Bienheureux Jacques Duckett, martyr
Marié, Jacques Duckett fut
arrêté à Londres pour avoir vendu des livres catholiques. Il fut détenu neuf
années durant dans les geôles d'Elisabeth Ière avant d'être pendu en 1602 en
confessant sa foi.
Bienheureux Jacques (James) Duckett
Martyr à Tyburn (✝ 1602)
Béatifié en
1929.
Protestant
devenu catholique, marié et libraire, il fut dénoncé pour avoir vendu des
livres catholiques. Après neuf ans passés en prison, il fut condamné à mort,
sous la reine Élisabeth Ière, et soumis au supplice de la pendaison à Tyburn,
avec son accusateur, qu’en mourant il invita à une mort catholique.
Martyrologe
romain
James
Duckett
1601
Né
à Gilfortrigs (Skelsmergh, Westmoreland, Angleterre), James grandit dans le
protestantisme. Son parrain fut James Leybourbe de Skelsmergh, qui fut
martyrisé lui aussi.
Il
semble que James ait trouvé la foi catholique durant les années où il fut
apprenti à Londres, après la lecture de livres catholiques.
Avant-même
d’être reçu dans l’Eglise, il subit la prison par deux fois, pour n’avoir pas
assisté aux offices protestants. Il fut contraint de transiger pour son
apprentissage : son employeur (chez lequel il avait trouvé les livres en
question) intercéda à chaque fois pour obtenir sa libération, mais le pria
ensuite de changer d’employeur.
Il
put enfin entrer dans l’Eglise catholique, grâce à un vénérable prêtre nommé
Weekes, lui aussi en prison à Gatehouse (Westminster).
Deux
ou trois ans après, vers 1590, James épousa une veuve catholique mais, des
douze années que dura cette vie conjugale, il en passa pas moins de neuf en
prison, à cause de son zèle pour propager la littérature catholique, tant il
était convaincu dans sa nouvelle foi.
C’est
son fils John, devenu chartreux, qui put raconter plus tard ce qu’il savait de
son père.
Sa
dernière arrestation fut le résultat d’une trahison : Peter Bullock, un relieur
mis en prison, avait donné son nom pour obtenir sa propre libération. Le 4 mars
1601, la maison de James fut fouillée, on y trouva des livres catholiques, et
James fut immédiatement transféré à Newgate.
Durant
le procès, Bullock témoigna qu’il avait relié des livres catholiques pour
James, qui reconnut le fait. Le barreau ne jugeait pas coupable James, mais le
Juge fit remarquer que James Duckett avait fait relier un livre
particulièrement odieux aux Anglicans pour son contenu virulent. Le jury
modifia alors son verdict, déclara James coupable de crime et le condamna à
mort.
En
même temps, on condamna trois prêtres : Francis Page, Thomas Tichborne, Robert
Watkinson, qui furent exécutés le lendemain.
Le
traître Bullock ne sauva pas sa peau pour autant : il fut emmené dans la même
charrette à Tyburn. En chemin, on tendit un verre de vin à James, qui le but et
le tendit à son épouse en lui demandant de boire aussi pour Bullock, en lui
pardonnant. L’épouse refusait, mais James la «gronda» gentiment, jusqu’à ce
qu’elle acceptât.
Parvenus
à la potence, James pensait toujours à son traître : il l’embrassa et le
conjura de mourir dans la foi catholique. Malheureusement, il ne semble pas que
Bullock ait consenti.
C’était
le 19 avril 1601.
James Duckett fut béatifié en 1929.
Ven.
James Duckett
Martyr, b. at Gilfortrigs in the parish of Skelsmergh in Westmoreland, England, date uncertain, of an ancient family of that county; d. 9 April, 1601. He was a bookseller
and publisher in London. His godfather was the well-known martyr James Leybourbe of Skelsmergh. He seems, however, to
have been brought up a Protestant, for he was converted while an apprentice in London by reading a Catholic book lent him by a friend. Before he could be
received into the Church, he was twice imprisoned for not attending the Protestant service, and was obliged to compound for his apprenticeship and leave his master.
