Blessed Edward Oldcorne

Edward Oldcorne alias Hall (1561 – 7 April 1606) was an English Jesuit priest. He was known to people who knew of the Gunpowder Plot to destroy the Parliament of England and kill King James I; and although his involvement is unclear, he was caught up in the subsequent investigation. He is a Roman Catholic martyr and was beatified in 1929. Oldcorne was born in York in 1561, the son of John Oldcorne, a bricklayer, and his wife Mary. His father was a Protestant, and his mother a Catholic who had spent some time in prison due to her faith. He was educated at St Peter's School in York; school friends were John and Christopher Wright and Guy Fawkes. Oldcorne was educated as a doctor, but later decided to enter the priesthood. He went to the English College at Reims, then to Rome where after ordination in 1587, he became a Jesuit in 1588. In late 1588 Oldcorne returned to England, in the company of Father John Gerard. In early 1589 he went with Father Henry Garnet to the West Midlands, visiting Coughton, Warwickshire and settling at Baddesley Clinton. He then worked chiefly in Worcestershire for 17 years. Oswald Tesimond assisted him after 1596; Father Thomas Lister, another Jesuit, also supported Oldcorne's mission but found the requirements of the covert life difficult. Oldcorne sometimes stayed with Thomas Abington, whose house at Hindlip Hall was near Worcester. There he converted Thomas's sister Dorothy. The house was then adapted by Nicholas Owen to help conceal Catholic priests. On 3 November 1601, Oldcorne went on a pilgrimage to St Winefride's Well at Holywell in north Wales to obtain a cure for a cancer of the throat. The cancer cleared up and in 1605 about thirty people returned with him to give thanks for his recovery. Amongst this group were the priests Oswald Tesimond, Henry Garnet and John Gerard, as well as Jesuit brothers Nicholas Owen and Ralph Ashley. Also in the group was plotter Everard Digby and his wife, whose priest was Oldcorne.