his superiors, in order to be sent upon the English mission. In England, he discharged the part of a zealous and laborious missionary, notwithstanding his frequent infirmities, till being desirous of ending his days in his convent, he obtained leave of his superiors to * From Certamen Seraphicum, p. 159, &c. return thither where he lived a most exemplary life, suffering much, from his almost continual illness, with remakable patience, till F. Paul Heath, having lately suffered at Tyburn, and the English friars at Douay having a solemn thanksgiving service on that occasion, where a French capuchin preached a most moving sermon upon the happiness of suffering in so good a cause: F. Martin was so animated with a desire of meeting with the same crown, that he desisted not importuning his superiors, till he procured leave to return again upon the mission. He landed at Newcastle upon Tyne, and from thence, made the best of his way to Lancashire, his native country; where he was apprehended the very first night after his arrival, and the next day, committed by a neighbouring justice of peace, to the county jail of Lancaster castle, in which he was kept two whole years, suffering much from the incommodities of the place, and daily aspiring after his happy dissolution. His trial came on in the beginning of August, 1646, when being brought to the bar, with his two companions, "Mr. Reding and Mr. Whitaker," he confessed himself a priest, and a friar of the order of St. Francis ; his zeal during the time of his imprisonment, having furnished proofs enough of his being so, if he had had a mind to conceal it. Upon this confession, he was condemned to die, as in cases of high-treason. It is hardly to be expressed with what joy he received the sentence, breaking out into acts of thanksgiving, such as praise be to God! God be thanked, &c. He passed the last night of his mortal life in prison, in meditation and mental prayer; and on the next day, being the 7th of August, 1646, he was drawn, together with the two gentlemen abovenamed, both priests of the secular clergy, to the place of execution; the catholics being much comforted and edified, and the protestants astonished and confounded, to see that cheerfulness and courage with which these servants of God went to meet that barbarous and ignominious death to which they were condemned. At the place of execution, F. Woodcock being ordered up the ladder, after some short time spent in his private devotions, offered to speak to the people of the cause of his death, and the truth of the catholic faith; but he was quickly interrupted by the sheriff, and flung off the ladder by the executioner. Some say the rope broke immediately, so that being perfectly sensible, he was ordered up the ladder again, to be hanged a second time. But however this may be, it seems he was scarce half hanged at last, but barbarously cut down and butchered alive. He suffered at Lancaster, in the forty-fourth year of his age, the fifteenth of his religious profession, and the thirteenth of his priesthood. His head is kept in a cloister of the English Francisans at Douay. N. B.-F. Woodcock, in some catalogues, is known by the name of Thompson. THOMAS WHITAKER, PRIEST.* 'He was son of Thomas and Helen Whitaker, born at Burnley, in Lancashire, a small market town, in Blackburn hundred, where he, the * From Mr. Knaresborough's manuscript Collections. said Thomas, was master of a noted free-school. The son performed his grammar studies under his father's care; and then, for his farther improvement, was sent abroad, at the charges of a neighbouring catholic family, "Townley of Townley," and went through his higher studies in the English college of Valladolid. He was ordained priest here, and entered upon the mission, in some part of the year 1638, and exercised his functions with great zeal and success, for the space of five years before his commitment to Lancaster castle. In this space of time, he was once taken up, but escaped out of the hands of the pursuivants, while on the road towards Lancaster. His guard, it seems, having locked him up in his chamber at night, took the liberty of making mer ry below stairs, which Mr. Whitaker being apprised of, made his advantage of the occasion, and in the dead of the night, let himself down out of the window but the passage being very straight, he was forced to strip himself to his shirt, and through haste, forgot to throw out his clothes before him, so that he was obliged to make the best of his way that night in this naked condition. After wandering some miles, meeting with a poor shelter, he ventured to sit down, and take a breath a while, being at a loss what to do for clothes, and farther security of his person, in a part of the country where he was a stranger to the roads, as well as to the people. But providence declared itself in his favour; for while he was in these streights, a catholic met with him, and being informed of his character and condition, conducted him to his own house, and took such precautions for his concealment, that the good man made a safe and effectual escape for that time, and returned to his people, and the exercise of his functions, leaving the pursuivants to the confusion of being well laughed at, for not taking more care of their prisoner. How long Mr. Whitaker enjoyed his liberty after this, I cannot learn; only I find that he was seized a second time, and that, in the year 1643, at Mr. Midgeall's, of Place-hall, in Goosenargh, and then, he was effectually conducted to Lancaster, and committed to the castle, or county jail, on the 7th of August, the very day and month on which, three years after, he and his two companions were drawn on hurdles to the common place of execution. He was apprehended by a gang of priest-catchers, armed with clubs, and swords; who, it seems, fell to club-law with their prisoner immediately, and ceased not to beat and abuse him, (threatening also to murder him upon the spot,) till they had extorted from him a confession that he was a priest.-In prison, he was treated at first, with uncommon severity, being sequestered from the other prisoners, and thrown into a nasty dungeon, where solitude and darkness was his portion, which he patiently suffered for six whole weeks, before he was allowed the liberty of the common jail, and the company of his fellow-confessors. 