St. John Kemble

John Kemble was one of the oldest of the martyrs, being 80 when he was executed. He was from near  Hereford, being born into a Catholic family in 1599. He studied for the priesthood at Douai where he was ordained a priest, and worked as a priest in England and Wales for 54 years. He founded several missions, some of which were still functioning well into the 19^th century. In 1678 he was caught up in the aftermath of the “gunpowder plot” (this was a fictitious plot invented by Titus Oates and is now known as the “Popish Plot” to distinguish it from Guy Fawkes’ plot of 1605). He was cleared of all involvement of this and was eventually condemned for being a “seminary priest.” Before his execution he said: “I die only for professing the old Catholic religion, which was the religion that first made this kingdom Christian.” He was hanged, drawn, and when dead quartered at Widemarsh Common on August 22, 1679.