He was finally reconciled by a venerable priest named Weekes who was imprisoned in the Gatehouse at Westminster. After two or three years he married a Catholic widow, but out of his twelve years of married life, no less
than nine were spent in prison, owing to his zeal in propagating Catholic literature and his wonderful constancy in his
new-found faith. His last apprehension was brought about by Peter
Bullock, a bookbinder, who betrayed him in order to obtain his own release from
prison. His house was searched on 4 March, 1601, Catholic books were found there, and Duckett was at once
thrown into Newgate. At his trial, Bullock testified that he had bound various Catholic books for Duckett, which the martyr acknowledged to be true. The jury found him not guilty, but Judge Popham at
once stood up and bade them consider well what they did, for Duckett had had
bound for him Bristowe's "motives", a controversial work peculiarly
odious to Anglicans on account of its learning and cogency. The jury
thereupon reversed its verdict and brought in the prisoner guilty of felony. At the same time three priests, Page, Tichborne, and Watkinson were condemned to death. Bullock did not save himself by his treachery, for
he was conveyed in the same cart as Duckett to Tyburn, where both were
executed, 19 April, 1601. There is an account, written by his son, the Prior of the English Carthusians at Nieuport (Flanders) of James Duckett's martyrdom. On the way to Tyburn he was given a cup of wine; he drank, and desired his wife to drink to Peter
Bullock, and freely to forgive him. At the gallows, his last thoughts were for
his betrayer. He kissed him and implored him to die in the Catholic Faith.
Camm, Bede.
"Ven. James Duckett." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York:
Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 18 Apr. 2015
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05182b.htm>.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John
M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Blessed
James Duckett M (AC)
Born at Gilfortrigs, Skelsmergh, Westmorland, England; died at Tyburn, England,
in 1602; beatified in 1929. James converted to Catholicism and settled in
London as a bookseller. After being imprisoned several times (totalling nine
years incarceration) for printing and selling Catholic books, James was
martyred by hanging (Benedictines).
APRIL 19
BLESSED JAMES DUCKETT
James Duckett was an Englishman who lived during
the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. As a young man he became an apprentice printer
in London. This is how he came across a book called The Firm Foundation of the
Catholic Religion. He studied it carefully and believed that the Catholic
Church was the true Church. In those days, Catholics were persecuted in
England. James decided that he wanted to be a Catholic anyway and would face
the consequences. The clergyman at his former church came to look for him
because James had been a steady church goer. He would not come back. Twice he
served short prison terms for his stubbornness. Both times his employer
interceded and got him freed. But then the employer asked James to find a job
elsewhere.
James Duckett knew there was no turning back. He
sought out a disguised Catholic priest in the Gatehouse prison. The old priest,
"Mr. Weekes," instructed him. Duckett was received into the Catholic
Church. He married a Catholic widow and their son became a Carthusian monk. He
recorded much of what we know about his father.
Blessed Duckett never forgot that it was a book
that had started him on the road to the Church. He considered it his
responsibility to provide his neighbors with Catholic books. He knew these
books encouraged and instructed them. So dangerous was this
"occupation" that he was in prison for nine out of twelve years of
his married life. He was finally brought to trial and condemned to death on the
testimony of one man, Peter Bullock, a book binder. He testified that he had
bound Catholic books for Blessed Duckett, a "grave offense." Bullock
turned traitor because he was in prison for unrelated matters and hoped to be
freed.
Both men were condemned to die on the same day. On
the scaffold at Tyburn, Blessed Duckett assured Bullock of his forgiveness. He
kept encouraging the man as they were dying to accept the Catholic faith. Then
the ropes were placed around their necks. Blessed Duckett was martyred in 1602.
We pray today for all those
who work in the media of social communication-journalists, TV producers,
screenwriters, movie artists, disc jockeys, and webmasters.
Blessed James Duckett, Layman Martyred for
His Faith
James Duckett was an English Catholic layman and martyr
(died 1601).
Born at Gilfortrigs in the parish of Skelsmergh in Westmorland at an unknown
date, he became a bookseller and publisher in London. Brought up a Protestant,
he was lent a Catholic book by a friend when serving his apprenticeship in
London and decided to become a Catholic. Earlier he had twice been imprisoned
for not attending the Protestant services, and was obliged to compound for his
apprenticeship and leave his master.
