Who are the English Martyrs?

Our school has a name that is a bit of a mystery to most people. So, we thought a little explanation was in order.

Our school has four house teams: St.Thomas More, St.Edmund Campion, St.Margaret Clitherow and Blessed John Lyon

The houses were chosen by Sr. Olive the Headmistress of English Martyrs about 15 years ago.

St.Thomas More(1478-1535) was a lawyer and noble statesman, most famously as Lord Chancellor during King Henry VIII's reign. He coined the word 'utopia' in a book he wrote in 1516 about an ideal, imaginary island. He refused to accept Henry as supreme head of the Church of England which led to his execution for treason. St.Thomas More was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1935 and declared patron saint of politicians and statesmen by Pope John Paul II. His feast day is 22nd June.

St.Edmund Campion (1540-1581) was a well educated young man who found favour initially with Queen Mary and then Queen Elizabeth and her suitor the Earl of Leicester. He struggled inwardly with his Catholic beliefs during a turbulent time of persecutions by the Anglian Church. He fled to Ireland and then France returning to London in 1580 as a Jesuit. He was captured by a spy in Lyford, Berkshire whilst preaching and committed to the Tower of London. Queen Elizabeth offered him wealth and dignities if he renounced his Catholic faith. He was tortured terribly and kept in prison a long time to try to shake his constancy. Finally, on October 31 1581 he was charged with conspiring to dethrone the Queen. He answered the sentance of the traitors death with the Te Deum Laudamus. He spent his final days in prayer and was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1st December 1581. St. Edmund Campion was canonised on 25th October 1970 by Pope Paul VI and his feast day is 1st December.

St. Margaret Clitherow (1566-1586) was married to a butcher named John and had two children. She converted to Roman Catholicism when she was 18 and became a friend to the persecuted Catholic population in Northern England. Her son became a Catholic Priest and she regularly held Mass at her home. She was arrested in 1586 for hiding Catholic Priests from the authorities. For refusing to plead against the accusations, thereby preventing her children from having to testify against her, she was sentenaced to be crushed to death. She was executed on Good Friday 1586. St. Margaret Clitherow was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 and her feast day is March 26th.

Blessed John Lyon is a bit more of a mystery. The first part of the mystery is that Sr. Olive was mistaken in naming him 'Blessed' he is in fact 'Venerable'. John Lyon is said to be Rutland's own Martyr, and was a farmer who lived in North Luffenham. He was hung in 1599 for his Catholic Faith near the 'swooning bridge' on the Uppingham Road in Oakham and very little is known about him. Research is still ongoing about this amazing man by two of his devotees and teachers at our school, Mrs Elizabeth Keogh and Mrs Maria Marriott. John Lyon was made 'Venerable' during 1970 when 40 Catholic English Martyrs were canonised by Pope Paul VI.