Anne Line
English Catholic martyr
Feast: 27 February (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Anne Heigham, daughter of an ardent Calvinist of Dunmow, Essex, was disowned and disinherited when she and her brother became Catholics. She married Roger Line, a fellow convert, who was arrested for attending Mass, exiled to Flanders and died there in 1594.
She ran Fr John Gerard's house of refuge for priests in London, then another house that became a gathering place for Catholics. On Candlemas 1601 she was arrested as Fr Francis Page was about to say Mass, and was executed on 27 February 1601.
The miracles
As a martyr she was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
A widow who sheltered priests at the risk of her life and died a martyr.
Connected on this site
- Francis Page Blessed“On Candlemas 1601 she was arrested as Fr Francis Page was about to say Mass, and was executed on 27 February 1601.” — this site's research
- Mark Barkworth Blessed“On a bitterly cold day in Lent he went to Tyburn singing the Easter anthem, and was executed on 27 February 1601 with St Anne Line.” — this site's research
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Ven. Anne Line
- Wikidata Q2069003 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Anne Line (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.