He was received into the Catholic Church by an old priest named Weekes who was
imprisoned in the Gatehouse at Westminster. Two or three years later, about
1590, he married a Catholic widow, but out of his twelve years of married life,
nine were spent in prison for his new faith.
He was active in propagating Catholic literature. He was finally betrayed by
Peter Bullock, a bookbinder, who acted in order to obtain his own release from
prison. Duckett's house was searched on 4 March 1601 and Catholic books found.
For this he was at once thrown into Newgate.
At the trial, Bullock testified that he had bound various Catholic books for
Duckett and he admitted this, but denied other false accusations in a
self-possessed manner. The jury found him not guilty; but the judge, Sir John
Popham, the Lord Chief Justice, browbeat the jury, which reversed its verdict
and Duckett was found guilty of felony. Despite the betrayal of Duckett,
Bullock was taken to his death at Tyburn in the same cart as Duckett on 19
April 1601.
James Duckett's son was the John Duckett who later became Prior of the English
Carthusians at Nieuwpoort in Flanders. He related that on the way to Tyburn his
father was handed a cup of wine, which he drank, and told his wife to drink to
Peter Bullock and to forgive him. When she declined, he chided her gently until
she did. On arrival at Tyburn Tree James kissed and embraced Bullock,
beseeching him to die in the Catholic faith, without success.
At the same trial three priests, Thomas Tichborne, Robert Watkinson, and
Francis Page, were condemned to death. For some reason their execution was
remanded to the following day.
James Duckett was beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929.
From the accounts I've read, it's not completely clear what he was charged with
and found guilty of--was it his conversion (which was an act of treason)? did
he have some Papal documents? Catholic books were not in themselves illegal,
but pointed to his being Catholic, probably attending Mass illegally,
especially since he did not attend Church of England services. He was hung
because he was a Catholic, not because of anything he did, at least anything
produced as evidence in a court of law. That's why the judge had to browbeat
the jury to find Blessed James Duckett guilty of a felony. What happened to
Duckett's Catholic wife? She was now twice-widowed and might have been rounded
up for recusancy. At least two other lay martyr's I've posted about (St.
Swithun Wells, for example) left wives who endured grave troubles with the law
because of their recusany. Mrs. Wells (her first name is unknown) died in
prison after her death sentence was commuted.
More on the three priests--and several others--tomorrow. April 20 is a big day
for executions and martyrs in Tudor England.
SOURCE : http://supremacyandsurvival.blogspot.ca/2012/04/blessed-james-duckett-layman-martyred.html
Blessed James Duckett
Blessed James Duckett
Profile
London
bookseller.
Convert
to Catholicism.
Married
and father
of one son. Arrested
several times for printing
and selling
Catholic
books
before finally being executed
for the crime. Martyr.
Born
- at Gilfortrigs, Skelsmergh, Westmorland, England
- 8
December 1929
by Pope
Pius
XI (decree of martyrdom)
Blessed James Duckett, 19th April
Blessed James Duckett was a
layman who was hanged at Tyburn, London, in the penultimate year of the reign
of Queen Elizabeth I for felony charges in connection with possessing,
publishing and distributing Catholic books and literature.
He was a devoted husband
who spent nine of the 12 years his married life in various prisons for helping
to spread the Catholic faith by the dissemination of books and he was a father:
his Acts were recorded principally by his son, John, who became Prior to the
English Carthusians at Nieuwpoort, Flanders.
Blessed James grew up in
Gilfortriggs in Westmoreland as a Protestant, although his godfather, James
Leyburn, Lord of Skelsmergh (after whom he was named), was hanged, drawn and
quartered in 1583 for denying Queen Elizabeth’s supremacy over the English
Church.
Not long after James was
apprenticed to a printer in London, a fellow northerner called Peter Mauson
gave him a book called “The Foundation of the Catholic Religion”, shattering
his belief in the reformed Church of England. He ceased going to Protestant
services at which he had been a regular attendant and was consequently pursued
by the vicar of St Edmund’s Church, Lombard Street. When asked why he had
stopped going to the services, James told the minister that he would never
return the church until he was convinced by Protestantism.
