John Shert facts for kids

John Shert was an English Catholic priest. He was executed during the time of Elizabeth I because of his faith. He is remembered as a Martyr.

Life Story of John Shert

John Shert was born in a place called Shert Hall, near Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. He went to Brasenose College at the Oxford University and finished his studies in 1566.

After college, John Shert became a school teacher in London. Later, he worked for a scholar named Dr. Thomas Stapleton in Douai. In 1576, he decided to become a priest and joined a seminary. He was ordained as a subdeacon there.

He then went to the English College in Rome, where he became a priest. After that, he moved to Rheims. On August 27, 1579, he left Rheims to return to England.

Working in England and Arrest

For two years, John Shert worked as a priest in London and Cheshire. However, on July 14, 1581, he was arrested. He was sent to the Tower of London, a famous prison.

Trial and Execution

John Shert was one of 20 people put on trial in Westminster Hall in London. They were accused of treason, which means trying to harm the Queen or the country. The accusation was part of a made-up plan called the "Rome and Rheims Plot."

On November 16, he faced the Queen's Bench court. The charge of conspiracy against him was not true. He could prove he was in England when the plot was supposedly planned. Even so, he and the other priests were found guilty.

On May 28, 1582, John Shert was executed at Tyburn in London. He was the second of three priests to die that day. He had to watch as the first priest, Thomas Ford, was killed. John Shert bravely shouted, "O happy Thomas! You have run that happy race. You blessed soul, pray for me."

When it was his turn, the Sheriff asked him to ask for the Queen's forgiveness. John Shert refused because he knew he had not done anything wrong. He was executed along with Thomas Ford and Robert Johnson.

All three men were later honored by the Catholic Church in 1886. They are known as "Blessed."

Why Catholics Were Persecuted

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, being a Catholic became very difficult in England. For many years, the persecution of Catholics was not very strong. However, things changed about 20 years into her rule.

There were real plots against the Queen. Also, the Pope had officially removed Queen Elizabeth from the Catholic Church. This made things even more tense.

When a Jesuit priest named Edmund Campion arrived in England in 1580, it caused more fear. He and other priests helped Catholics understand that they could not follow new laws that forced them to attend Anglican church services. This made the Queen's government see them as a threat.

See also

• Catholic Church in the United Kingdom
• Douai Martyrs