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{{Short description|English Catholic martyr}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2012}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
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'''Blessed George Nichols''' (c. 1550 – 19 October 1589) was an [[English people|English]] Catholic [[martyr]].
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| birth_date = 1550
| birth_place = Oxford, England
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| death_place = Holywell, Oxford, England
| death_cause = Hanged, drawn, and quartered
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| beatified_date = 1987
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'''George Nichols''' (c. 1550 – 19 October 1589) was an English Catholic [[martyr]].


== Biography ==
== Biography ==


===Education===
===Education===
Born at Oxford in 1550, George Nichols entered [[Brasenose College]], a [[Colleges of the University of Oxford|constituent college]] of the [[University of Oxford]], in 1564 or 1565 where he received his B.A. degree in 1571.<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Ven. George Nichols}}</ref> He went on to become an usher and a teacher at [[St Paul's School (London)|St. Paul's School]] in [[London]] where he was received into the [[Catholic Church]]. Nichols went overseas in November 1581 to enroll at the [[English College, Douai|Douai College]] (located in [[Rheims]] at the time); which was a seminary for English Catholic priests. He became a [[subdeacon]] and [[deacon]] in April 1583, and was shortly ordained a priest by [[Louis II, Cardinal of Guise]] on 24 September 1583. That same year he was sent back to Oxford for his mission.
Born at Oxford in 1550, George Nichols entered [[Brasenose College]], a [[Colleges of the University of Oxford|constituent college]] of the [[University of Oxford]], in 1564 or 1565 where he received his B.A. degree in 1571.<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Ven. George Nichols}}</ref> He went on to become an usher and a teacher at [[St Paul's School (London)|St. Paul's School]] in London where he was received into the [[Catholic Church]]. Nichols went overseas in November 1581 to enroll at the [[English College, Douai|Douai College]] (located in [[Rheims]] at the time); which was a seminary for English Catholic priests. He became a [[subdeacon]] and [[deacon]] in April 1583, and was shortly afterwards ordained a priest by [[Louis II, Cardinal of Guise]] on 24 September 1583. That same year he was sent back to Oxford for his mission.


===Arrest and death===
===Arrest and death===
In Oxford, Catholicism was increasing rapidly. Nichols during this time had converted many to the Catholic faith, notably a convicted highwayman in [[Oxford Castle]]. In May 1589 he was arrested at the Catherine Wheel Inn, opposite of St. Mary Magdalen's Church, in Oxford, with another priest Richard Yaxley, and two [[laity|laymen]], Humphrey Prichard and [[Thomas Belson]]. The men were accused of treason in accordance to a statute issued by Parliament following the [[Papal bull]] issued by [[Pope Pius V]].
In Oxford, Catholicism was increasing rapidly. Nichols during this time had converted many to the Catholic faith, notably a convicted highwayman in [[Oxford Castle]]. In May 1589 he was arrested at the Catherine Wheel Inn, opposite St Mary Magdalen Church in Oxford, with another priest Richard Yaxley, and two [[laity|laymen]], Humphrey Pritchard and [[Thomas Belson]]. The men were accused of treason in accordance to a statute issued by Parliament following the [[Papal bull]] issued by [[Pope Pius V]].


The four men were ultimately sent to [[Bridewell Palace|Bridewell Prison]] in London, where Nichols and Yaxley, were hung from their hands for up to fifteen hours to make them betray their faith, but without any success. Nichols was then separated from the rest of the three prisoners and put into a dungeon full of vermin. On 30 June all four were ordered back to Oxford for their trial. Nichols and his fellow prisoners were tried under the recent statute imposing the death sentence on any Englishman ordained abroad who entered England, and on anyone helping such a person. All were condemned, the priests for treason, the laymen for felony. On 5 July 1589, Nichols and Yaxley were [[Hanging, drawing, and quartering|hanged, drawn, and quartered]], while Belson and Prichard were hanged. George Nichols, having been refused permission to address the crowd, made it clear that he was being executed merely because he was a priest. After the execution the priests' heads were set up on the castle, and their quarters on the four city gates. The severity of the punishment seemed to have an effect on the people of Oxford for it would be 20 years before another Catholic recusant was executed in Oxford.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://englishmartyrs.blogspot.com/|title = English Martyrs |accessdate = 2007-04-19| author = Gillibrand| date = 7 January 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hadland/tvp/tvp10.htm| title = Thomas Belson| accessdate = 2007-04-19| author = Tony Hadland}}</ref>
The four men were ultimately sent to [[Bridewell Palace|Bridewell Prison]] in London, where Nichols and Yaxley were hung from their hands for up to fifteen hours to make them betray their faith, but without any success. Nichols was then separated from the rest of the three prisoners and put into a dungeon full of vermin. On 30 June all four were ordered back to Oxford for their trial. Nichols and his fellow prisoners were tried under the recent statute imposing the death sentence on any Englishman ordained abroad who entered England and on anyone helping such a person. All were condemned, the priests for treason, the laymen for felony. On 5 July 1589, Nichols and Yaxley were [[Hanging, drawing, and quartering|hanged, drawn, and quartered]] in [[Holywell, Oxford]], while Belson and Prichard were hanged. George Nichols, having been refused permission to address the crowd, made it clear that he was being executed merely because he was a priest. After the execution the priests' heads were set up on the castle, and their quarters on the four city gates. The severity of the punishment seemed to have an effect on the people of Oxford for it would be 20 years before another Catholic recusant was executed in Oxford.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://englishmartyrs.blogspot.co.uk/2006/07/venerable-george-nicols-priest-1589.html|title=Blessed George Nicols, priest, 1589|work=English Martyrs|accessdate=5 July 2014|last=Gillibrand|first=Christopher|date=7 January 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hadland.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/tv_online.pdf|date=April 2004|title=Thames Valley Papists|accessdate=28 August 2016|first=Tony|last=Hadland}}</ref>


