Saint of the Day – 6 June – Blessed William Greenwood O.Cart. (Died 1537) Martyr

Saint of the Day – 6 June – Blessed William Greenwood O.Cart. (Died 1537) Carthusian Lay Friar, Martyr. Born in England and died by being starved to death on 6 June 1537 at Newgate Prison, London, for opposing the policies of Henry VIII. Additional Memorial – 4 May as one of the Carthusian Martyrs. William was Beatified on 20 December 1886 by Pope Leo XIII.

On 18 May 1537 the 20 hermits and 18 lay brothers remaining in the London Charterhouse were required to take the Oath of Supremacy. Of the brothers, Robert Salt, William Greenwood, Thomas Redyng, Thomas Scryven, Walter Pierson, and William Horne refused.

On 29 May, those refusing the oath were all sent to Newgate Prison and treated, as had been their fellow Carthusians in June 1535. They were chained standing and with their hands tied behind them to posts in the prison. Plague and typhus running through the prisoners in the summer weather, killed five of the prisoners, two more coming close to death.

Margaret Clement (1508-1570) (née Giggs), who had been raised by St Thomas More, bribed the gaoler to let her have access to the prisoners and, disgu as his foster-daughterised as a milkmaid, carried in a milk-can full of meat which she fed to them. She also relieved them as best she could of the filth. However, King Henry became suspicious and began to ask whether they were already dead and Thomas Cromwell was angered to hear the prisoners had been left to die. When this filtered back to the gaoler, he became too afraid to let Margaret enter again. For a brief time she was allowed to go on the roof and uncover the tiles, and let down meat in a basket as near as she could to their mouths. This method meant the monks could get little or nothing from the basket and, in any case, the gaoler became too afraid and stopped any contact.

William Greenwood died first, on 6 June with his fellow Carthusians following in quick succession.

There is a memorial plaque at Charterhouse Square. A private commemoration ceremony takes place each year at the Carthusian Martyrs Plaque on 4 May, the date of the Prior, St John Houghton’s execution.