As a result he was
imprisoned at Bridewell but later bailed by his employer. He still refused to
go to Protestant services and was again jailed, this time in the Compter. His
employer paid for his freedom a second time but, fearing further controversy,
ended the contract between them.
James responded to his new
freedom by entering the Catholic Church at the hands of an aged priest called
Mr Weekes, a prisoner in the Gatehouse. He then married a Catholic widow and
began to make a living from dealing in books, particularly Catholic books, a
risky enterprise for which he was often imprisoned.
The episode that led to his
final arrest, trial and execution began when a bookbinder called Peter Bullock
tried to obtain a pardon from a capital punishment he had incurred by accusing
James Duckett of publishing 25 copies of “Supplications to the Queen” by St
Robert Southwell. His house was searched and no copies of the books
were found, although the authorities found other Catholic books in his
possession.
In early March 1602 he was
brought into a court presided over by Lord Chief Justice John Popham, a brutal
anti-Catholic who had presided over the trial of St Robert Southwell and who
had been also involved in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. Also in the room
was Robert Watkinson, a priest from Yorkshire. Blessed James, seeing the priest
was pale, thought he was afraid (he was in fact sick) and he encouraged him in
his faith within earshot of Popham who rounded on him angrily, ordering him to
“now speak for thyself”.
The trial ensued and
Bullock was brought into the room to accuse Blessed James in front of the
court. But the jury refused to convict him. Then Popham urged them to
reconsider their verdict and sent the jurors out of the room a second time.
When they came back they returned a verdict of guilty for an act of felony and
the death sentence was passed against Blessed James. Also sentenced to death
were Watkinson and two other priests, Francis Page and Thomas Tichburn.
On Monday April 19, the day
of Blessed James’s execution, Mrs Duckett was allowed to visit her husband in
his cell but was unable to bring herself to speak to him because she was so
distraught, weeping profusely. James told her that he did not fear death. “Keep
yourself God’s servant and in the unity of God’s Church,” he told her, “and I
shall be able to do you more good, being now to go to the King of kings”.
Bullock, his accuser, had
failed in his ruse to escape punishment and the pair were taken to Tyburn
together in the same cart.
Upon their arrival at
Tyburn, Mrs Duckett brought James a pint of wine and he used it to toast
Bullock, telling the crowd he had forgiven him (and urging his wife to do the same),
and he also kissed him once the ropes were around their necks. Finally, he
urged Bullock to become a Catholic with the words: “Thy life and mine are not
long. Wilt thou promise me one thing? If thou wilt, speak: wilt thou die, as I
die, a Catholic?”
Bullock replied that he
would die “as a Christian should do”. Then the cart was pulled from underneath
them.
The three priests convicted
with Blessed James Duckett were hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn the
following day for coming into the country in violation of the Elizabethan
statutes.
Blessed James was beatified
in December 1929 by Pope Pius XI.
(Sources: Memoirs of
Missionary Priests by Bishop Richard Challoner and Butler’s Lives of the
Saints)
Written by Sherry
Consider the moving story
of Blessed James Duckett.
(d. 1602)
Thursday, 01 November 2007 08:28
Raised as a Protestant and
apprenticed to a printer. After reading a book "The Firm Foundation of the
Catholic Religion, James stopped attended Anglican services and was sentenced
to prison twice. Finally, his employer revoked his contract for apprenticeship
upon which James asked a priest, imprisoned in London, to instruct him in the
faith and receive him into the Church.
After that, James made his living by printing and deal in Catholic books. He
was arrested so often for this daring activity that he spent nine of his twelve
years of married life in prison. Betrayed by a fellow Catholic, and sentenced
to death for binding a book of Catholic apologetics, James was driven to his
execution in the same cart as his accuser, whom he publicly forgave. After the
rope was placed around their necks, James kissed his betrayer in a final
gesture of forgiveness.
Forty two years later, a Fr. John Duckett, a relative of James, was betrayed at
this spot near Wolsingham, and was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn.
