James Duckett
James Duckett | |
---|---|
Roman Catholic Church | |
Beatified | 15 December 1929, by Pope Pius XI |
Feast | 19 April |
Patronage | Booksellers, Publishers |
James Duckett (died 19 April 1602) was an English Catholic layman and martyr, executed at Tyburn for printing Catholic devotionals.
Life
James Duckett was born at Gilfortrigs in the parish of
He was received into the Catholic Church by an old priest named Weekes who was imprisoned in the
He was active in propagating Catholic literature. His house was searched, and upon finding a press and copies of Our Lady's Psalter, Ducket was confined to The Clink on St. Thomas' Day before Christmas. He then spent two years in Newgate Prison before being released on bond. Ten weeks later his house was searched again, and although Duckett was able to leave by the back door, he later surrendered to protect those who had posted his bond. He was then sent to The Clink. He was briefly released at the petition of two Protestant midwives when his wife went into labor, but subsequently picked up when it was found that he had sent some English and Latin primers to a bookbinder. He was again released, two knights of the shire going surety for him.[1]
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 1602 and he was arrested on a charge of having 25 copies of Fr. Southwell's books on his premises.[2] For this he was at once thrown into Newgate.[3]
At the trial, Bullock testified that he had bound various Catholic books for Duckett, who admitted this but denied other false accusations in a self-possessed manner. The jury found him not guilty; but the judge, Sir
James Duckett's son was the John Duckett who was Prior of the English Carthusians at
At the same trial three priests,
James Duckett was beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929. John Duckett, a later priest and martyr, was probably his grandson.[6]
Veneration
James Duckett is regarded as a patron intercessor of booksellers and publishers.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Pollen SJ, J.H., "The Persecution and Martyrdom of James Duckett", Acts of English Martyrs Hitherto Unpublished, London. Burns and Oates, 1891, p. 238
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Bassett, Fr. Bernard, "The Beatified Bookseller", Catholic Herald, p.3, April 20, 1951
- ^ a b c Camm, Bede (1909). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ a b "Blessed James Duckett", Saints for Young Readers for Every Day of the Year, Pauline books and Media, Boston, MA. Archived 15 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stanton, Rev. Richard, A Menology of england and Wales, or Brief Memorials of the Ancient British and English Saints, p.167, Burns & Oates, Ltd., London, 1892
- ^ Camm, Bede. "Venerable John Duckett." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 23 April 2020
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Blessed James Duckett", FaithND
Sources
- See also Godfrey Anstruther, Seminary Priests, Mayhew-McCrimmond, Great Wakering, vol. 2, 1975, pp. 89–90.
- James Duckett, M.M. Merrick, (Douglas Organ, London 1947)