Edmund Arrowsmith
Lancaster Jesuit priest; one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Feast: 28 August (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Edmund Arrowsmith was born at Haydock in 1585 to parents who suffered much for their faith; as a child he was left shivering in his nightclothes when they were taken to Lancaster jail. He studied at Douai and was ordained in 1612.
He worked in Lancashire with fervour, zeal and ready wit, and joined the Jesuits in 1623. Betrayed, he was condemned for being a Jesuit priest and executed at Lancaster on 23 August 1628. His preserved 'Holy Hand' is famous for favours obtained.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
A Lancashire priest who gave his life for his people's faith.
Connected on this site
- Richard Herst Blessed“This document, conforming to the ancient style of the "Acts of martyrs" includes the story of the execution of another 17th-century recusant martyr, Richard Herst.” — Wikipedia
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Ven. Edmund Arrowsmith
- Wikidata Q1285954 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Edmund Arrowsmith (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.