The Priest in the Priest Hole – The Execution of John Cornelius (1594)

On 3rd or 4th July 1594, Catholic priest John Cornelius was executed at Dorchester, along with three loyal men: Thomas Bosgrave, John Carey, and Patrick Salmon. Their crime? Helping a priest in Protestant Elizabethan England.

In today’s video, I share the story of John Cornelius—from his Irish-Cornish roots and education at Oxford, to his exile, priesthood, arrest at Chideock Castle, and eventual execution. A tale of courage, faith, and one man’s final decision to become a Jesuit before facing death.

 

A sobering glimpse into the dangers faced by Catholics in Tudor England.

 

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