Carthusian Martyrs of London
The Carthusian Martyrs of London were the Carthusian monks of the London Charterhouse who were put to death by the English state from 4 May 1535 to 20 September 1537. The method of execution was typically hanging, disemboweling while still alive and quartering. Others were imprisoned and left to starve to death. The group also includes two monks who were brought to that house from the Charterhouses of Beauvale and Axholme and similarly dealt with. The total was 18 men, all of whom have been formally recognized by the Catholic Church as martyrs.
At the outset of the "King's Great Matter", (the euphemism given to King Henry VIII's decision to divorce Catherine of Aragon, marry Anne Boleyn and break legal ties with the Pope) the government was anxious to secure the public acquiescence of the Carthusian monks, since they enjoyed great prestige for the austerity and sincerity of their way of life. When this attempt failed, the only alternative was to annihilate the resistance, since their refusal put the prestige of the monks in opposition to the king's will. This took the form of a long process of attrition.
In the Martyrology
- September 20 Blessed Thomas Johnson, Carthusian priest and martyr of England