Yesterday was the feast of the English martyrs, killed between 1535 and 1679. And none are more attractive then St. Margaret Clitherow, who was a convert and executed for harboring priests in 1586.
When she was put on trial, she refused to plead either guilty or not guilty – that way her family and any other people would not have to give any testimony. The punishment in such a case was to be pressed to death – the procedure was to have a heavy door put on top of you and then weights piled on the door. Because her husband was a prominent citizen, a stone was put behind her neck and she died of a broken neck after 15 minutes – instead of the normal several hours as was the routine with this “method.”
There is a beautiful small chapel in York which Brigid and I always visited when we were with her family.
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