'An ancient priest, his fellow prisoner, who has left behind him a short account of the behaviour of the three martyrs, always speaks of Mr. Whitaker as a person of a most saintly life; and declares, from his own observation and knowledge, (having been an eye-witness of his conduct for so long a time,) that he was still the first and last at prayer, or rather, that his whole employment was a continual communication with God, either in mental or vocal prayer; and that the little time which he spared from his holy exercise was constantly employed in charitable offices about such of his fellow-prisoners as by sickness or age stood in need of help. He was particularly assiduous with regard to his brethren, the other three priests; the more, because being the youngest, by far, he looked upon it his duty to serve them and assist them upon all occasions; and this he performed with pleasure, and at the same time with so much humility, deference and respect, as if he had verily believed them not only his seniors in years, but his superiors in authority-and was glad to be serviceable to them even in the lowest menial offices. Thus did this holy priest employ himself during the three years of his imprisonment: but when the assizes drew near, and he had notice given to prepare for his trial, he shut himself up in a more strict retirement, and a more exact spiritual retreat for a whole month; joining, during that time, to his prayer and contemplation, rigorous fasts, with other penitential exercises. For as he was by nature very timorous, and withal, very sensible of his own weakness, so was he remarkably careful to place his trust in God in all dangers, and exceedingly diligent in the use of prayer and other proper means to obtain from him, who strengthens the weak, such grace and helps as were necessary for his support in the day of battle. His hearing before the judges was quickly over; for having owned himself a priest to the pursuivants and soldiers, who, with threats of death extorted this confession from him, and these appearing witnesses against him, he could not, and would not deny the truth; and so committing his cause to God, and his condition to the favour and compassion of the court, he said no more, but with a meek and humble deportment waited in silence the return and verdict of the jury, who after a short deliberation brought him, and his two companions, in guilty of their indictments; and the same day they all received sentence of death in the usual form.' Mr. Whitaker was drawn with the other two to the place of execution, on the 7th of August, and was the last that suffered. He was naturally of a faint-hearted and fearful disposition; and at the approaches of death showed evident marks of the dread and anguish that assaulted his soul. This gave occasion to both his companions, in their turns, to exhort and encourage him; and to the protestants, to tempt him with proffers of life, if he would conform. But, notwithstanding his natural fears were heightened by the sight of the barbarous butchery of his companions, and that scene of blood which he had before his eyes, the Almighty, whom he earnestly invoked, supported him by his powerful grace; and when it came to the upshot, he generously told the sheriff, his resolution was fixed to die in the profession of the catholic faith; use your pleasure with me, said he, a reprieve, or even a pardon, upon your conditions, I utterly refuse.' When he was upon the ladder, he prayed devoutly and earnestly; and having now the rope about his neck, he prayed for his enemies, declaring that he freely forgave them, and that he heartily desired to die in perfect charity with all the world Then resuming his former ejacu latory prayers, while he was calling for mercy, and recommending his departing soul into the hands of his Saviour Jesus Christ, he was suddenly flung off the ladder, and executed. He suffered at Lancaster, August 7, 1646, in the thirty-third year of his age, and the eighth of his mission.' RICHARD BRADLEY AND JOHN FELTON, PRIESTS, S. J. CONFESSORS. THESE two religious fathers both died confessors of Christ within the same month, some part of this year, 1646. The former falling into the hands of the pursuivants, was committed close prisoner at Manchester, and died of the jail disease, before he was brought to his trial. The latter, venturing to go into Lincoln in a disguise, in order to assist father John Hood, who looked for his trial and death at the next assizes, was there apprehended upon suspicion, and after some weeks imprisonment in that city, in great want of all things, was translated to another jail, and lodged in a cold room in the winter season, where the wind blew in on all sides. Here he continued destitute of all human aid and comfort, and continually afflicted with the blasphemies and other immoralities of the wretches, his fellow-prisoners, till after seven months, no witnesses appearing against him, he was discharged indeed from prison, ⚫ but with his health and strength so much impaired, that he died within a month. See Florus Anglo-Bavaricus, page 73, 74, who informs us, page 75, that father Felton, for twenty-seven years, never omitted preaching on all Sundays and holidays. THOMAS VAUGHAN, PRIEST, CONFESSOR. THIS gentleman, though he did not suffer at the common place of execution, was, nevertheless, a martyr for his character and religion; and that, in the time of these troubles, though I have not met with the certain year of his death. Mr. Austin, in his Christian Moderator, published under the name of W. Birchly, part II., giving a list of the priests executed in several places, during the parliamentary persecution which begun in 1641, closes it with this short account of our confessor; Mr. Thomas Vaughan, after very hard usage aboard captain Molton's ship, soon after died at Cardiffe, in South Wales.' He was of the ancient family of the Vaughans, of Courtfield, and was nephew to the famous Dr. Giffard, who from a priest and professor of divinity in the English college then residing at Rhemes, became a monk of the venerable order of St. Bennet, and first president general of the English congregation; and at length was made archbishop of Rhemes, and primate of France. Mr. Vaughan, as appears by the Douay diary, entered student in the English college of Douay, anno 1622, and having taken the college oath, was by Dr. Kellison, then president, presented for holy orders to his uncle, the archbishop of Rhemes, from whom he received all his orders in September, 1627, and |