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John Britton (martyr)

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Blessed John Britton
BornBarnsley, South Yorkshire
Died1 April 1598
York
Venerated inCatholic Church
Beatified22 November 1987, Rome by Pope John Paul II

John Britton (Bretton) (died 1 April 1598) was an English Catholic martyr from Barnsley, Yorkshire, who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was beatified in 1987.[1]

Biography

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A member of the old, established Bretton family, near Barnsley in Yorkshire, Britton was a devout Catholic.[2] Known as a zealous Catholic, he was subjected to continual vexations and persecutions, which caused him to absent himself from his wife and family for safety.[3] As an old man, he was accused of making traitorous speeches against the queen and condemned to death. He refused to renounce his faith, and was executed at York on 1 April 1598. He was probably the father of Matthew Britton, prefect and professor at Douai in 1599.

References

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  1. ^ "Martiri".
  2. ^ Camm, Bede. "Ven. John Britton." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 23 Mar. 2013
  3. ^ Stanton, Richard, A Menology of England and Wales, Burns & Oates, Ltd., London, 1892