GARNET, HENRY. - Jesuit, missionary in England, b. at Nottingham in 1555, d. on the scaffold, at Tyburn in London, on 3 May 1606. Of a Protestant family, he converted to Catholicism at the age of 20, entered the Jesuits in Rome (1575) and, after studying at the Roman College and in turn teaching Hebrew and mathematics there, he went to England in 1586 and the following year was already appointed superior of the entire English mission.

He governed, in those times so tense and perilous, with vigor and effectiveness; but above all he sought to thwart every attempt at violent reaction on the part of the Catholics, excited and discontented with the king and the Protestant government and with the regime of persecution. But the outbreak of the Gunpowder Plot thwarted all his efforts; indeed it caused him to be arrested on 30 Jan. 1606 and, despite his innocence, condemned to the gallows. If Protestants remember him as a conspirator, because they regard the "conspiracy" as a crime of the Jesuits, Catholics, on the other hand, hold him to be a victim, like so many others, of hatred against the Pope and the Church. His name, therefore, had been listed in the roster of English martyrs proposed for beatification in 1874; but the difficulty of properly discerning the reason for his condemnation, whether political or purely religious, has caused the question to be postponed for further study.

Bibliography9 works

BIBL.: H. Foley, Records of the english province, III, London 1878, pp. 268 ff., 511 ff.; IV, ibid. 1878, pp. 1-192; VII, ibid. 1883, pp. 1344-67; H. Pollen, Father H. G. and the gunpowderplot, in Month, 62 (1887, 1), p. 303 ff.; 63 (1888, 1), pp. 58 ff., 382 ff.; 64 (1888, 1), p. 41 ff.; J. Guard, Thomas Winter's confession and the gunpowderplot, London 1828; id., Contribution toward the life of father H. G., in Month, 61 (1898, 1), passim: id., Father H. G. and his accusers, ibid., 62 (1898, 1), p. 144 ff.; R. Challoner, Memoirs of missionary priests, 2nd ed. edited by J. H. Pollen, London 1924, pp. 285-88.

Celestino Testore

@incollection{ec5_garnet_henry, author = {Testore, Celestino}, title = {Garnet, henry}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {V}, pages = {1944--1945}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/garnet-henry} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Garnet, Henry

About this entry