The Blockhouses of Kingston Upon Hull
Blogged by James Preece on 12th June 2012
Everybody knows about the famous Catholic Martyrs of the reformation. People like St Thomas More, St John Fisher and Margareth Clitherow who went to their deaths in London, York and other infamous sites of execution.
It is worth remembering however, that not every martyrdom was public and celebrated with statues and declarations of sainthood. It was often anonymous, secret and forgotten. Forgotten by man that is, not by God.
Such was the fate of the many Catholics who died in the Blockhouses of Kingston Upon Hull.
In 1913 Joseph Hirst researched their story for a book - The Blockhouses of Kingston Upon Hull and Who Went There. Ever since I found the book freely available onlineon a secular genealogy website I have intended to blog about it, but when the time finally came I discovered that the genealogy website had fallen off the internet.
Fortunately, thanks to the Google cache, I have been able to recover the text and make it available online once more. I have not been able to get permission for this as the original publisher seems to be long since gone and I do not know who owns the copyright. I hope whoever gave permission for it to be put online in the first place does not object to my mirroring it here.
Hopefully this will be of some interest to Catholics in Hull and beyond, at the very least it may serve as an encouragement to the many Christians who struggle on in silence, quietly living out the long, slow, unsung sacrifice of a life given in the service of others.
Perhaps we will discover some new friends to intercede for us in heaven.
Reader Comments
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EFpastoremeritus said...
Thank you for this post and for the reminder of the tradition to which we belong - the Faith that comes to us from the Apostille
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Brian said...
Many thanks for this very important and interesting post. The truth of the sufferings of Catholics at the time of the so-called Reformation needs to be remembered, taught, and proclaimed at every opportunity.
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new friend said...
It was a very stupid and intolerant time so let us all be thankful we have made progress since and learned how to accept our differences. Oh, wait a moment! Maybe we all haven`t! And never forget that there were plenty of protestant martyrs too.
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Phil Atkinson said...
O English hearts, what heart can know
How spent with labours long ago
Was England's Church that bore you?
The paths you tread in lane or street,
Long since were trodden by the feet
Of saints that went before you.
When priests like sudden angels came
To light in distant shires the flame
That faith's dull embers cherished,
When Mass and shrift were sought for still
In silent farm, on lonely hill,
Ere ancient memories perished.
R. A. Knox
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Sarah said...
Wonderful find, James. I wonder how many other such stories there are.
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Richard Hawker said...
Many thanks for putting this up- have been wanting to read it for a long time!
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