Robert Bickerdike (martyr)

Robert Bickerdike (died 1586) was an English Roman Catholic layman, executed on a treason charge. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.[1]

Life

He was born at Low Hall, near Knaresborough, and lived at York. He was arrested for giving a Catholic priest, John Boste, a glass of ale; he was further accused at his trial of using treasonable words. He was acquitted, but Judge Rhodes had him removed from the city gaol to the Castle and tried once more at the Lammas Assizes on the same charge. He was then condemned. One of his offences was that, when Francis Ingleby was being dragged on the hurdle to execution, hearing a minister's wife say: "Let us go into the Tolbooth and we shall see the traitorly thief come over on the hurdle", he said, "No; no thief, but as true as thou art". These words were supposed to be the cause of his death. He was executed at York on 5 August or 8 October), 1585.

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0061HY

References

Attribution

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