22 Facts About Margaret Clitherow

Margaret Clitherow was an English recusant, and a saint and martyr of the Roman Catholic Church, known as The Pearl of York.

Margaret Clitherow was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea to the charge of harbouring Catholic priests.

Margaret Clitherow was canonised in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.

Margaret Clitherow was born in 1556, the youngest child of Thomas and Jane Middleton nee Turner.

Margaret Clitherow's father was a respected freeman, businessman, who worked as a wax-chandler.

Margaret Clitherow held the office of Sheriff of York, in 1564, and was churchwarden of St Martin's Church, Coney Street between 1555 and 1558.

Margaret Clitherow paid her fines for not attending church services.

Margaret Clitherow was first imprisoned in 1577 for failing to attend church, and two more incarcerations at York Castle followed.

Margaret Clitherow's third child, William, was born in prison and she learned to read and write while incarcerated.

Margaret Clitherow risked her life by harbouring and maintaining priests, which was made a capital offence by the Jesuits, etc.

Margaret Clitherow provided two chambers, one adjoining her house and, with her house under surveillance, she rented a house some distance away, where she kept priests hidden and Mass was celebrated through the thick of the persecution.

Margaret Clitherow's home became one of the most important hiding places for fugitive priests in the north of England.

Margaret Clitherow sent her eldest son, Henry, to the English College, relocated in Reims, France, to train for the priesthood.

Margaret Clitherow's husband was summoned by the authorities to explain why his eldest son had gone abroad.

Margaret Clitherow was arrested and called before the York assizes for the crime of harbouring Catholic priests.

Margaret Clitherow refused to plead, thereby preventing a trial that would entail her three children being made to testify, and being subjected to torture.

Margaret Clitherow was stripped and had a handkerchief tied across her face, Margaret Clitherow was then laid across a sharp rock the size of a man's fist, the door from her own house was put on top of her and loaded with 7 or 8 hundredweight of rocks and stones, so that the sharp rock would break her back.

Margaret Clitherow's death occurred within fifteen minutes, but her body was left for six hours before the weight was removed.

Margaret Clitherow's body was buried secretly in accordance with Catholic rites.

Margaret Clitherow was beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI and canonised on 25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Margaret Clitherow is the patroness of the Catholic Women's League.

Margaret Clitherow is a co-patroness of the Latin Mass Society, which organises an annual pilgrimage to York in her honour.