We continue to pray for our 40 children who are making their First Holy Communion this joyful Eastertide, another eleven of whom will do so this Sunday.
Monday sees the Feast of the English Martyrs, one of whom is associated with our parish and depicted in one of our fine stained glass windows.
Blessed Robert Anderton
The Anderton family (residents of Euxton Hall, part of the land of which, our church is built upon) is among the most important Catholic families in English history. Throughout history the many branches of the family have seen their sons and daughters take up the religious life.
Among the most noteworthy members of the Anderton family is Blessed Robert Anderton who was martyred for the faith in 1586.
Robert Anderton was born in 1560 on the Isle of Man. There is some uncertainty regarding his precise antecedents with different histories providing different origins, but there is no doubt that he was closely related to the Andertons of Euxton Hall.
Robert was educated at Rivington Grammar School (his name appearing on the first list of scholars of the school in 1575) before going to Brasenose College, Oxford in 1578, where he met and made friends with William Marsden. Together they went to Douai to study for the priesthood and entered the college at Rheims on 10th July 1580. He was ordained sub-deacon in 1583 and then deacon and priest by the Cardinal of Guise 31st March 1584. After his Ordination he spent two years at Douai assisting other students with their studies.
Robert Anderton was moderate in height and had a “manly countenance but had evidently suffered from sickness when a child…. he had black eyes and a slight beard which would have been brown when fully grown”. He had proved to be a brilliant scholar, was a skilful debater and an excellent preacher and was selected out of the whole college to give a sermon before a “noble and learned assembly of churchmen”.
With William Marsden he set out by ship for England on 4th February 1586. In a storm their ship sought shelter at Cowes, where they were betrayed when they were heard praying for calm weather. They were sent from the Isle of Wight to the assizes at Winchester where they pleaded that they had not violated the law by landing in England, since their landing had been involuntary. They defended their faith and the Pope and acknowledged that they had come to exercise their ministry and reconcile people to God and the Church. This led to their being taken to London, where they were asked to take the Oath of Supremacy, acknowledging Elizabeth as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. They acknowledged the queen as their lawful queen in all secular affairs but refused to swear the Oath. As this was a treasonable offence under the Second Act of Supremacy, they were condemned to death and then committed to Marshalsea Prison on 11th March 1586.
Having been found guilty of treason for returning to England as priests, they were sent back to the Isle of Wight for execution in order to warn the people of the penalty for becoming a priest and for giving them assistance. The declaration of their guilt and the subsequent order for their execution was issued as a royal proclamation, the only one ever issued for the martyrdom of a priest.
Robert Anderton and William Marsden were hanged, drawn and quartered on 25th April 1586 on the Isle of Wight near the place where they had landed.
Robert Anderton was Venerated on 8th December 1929 and Beatified on 15th December 1929 by Pope Pius XI.
Blessed Robert Anderton is commemorated with a stained-glass window in the church.
(Text courtesy of Tom Parker.)
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