THE
P RTAL
August 2011
Page 6
Saint William A Recusant
Martyr
Freeman
by Will Burton
Queen Elizabeth I had been on the throne of England for 37 years when William Freeman was
executed. The Spanish Armada was a recent memory of just ten years. But it was a terrible time for those who
still held the old faith.
Freeman had been born near York about 1558,
the year Elizabeth became Queen. His parents were
recusants. Conforming outwardly to the new religion,
they nevertheless kept to the old ways at home. William
went to Magdalen College, Oxford and was awarded a
BA in 1581.
Revolution of 1559
Elizabeth I’s response to the religious
divisions created during the reigns of
Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary was to
reinstate the Church of England. At the time, her
actions were called “The Revolution of 1559”.
By this means she re-
established the Church of
England’s
independence
from Rome. The Queen took
the title Supreme Governor
of the Church of England.
The Act of Uniformity of 1559 compelled
the use of the Book of Common Prayer.
On Saturday 25 February 1570 The
Papal bull Regnans in Excelsis, was issued
by Pope Pius V. It declared Elizabeth a
heretic, and excommunicated her and
any who obeyed her orders.
None of this affected William Freeman very
much. He carried on much as he had before.
Outwardly conforming to the new ways, the
family lived a different life at home. There, in
secret, it was the old ways that were cherished.
Witnessed martyrdom
For some time William Freeman lived in London.
It was while he was there that he saw the martyrdom
of one Edward Stransham in 1586. Stansham died for
the Faith. The whole scene impressed Freeman greatly.
The example of Stransham impelled Freeman to leave
England for France. He was ordained a Catholic priest
at Reims in 1587.
In 1589 he returned to England and worked in
Worcestershire and Warwickshire. For six years he
laboured away at his Mission. He had a wide circle
of acquaintances and friends, some of whom were
associates of one William Shakespeare. We do not
have the space, or the competence, to go
into the question of whether Shakespeare
was himself a Catholic. He certainly would
have met Freeman. He may have known of
his religion.
The net began to tighten
It was in January 1596 when the net began to
tighten around Freeman. He was at Stratford-
upon-Avon engaged to tutor
the son of a Mrs Heaths. A
special commission was
sent to the town. They
searched Mrs Heaths’
house and found William
Freeman. He was taken away and thrown
into prison. Seven months he languished
in gaol.
When questioned, he denied his
priesthood. On the other hand, he also
refused friendly offers of help to escape.
He said, he had no wish to miss the opportunity
for martyrdom.
betrayed
As is so often the case in these matters, he was
betrayed by a fellow prisoner. It was a capital
offence merely to be a Catholic priest in England at
this time. The Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth
I. In response, the English government had declared
all Catholic priests to be traitors. His priesthood
discovered, he was sentenced to death by being
hanged, drawn and quartered.
He expressed a touching loyalty to his monarch and
country, but was martyred at Warwick on Wednesday
13th August, 1595.