SOURCE : http://www.siena.org/November-2007/blessed-james-duckett
Dopo essere stato accolto in seno alla Chiesa cattolica, convolò a nozze con una vedova e da questo matrimonio nascque poi un figlio che si sarebbe fatto monaco. James continuò ad impegnarsi a fondo per la diffusione della stampa cattolica, ma a causa di questa attività trascorse ben nove dei suoi dodici anni di matrimonio in condizione di prigionia. Fu infine condannato a morte in base alla testimonianza di un conoscente che affermò di aver procurato dei libri cattolici al signor Duckett. Ma tale ambigua testimonianza costò la vita ad entrambi: James Duckett venne impiccato presso Tyburn il 19 aprile 1602.
Nell’anniversario del suo glorioso martirio ancora oggi James Duckett è commemorato dal Martyrologium Romanum, nel quale fu inserito dopo la beatificazione avvenuta il 15 dicembre 1929 da parte del pontefice Pio XI, unitamente ad un folto gruppo di martiri inglesi e gallesi capeggiati dal sacerdote Thomas Hemmerford.
Autore: Fabio Arduino
Beato Giacomo Duckett Martire
† Tyburn, Inghilterra, 19 aprile 1602
Nasce
a Gilfortrigs in Inghilterra e cresce nella fede protestante. Da giovane
diventa apprendista stampatore a Londra e venendo a contatto con il libro «Il
fondamento della religione cattolica», che lo porta alla conversione.
Affrontando con coraggio tutte le difficoltà viene mandato in prigione per due
volte ed entrambe le volte lo stampatore presso cui lavora lo aiuta ad uscire,
ma alla fine gli chiede di trovarsi un altro lavoro. Dopo essere stato accolto dalla Chiesa
cattolica sposa una vedova. Dal matrimonio nascerà un figlio che si farà
monaco. James si impegna a fondo per la diffusione della stampa cattolica. A
causa di questa attività passa nove, dei suoi dodici anni di matrimonio, in
prigione. Alla fine viene condannato a morte a causa di un testimone che
dichiara di aver procurato libri cattolici a Duckett. Ma la testimonianza
costerà la vita a entrambi: James Duckett venne impiccato nel 1602. (Avvenire)
Martirologio
Romano: A Londra in Inghilterra, beato Giacomo Duckett, martire, che, uomo
sposato, tradíto perché vendeva testi cattolici nella sua bottega libraria, fu
tenuto per nove anni in carcere e infine impiccato a Tyburn sotto la regina
Elisabetta I insieme al suo delatore, che egli ormai in punto di morte invitò a
morire da cattolico.
James Duckett nacque a
Gilfortrigs in Inghilterra da una famiglia protestante, nella cui fede fu
allevato. In giovane età divenne apprendista stampatore a Londra ed in tale
ambiente venne provvidenzialmente a contatto con il libro “Il fondamento della
religione cattolica”, che lo portò ben presto a maturare la decisione di
convertirsi al cattolicesimo. Affrontò con coraggio qualsiasi difficoltà
potesse comportare tale scelta, per la quale venne imprigionato per due volte
consecutive. Entrambe le volte il suo datore di lavoro lo aiutò ad uscire, ma
alla fine gli chiede di trovarsi un’altra occupazione, visti i numerosi
problemi che gli aveva causato.
Dopo essere stato accolto in seno alla Chiesa cattolica, convolò a nozze con una vedova e da questo matrimonio nascque poi un figlio che si sarebbe fatto monaco. James continuò ad impegnarsi a fondo per la diffusione della stampa cattolica, ma a causa di questa attività trascorse ben nove dei suoi dodici anni di matrimonio in condizione di prigionia. Fu infine condannato a morte in base alla testimonianza di un conoscente che affermò di aver procurato dei libri cattolici al signor Duckett. Ma tale ambigua testimonianza costò la vita ad entrambi: James Duckett venne impiccato presso Tyburn il 19 aprile 1602.
Nell’anniversario del suo glorioso martirio ancora oggi James Duckett è commemorato dal Martyrologium Romanum, nel quale fu inserito dopo la beatificazione avvenuta il 15 dicembre 1929 da parte del pontefice Pio XI, unitamente ad un folto gruppo di martiri inglesi e gallesi capeggiati dal sacerdote Thomas Hemmerford.
Autore: Fabio Arduino
