Blessed Alexander Briant

Blessed Alexander Briant
Blessed Alexander Briant
    Blessed Alexander Briant
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Blessed Alexander Briant
    English Jesuit and martyr, born in Somersetshire of a yeoman family about 1556; executed at Tyburn, 1 December, 1581. He entered Hert Hall, Oxford, at an early age, where his remarkable beauty and purity of countenance won for him the appellation, "the beautiful youth". At Oxford he became a pupil of Father Robert Persons to which fact, together with his association with Richard Holtby, is attributed his conversion. Having left the university he entered the English college at Reims, whither Holtby, preceded him, and was ordained priest 29 March, 1578. Assigned to the English mission in August of the following year he laboured with exemplary zeal in his own county of Somersetshire. During his ministrations he reconciled to the Faith the father of his former tutor, Father Robert Persons and the intimacy resulting from this fresh tie between pupil and master probably led to the former's untimely death. A party of the persecution, seaching for Father Robert Persons, placed Blessed Alexander under arrest, 28 April, 1581, in the hope of extorting information. After fruitless attempts to this end at Counter Prison, London, he was taken to the Tower where he was subjected to excruciating tortures. To the rack, starvation, and cold was added the inhuman forcing of needles under the nails. It was during this confinement that Blessed Alexander penned his pathetic letter to the Jesuit Fathers in England requesting admission into the Society, which was granted. But his membership was short-lived ; together with six other priests he was arraigned, 16 November, 1581, in Queen's Bench, Westminster, on the charge of high treason, and condemned to death. The details of this last great suffering, which occurred on the 1 December following, like those of the previous torture are revolting. Through either malice or carelessness of the executioner he was put to needless suffering. His face is said to have been strikingly beautiful even up to his death. In his letter to the Jesuit Fathers he protests that he felt no pain during the tortures he underwent, and adds: "Whether this that I say be miraculous or no, God knowth". He was scarely more than twenty-five years of age at the time of his martyrdom.
    E.F. SAXTON
    Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


Catholic encyclopedia.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Alexander Briant — Infobox Saint name=Saint Alexander Briant birth date=c. 1556 death date=death date|1581|12|1|df=y feast day=1 December venerated in=Roman Catholic Church imagesize= caption= birth place=Somerset, England death place=Tyburn, London, England titles …   Wikipedia

  • Alexander Briant, Blessed — • English Jesuit priest and martyr. He was scarcely over 25 when martyred in 1581 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Chronological list of saints and blesseds in the 16th century — A list of 16th century saints: Name Birth Birthplace Death Place of death Notes Blessed Columba of Rieti 1467 Rieti, Umbria, Italy 1501   Blessed Jerome Garibo 1440   1502   Bl …   Wikipedia

  • Bl. Ralph Sherwin —     Bl. Ralph Sherwin     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Bl. Ralph Sherwin     English martyr, born 1550 at Rodesley, near Longford, Derbyshire; died at Tyburn, 1 December, 1581. In 1568 Sir William Petre nominated him to one of the eight fellowships… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • List of Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation — The Catholic martyrs of England are men and women who died for the Catholic faith in the years between 1535 and 1680. They have officially been recognized as martyrs by the Roman Catholic Church. The vast majority were executed under treason laws …   Wikipedia

  • English Confessors and Marytrs (1534-1729) —     English Confessors and Martyrs (1534 1729)     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► English Confessors and Martyrs (1534 1729)     Though the resistance of the English as a people to the Reformation compares very badly with the resistance offered by… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • List of Jesuits — This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. Íñigo López de Loyola, recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, founded the Society of Jesus in 1534 …   Wikipedia

  • List of University of Oxford people in religion — This is a list of University of Oxford people in religion. Many were students at one (or more) of the colleges of the University, and others held fellowships at a college. This list forms part of a series of lists of people associated with the… …   Wikipedia

  • Distinguished Jesuits —     Distinguished Jesuits     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Distinguished Jesuits     Saints:     ♦ Ignatius Loyola;     ♦ Francis Xavier;     ♦ Francis Borgia;     ♦ Stanislaus Kostka;     ♦ Alfonso Rodriguez;     ♦ Juan de Castillo;     ♦ John… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Ralph Sherwin — Infobox Saint name=Saint Ralph Sherwin birth date=1550 death date=1 December, 1581 feast day=1 December venerated in=Roman Catholic Church imagesize= caption= birth place=Rodsley, Derbyshire, England death place=Tyburn, London, England… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”