College History
The English College, also known as the Venerabile, is a seminary for the formation of Roman Catholic priests for the dioceses of England and Wales. The seminary was founded in 1579.
There has been an English presence at this location since 1362 making it the oldest English institution outside England.
College Martyrs
Date of Martyrdom
1st December 1581
Place of birth
Rodsley, Derbyshire, England.
First member of the English College in Rome to be martyred. Sherwin’s last words were “Iesu, Iesu, Iesu, esto mihi Iesus!”[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint Luke Kirby”]
Date of Martyrdom
30th May 1582
Place of birth
Richmond, North Yorkshire.
It was in Rome that he met the spy/informer Anthony Munday, who later gave false testimony against him.[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint Polydore Plasden”]
Date of Martyrdom
10th December 1591
Place of birth
London, England.
Plasden ministered in Sussex and in London from 1588 to 1591. At his execution, acknowledged Elizabeth as his lawful queen, whom he would defend to the best of his power against all her enemies, and he prayed for her and the whole realm, but said that he would rather forfeit a thousand lives than deny or fight against his religion.[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint Eustace White”]
Date of Martyrdom
10th December 1591
Place of birth
Louth, England.[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint Henry Walpole S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
7th April 1595
Place of birth
Docking, Norfolk.
On 28 April 1583, he was admitted into the English College, Rome, and in October he received minor orders. He went to Tournai for his third year of probation, after which he was sent to help with the founding of the new English seminaries at Seville and Valladolid.
In 1593 he travelled to Philip II of Spain to obtain permission to found St. Omers. now Stonyhurst College in Lancashire.[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint Robert Southwell S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1595
Place of birth
Horsham St. Faith, Norfolk, England.
He was appointed “repetitor” (tutor) in the Venerable English College at Rome and after two years became the prefect of studies there.[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint John Almond”]
Date of Martyrdom
1612
Place of birth
Allerton, Liverpool, England.
He went to the English College in Rome, at the age of twenty, where he was ordained as a priest, returning to England as a missionary in 1602.
[3] He concluded his term there by giving the ‘Grand Act’ — a public defence of theses which cover the whole course of philosophy and theology—and was warmly congratulated by Cardinals Caesar Baronius and Francesco Maria Tarugi, who presided.[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint Henry Morse S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1645[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint David Lewis S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1679[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5667″ title=”Saint John Wall O.F.M.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1679[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed John Shert”]
Date of Martyrdom
1582[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Thomas Cottam”]
Date of Martyrdom
1582[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed William Lacey”]
Date of Martyrdom
1582[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed William Hart”]
Date of Martyrdom
1583[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Thomas Hemerford”]
Date of Martyrdom
1584[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed John Munden”]
Date of Martyrdom
1584[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Robert Morton”]
Date of Martyrdom
1588[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Richard Leigh”]
Date of Martyrdom
1588[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Edward James”]
Date of Martyrdom
1588[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Christopher Buxton”]
Date of Martyrdom
1588[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Christopher Bales”]
Date of Martyrdom
1590[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed John Cornelius S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1594[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Edward Morgan”]
Date of Martyrdom
1642[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed John Ingram”]
Date of Martyrdom
1594[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Robert Watkinson”]
Date of Martyrdom
1602[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Edward Oldcorne”]
Date of Martyrdom
1606[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Richard Smith”]
Date of Martyrdom
1612[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed John Lockwood”]
Date of Martyrdom
1642[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Blessed Anthony Turner S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1679[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable George Haydock”]
Date of Martyrdom
1584[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable John Lowe”]
Date of Martyrdom
1586[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Edmund Duke”]
Date of Martyrdom
1590[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Thomas Pormort”]
Date of Martyrdom
1592[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Joseph Lambton”]
Date of Martyrdom
1592[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Edward Thwing”]
Date of Martyrdom
1594[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Robert Middleton”]
Date of Martyrdom
1601[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Thomas Tichborne”]
Date of Martyrdom
1602[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable John Thules”]
Date of Martyrdom
1616[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Edward Morgan”]
Date of Martyrdom
1642[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Brian Tansfield S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1643[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable John Woodcock O.F.M.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1646[/vc_carousel_son][vc_carousel_son img_radius=”” titlesize=”” fontweight=”” image_id=”5669″ title=”Venerable Edward Mico S.J.”]
Date of Martyrdom
1679[/vc_carousel_son][/vc_carousel_father]
Last Updated: 28th October 2024
- S.J. = Society of Jesus
- O.F.M. = Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscan Order)
Sources:
- The Venerable English College Rome, Michael E. Williams
- Wikipedia
- Catholicsaints.info
Charity History
Through history priests have been supported by laymen and women. They have worked independently and together to travel and be friends in historic times of great difficulty. Today, the Friends of the Venerabile continue this honour to walk with our next generation of priests and priest students. The Friends charity in its current form was begun in 1989 and as a formal registered England and Wales charity in 1999.
Venerabile View (Member newsletter back issues)
The charity produce a Friends newsletter for members twice a year (Spring and Autumn). Please see sample below: