Nicholas Postgate

English priest and Blessed

For the Assyriologist, see Nicholas Postgate (academic).

Blessed

Nicholas Postgate

Priest and Martyr
Born| 1596
Egton, North Yorkshire
Died| 7 August 1679
York, England[1]
Cause of death| Hanged, disembowelled and quartered
Resting place| Egton Bridge, Ampleforth Abbey, Pickering
Venerated in| Catholic Church
Beatified| 22 November 1987, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II
Feast| 7 August

Nicholas Postgate (1596 or 1597 – 7 August 1679) was an English Catholic priest who was executed for treason during the anti-Catholic persecution in England. He was put to death on 7 August 1679 on the Knavesmire in York, following false accusations and amid heightened tensions of the period. Postgate is recognized as one of the 85 English Catholic Martyrs of England and Wales beatified by Pope John Paul II in November 1987.[2]

## Early life and priesthood

[edit]

Nicholas Postgate was born at Kirkdale House, Egton, Yorkshire, England. He entered Douay College in France on 11 July 1621.[3] He took the college oath on 12 March 1623, received minor orders on 23 December 1624, the subdiaconate on 18 December 1627, the diaconate on 18 March 1628, and was ordained a priest two days later.[3]

Postgate was sent on his mission to England on 29 June 1630, where he worked for the Catholic faith. In the 1660s, he settled in Ugthorpe, near his birthplace.[1] His parish, known by the extinct name of Blackamoor,[4] extended between Guisborough, Pickering, and Scarborough.[2]

Thomas Ward, who later wrote about him, knew Postgate well.[5] He was exceptionally conscientious in performing his pastoral duties. Historian J. P. Kenyon remarked that "for nearly half a century he tramped the high moors of North Yorkshire and the plains of the Holderness, ministering to a scattered flock".[6]

## Background to Arrest

[edit]

Although anti-Catholic sentiment in England had decreased by the late 1670s, it resurged due to the fabricated Popish Plot of 1678. Titus Oates falsely claimed there was a conspiracy to install a Catholic king, inciting renewed and fierce persecution of English Catholics. This period marked the last time Catholics were executed in England for their faith, with Nicholas Postgate being among the final victims.[7]

During the panic incited by Oates, prominent Protestant magistrate Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey was murdered, and Oates blamed the Catholics. In response, Sir Edmund's manservant, John Reeves, sought revenge and decided to act in the Whitby area, possibly because he knew priests arrived there from France.

## Arrest, Trial, and Execution

[edit]

Nicholas Postgate was apprehended by exciseman Reeves while performing a baptism at the house of Matthew Lyth in Little Beck, near Whitby. Reeves, accompanied by his colleague William Cockerill, raided the house during the ceremony and arrested Postgate, who was 82 years old at the time. Lyth had inadvertently alerted the authorities by speaking publicly about the ceremony.

Postgate was condemned under the Jesuits, etc. Act 1584 (27 Elizabeth, c. 2) for being a priest on English soil.[3] He was executed by hanging, disembowelment, and quartering at the Knavesmire in York. His remains were given to his friends and interred, with one of his hands sent to Douay College.[8] On the scaffold, he stated that he was too old and frail to make long speeches and would simply die for the Catholic faith to which he had devoted his life.[9]

Reeves was recorded in a treasury book as having been paid 22 shillings for the apprehension of Postgate,[10] but some believe he did not receive the money before committing suicide by drowning.[5]

## Beatification

[edit]

Blessed Nicholas Postgate was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22 November 1987. The beatification ceremony took place at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy, where he was honored along with 84 other martyrs of England and Wales. This group of martyrs, known collectively as the Eighty-five Martyrs of England and Wales, were recognized for their sacrifice and commitment to their faith during a time of Catholic persecution.[11][12]

## Legacy

[edit]

Postgate's portable altar stone is venerated at the front of the altar at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Pickering.[13]

Since 1974, an annual open-air service has been held in his honour, alternating between Egton Bridge and Ugthorpe.[2] Additionally, a pub in Egton Bridge is named "The Postgate" in his memory.[14]

Given the uncommon nature of the name, he is likely related to the Postgate family, which includes many notable members from the 19th century onwards.

The Postgate Society aims to spread knowledge of Nicholas Postgate and promote interest in Catholic history during penal times.[15]

The Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, named in his honour, comprises 27 Catholic schools across Teesside, North Yorkshire, and the City of York.[16]

## See also

[edit]

* Douai Martyrs

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "The life of Nicholas Postgate". Postgate Society. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
2. ^ a b c "Campaign to name saint gathers pace". Gazette & Herald. 1 June 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
3. ^ a b c "In Father Postgate's steps". Gazette & Herald. 29 July 2002. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
4. ^ "Is history of martyr of the moors wrong?". The Whitby Gazette. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
5. ^ a b Peacock, Edward (1872). A list of the Roman Catholics in the county of York in 1604. London: John Camden Hotten. p. 99\. OCLC 5466883.
6. ^ Kenyon, J. P. The Popish Plot Phoenix Press reissue 2000 p.250
7. ^ "Pilgrims head to the moors". Gazette & Herald. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
8. ^ Gazette & Herald, Newsquest York - In Father Postgate's steps
9. ^ Kenyon, p. 250
10. ^ "Entry Book: May 1679, 1-10 | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
11. ^ "The Eighty-Five Martyrs of England and Wales". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
12. ^ "Martyr of the Moors". English Martyrs Catholic Church. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
13. ^ "St Joseph's, Pickering, Where the lamp is flickering (website): History". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
14. ^ "Social reformer nominated as 'heroine'". The Yorkshire Post. 1 September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
15. ^ "Postgate Society". Postgate Society. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
16. ^ "Our Trust". Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust. Retrieved 13 May 2021.

* Ward England's Reformation (London, 1747), 200
* Challoner, Missionary Priests, II, no. 204
* Gillow, Bibl. Dict. Eng. Cath.

## External links

[edit]

* Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1911). "Ven. Nicholas Postgate" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12\. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
* In Father Postgate's steps; article in the Gazette and Herald

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ven. Nicholas Postgate". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

* v
* t
* e

Saints of the Catholic Church

Dicastery for the Causes of Saints
Stages of canonization: Servant of God →  Venerable →  Blessed →  Saint

Virgin Mary|

* Mother of God (Theotokos)
* Immaculate Conception
* Perpetual virginity
* Assumption
* Marian apparition
* Titles of Mary
* Joseph (husband)

Apostles|

* Andrew
* Barnabas
* Bartholomew
* James of Alphaeus
* James the Great
* John
* Jude
* Matthew
* Matthias
* Paul
* Peter
* Philip
* Simon
* Thomas

Archangels|

* Gabriel
* Michael in the Catholic Church
* Raphael

Confessors|

* Anatolius
* Anthony of Kiev
* Athanasius the Confessor
* Chariton the Confessor
* Dominic
* Edward the Confessor
* Francis of Assisi
* Francis Borgia
* Homobonus
* Lazarus Zographos
* Louis Bertrand
* Maximus the Confessor
* Michael of Synnada
* Paphnutius the Confessor
* Paul I of Constantinople
* Peter Claver
* Salonius
* Sergius of Radonezh
* Theophanes the Confessor
* Pio of Pietrelcina

Disciples|

* Apollos
* Mary of Bethany
* Mary Magdalene
* Priscilla and Aquila
* Silvanus
* Stephen
* Timothy
* Titus
* Seventy disciples

Doctors of the Church|

* Gregory the Great
* Ambrose
* Augustine of Hippo
* Jerome
* John Chrysostom
* Basil of Caesarea
* Gregory of Nazianzus
* Athanasius of Alexandria
* Cyril of Alexandria
* Cyril of Jerusalem
* John of Damascus
* Bede the Venerable
* Ephrem the Syrian
* Thomas Aquinas
* Bonaventure
* Anselm of Canterbury
* Isidore of Seville
* Peter Chrysologus
* Leo the Great
* Peter Damian
* Bernard of Clairvaux
* Hilary of Poitiers
* Alphonsus Liguori
* Francis de Sales
* Peter Canisius
* John of the Cross
* Robert Bellarmine
* Albertus Magnus
* Anthony of Padua
* Lawrence of Brindisi
* Teresa of Ávila
* Catherine of Siena
* Thérèse of Lisieux
* John of Ávila
* Hildegard of Bingen
* Gregory of Narek
* Irenaeus

Evangelists|

* Matthew
* Mark
* Luke
* John

Church
Fathers|

* Alexander of Alexandria
* Alexander of Jerusalem
* Ambrose of Milan
* Anatolius
* Athanasius of Alexandria
* Augustine of Hippo
* Caesarius of Arles
* Caius
* Cappadocian Fathers
* Clement of Alexandria
* Clement of Rome
* Cyprian of Carthage
* Cyril of Alexandria
* Cyril of Jerusalem
* Damasus I
* Desert Fathers
* Desert Mothers
* Dionysius of Alexandria
* Dionysius of Corinth
* Dionysius
* Ephrem the Syrian
* Epiphanius of Salamis
* Fulgentius of Ruspe
* Gregory the Great
* Gregory of Nazianzus
* Gregory of Nyssa
* Hilary of Poitiers
* Hippolytus of Rome
* Ignatius of Antioch
* Irenaeus of Lyons
* Isidore of Seville
* Jerome of Stridonium
* John Chrysostom
* John of Damascus
* Maximus the Confessor
* Melito of Sardis
* Quadratus of Athens
* Papias of Hierapolis
* Peter Chrysologus
* Polycarp of Smyrna
* Theophilus of Antioch
* Victorinus of Pettau
* Vincent of Lérins
* Zephyrinus

Martyrs|

* Abda and Abdisho
* Boris and Gleb
* Charles de Foucauld
* Canadian Martyrs
* Carthusian Martyrs
* Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala
* Christina of Persia
* Devasahayam Pillai
* Dismas the Good Thief
* Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
* Four Crowned Martyrs
* Gerard of Csanád
* Great Martyr
* The Holy Innocents
* Irish Martyrs
* John Fisher
* Korean Martyrs
* Lorenzo Ruiz
* Martyrs of Lübeck
* Luigi Versiglia
* Martyrology
* Martyrs of Albania
* Martyrs of Algeria
* Martyrs of Cajonos
* Martyrs of Drina
* Martyrs of China
* Martyrs of Gorkum
* Martyrs of Japan
* 21 Martyrs of Libya
* Martyrs of La Rioja
* Martyrs of Damascus
* Martyrs of Laos
* Martyrs of Natal
* Martyrs of Otranto
* Martyrs of Prague
* Martyrs of Sandomierz
* Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War
* Martyrs of Zenta
* Maximilian Kolbe
* Óscar Romero
* Pedro Calungsod
* Perpetua and Felicity
* Peter Chanel
* Pietro Parenzo
* Philomena
* Saints of the Cristero War
* Stephen
* Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
* Titus Brandsma
* 17 Thomasian Martyrs
* Thomas Becket
* Thomas More
* Three Martyrs of Chimbote
* Ulma Family
* Uganda Martyrs
* Vietnamese Martyrs
* Valentine of Rome
* Victor and Corona
* Zanitas and Lazarus of Persia

Missionaries|

* Augustine of Canterbury
* Boniface
* Damien of Molokai
* Evermode of Ratzeburg
* Francis Xavier
* François de Laval
* Gregory the Illuminator
* Junípero Serra
* Nino of Georgia
* Patrick of Ireland
* Remigius

Patriarchs|

* Adam
* Abel
* Abraham
* Isaac
* Jacob
* Joseph
* Joseph (father of Jesus)
* David
* Noah
* Solomon
* Matriarchs

Popes|

* Adeodatus I
* Adeodatus II
* Adrian III
* Agapetus I
* Agatho
* Alexander I
* Anacletus
* Anastasius I
* Anicetus
* Anterus
* Benedict II
* Boniface I
* Boniface IV
* Caius
* Callixtus I
* Celestine I
* Celestine V
* Clement I
* Cornelius
* Damasus I
* Dionysius
* Eleuterus
* Eugene I
* Eusebius
* Eutychian
* Evaristus
* Fabian
* Felix I
* Felix III
* Felix IV
* Gelasius I
* Gregory I
* Gregory II
* Gregory III
* Gregory VII
* Hilarius
* Hormisdas
* Hyginus
* Innocent I
* John I
* John XXIII
* John Paul II
* Julius I
* Leo I
* Leo II
* Leo III
* Leo IV
* Leo IX
* Linus
* Lucius I
* Marcellinus
* Marcellus I
* Mark
* Martin I
* Miltiades
* Nicholas I
* Paschal I
* Paul I
* Paul VI
* Peter
* Pius I
* Pius V
* Pius X
* Pontian
* Sergius I
* Silverius
* Simplicius
* Siricius
* Sixtus I
* Sixtus II
* Sixtus III
* Soter
* Stephen I
* Stephen IV
* Sylvester I
* Symmachus
* Telesphorus
* Urban I
* Victor I
* Vitalian
* Zachary
* Zephyrinus
* Zosimus

Prophets|

* Agabus
* Amos
* Anna
* Baruch ben Neriah
* David
* Elijah
* Ezekiel
* Habakkuk
* Haggai
* Hosea
* Isaiah
* Jeremiah
* Job
* Joel
* John the Baptist
* Jonah
* Judas Barsabbas
* Malachi
* Melchizedek
* Micah
* Moses
* Nahum
* Obadiah
* Samuel
* Seven Maccabees and their mother
* Simeon
* Zechariah (prophet)
* Zechariah (NT)
* Zephaniah

Virgins|

* Agatha of Sicily
* Agnes of Rome
* Angela of the Cross
* Æthelthryth
* Bernadette Soubirous
* Catherine of Bologna
* Brigid of Kildare
* Catherine Labouré
* Catherine of Siena
* Cecilia
* Clare of Assisi
* Eulalia of Mérida
* Euphemia
* Faustina Kowalska
* Faustina and Liberata of Como
* Genevieve
* Hiltrude of Liessies
* Joan of Arc
* Kateri Tekakwitha
* Lucy of Syracuse
* Maria Goretti
* María de las Maravillas de Jesús
* Narcisa de Jesús
* Patricia of Naples
* Rosalia
* Rose of Lima
* Teresa of the Andes
* Teresa of Calcutta
* Trasilla and Emiliana
* Ubaldesca Taccini
* Josephine Bakhita

See also|

* Calendar of saints
* Four Holy Marshals
* Fourteen Holy Helpers
* Martyr of charity
* Military saints
* Athleta Christi
* Miles Christianus
* Church Militant
* Seven Champions
* Virtuous pagan

* Catholic Church portal
* Saints portal

Portals:

* Biography
* Catholicism
* England

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template