In 1987, Nichols and the three other prisoners were among [[eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales]] to be [[beatification|beatified]] by [[Pope John Paul II]].
In 1987, Nichols and the three other prisoners were among [[eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales]] to be [[beatification|beatified]] by [[Pope John Paul II]]. A memorial to these four Roman Catholic martyrs was erected on the nearest house to the Holywell Gallows in October 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/inscriptions/central/catholic_martyrs.html|title=Oxford Inscriptions: Catholic Martyrs|publisher=oxfordhistory.org.uk|accessdate=13 June 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Catholic Church in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Douai Martyrs]]


==References==
==References==
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Latest revision as of 02:00, 2 October 2023

George Nichols
Born1550
Oxford, England
Died(1589-07-05)July 5, 1589
Holywell, Oxford, England
Cause of deathHanged, drawn, and quartered
Beatified1987 by Pope John Paul II

George Nichols (c. 1550 – 19 October 1589) was an English Catholic martyr.

Biography[edit]

Education[edit]

Born at Oxford in 1550, George Nichols entered Brasenose College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, in 1564 or 1565 where he received his B.A. degree in 1571.[1] He went on to become an usher and a teacher at St. Paul's School in London where he was received into the Catholic Church. Nichols went overseas in November 1581 to enroll at the Douai College (located in Rheims at the time); which was a seminary for English Catholic priests. He became a subdeacon and deacon in April 1583, and was shortly afterwards ordained a priest by Louis II, Cardinal of Guise on 24 September 1583. That same year he was sent back to Oxford for his mission.

Arrest and death[edit]

In Oxford, Catholicism was increasing rapidly. Nichols during this time had converted many to the Catholic faith, notably a convicted highwayman in Oxford Castle. In May 1589 he was arrested at the Catherine Wheel Inn, opposite St Mary Magdalen Church in Oxford, with another priest Richard Yaxley, and two laymen, Humphrey Pritchard and Thomas Belson. The men were accused of treason in accordance to a statute issued by Parliament following the Papal bull issued by Pope Pius V.

The four men were ultimately sent to Bridewell Prison in London, where Nichols and Yaxley were hung from their hands for up to fifteen hours to make them betray their faith, but without any success. Nichols was then separated from the rest of the three prisoners and put into a dungeon full of vermin. On 30 June all four were ordered back to Oxford for their trial. Nichols and his fellow prisoners were tried under the recent statute imposing the death sentence on any Englishman ordained abroad who entered England and on anyone helping such a person. All were condemned, the priests for treason, the laymen for felony. On 5 July 1589, Nichols and Yaxley were hanged, drawn, and quartered in Holywell, Oxford, while Belson and Prichard were hanged. George Nichols, having been refused permission to address the crowd, made it clear that he was being executed merely because he was a priest. After the execution the priests' heads were set up on the castle, and their quarters on the four city gates. The severity of the punishment seemed to have an effect on the people of Oxford for it would be 20 years before another Catholic recusant was executed in Oxford.[2][3]

In 1987, Nichols and the three other prisoners were among eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales to be beatified by Pope John Paul II. A memorial to these four Roman Catholic martyrs was erected on the nearest house to the Holywell Gallows in October 2008.[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ven. George Nichols" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  2. ^ Gillibrand, Christopher (7 January 2007). "Blessed George Nicols, priest, 1589". English Martyrs. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  3. ^ Hadland, Tony (April 2004). "Thames Valley Papists" (PDF). Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Oxford Inscriptions: Catholic Martyrs". oxfordhistory.org.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2018.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ven. George Nichols". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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