THE
P RTAL
July 2011
Page 6
Blessed George A Recusant
Martyr
Swallowell,
John Boste and John Ingram
by Will Burton
George Swallowell was
born in Houghton-le-Spring, near Durham. He was a member
of the Church of England. Destined to be ordained, he worked as a schoolmaster in the Anglican Diocese of
Durham before becoming a Lay Reader.
As part of his work he visited in Durham gaol a
man arrested for recusancy . The two engaged in a hot
discussion about religion and this experience made a
lasting impression upon the young Swallowell. Another
great influence on the young man was
the execution of four Catholic men
at Durham on 27th Mary 1590. They
were Fathers Edmund Duke, Richard
Hill, John Holliday and John Hogg.
These two experiences led George
to declare publicly from the pulpit
of the Church of England church
in Houghton-le-Spring that he had
become a Catholic and could no
longer officiate in that church.
of the whole court made his confession and received
absolution at the hands of Fr Boste. He was convicted,
and hung, drawn and quartered at Darlington on 26th
July 1594. Fr Boste was executed that same day, but
at Durham, and Fr Ingram died the
following day in Gateshead.
Later history
Today at Saint Michael’s Catholic
Church, Houghton-le-Spring, you
will find Blessed George Swallowell
honoured as one of the Martyrs of
England and Wales, having been
beatified in 1929.
John Boste had been born about
1544. Educated at Oxford, he left
Arrested
the Church of England and joined
He was, of course, arrested and spent
the Roman Catholic Church, which
a year in the gaol at Durham. A trial
ordained him a priest in 1580. After
in 1593 condemned him to death, but
authorities arrested Boste for the
this was commuted to a gaol sentence.
crime of being a Roman Catholic
Eventually he was tried a second time,
priest, they tortured him, leaving his
on 23rd July 1594. This time he was not
body so bent that he had to walk with
the only defendant. At his second trial he was joined in a staff. Boste died while praying for his executioners.
the dock by Fr John Boste and Fr John Ingram. It is not He was canonised in 1970 and is remembered as one
surprising that at first Swallowell’s courage failed and of the “Forty Martyrs”.
he said that he would conform. Then Fr Boste looked
him in the eye and said, “George Swallowell, what hast
John Ingram was also a convert to Roman
thou done?”
Catholicism and a priest, ordained in 1589.
Authorities arrested him in 1593 and executed him
Swallowell was horrified at Boste’s words, and begged the day after the execution of Boste and Swallowell.
to take back his renunciation of his Catholicism. The Before he died, however, Ingram wrote letters of
court cautioned him that to do so would mean certain encouragement to his fellow prisoners. He was also
execution. Swallowell replied, that he “professed the beatified in 1929.
same faith as the two priests, and would die their
death.”
The three “Durham Martyrs” are commemorated
on July 26th. We ask their intercession that we may be
Confession
as strong in our faith as they were.
Swallowell sank to his knees and to the consternation