Pictures of the Carthusian Martyrs in the Chapter House

The Chapter House at Parkminster is an austere chapel with immaculately polished flooring and panelling. The front and back walls are covered with paintings of the sufferings of the English Carthusian martyrs. The paintings reminded me of the pictures in the tribune of the Venerable English College in Rome. The latter were painted in order to impress upon the students what their fate was and to encourage them to face their possible ordeal in England with the courage of their forbears.

There were 18 Carthusians martyred during the reign of King Henry VIII. In this picture you can see one monk hanging while another forgives the man who is about to execute him.

The penalty suffered by the Carthusians was that of being hanged, drawn and quartered. In this picture an axeman is quartering one who has just been hanged.

Ten of the Carthusian martyrs were deliberately allowed to die of neglect and starvation in Newgate prison where they were tied to posts with their hands behind their backs. There were actually eleven in the prison. Brother William Horn who was allowed to survive was hanged, drawn and quartered on 4 August 1540.

Below are some more pictures from the back wall of the martyrdom of these gentle but incredibly tough and saintly men who refused to take the oath of supremacy declaring Henry to be the head of the Church in England.



Saint John Houghton pray for us
Saint Robert Lawrence pray for us
Saint Augustine Webster pray for us
Blessed Humphrey Middlemore pray for us
Blessed William Exmew pray for us
Blessed Sebastian Newdigate pray for us
Blessed John Rochester pray for us
Blessed James Walworth pray for us
Blessed William Greenwood pray for us
Blessed John Davy pray for us
Blessed Robert Salt pray for us
Blessed Walter Pierson pray for us
Blessed Thomas Green pray for us
Blessed Thomas Scryven pray for us
Blessed Thomas Redyng pray for us
Blessed Richard Bere pray for us
Blessed Thomas Johnson pray for us
Blessed William Horne pray for us

There is a good article on the Carthusian Martyrs at Wikipedia.

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