Nicholas Horner

Nicholas Horner (died 3 March 1590) was an English Roman Catholic layman, hanged, drawn and quartered because he had "relieved and assisted" Christopher Bales, a seminary priest. A tailor by trade, he was charged with making a jerkin for a priest. Horner maintained that the customer was a stranger and he didn't know who he was.^[1] Horner is recognized as a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.

Life

Horner was born at Grantley in Yorkshire. A tailor by trade, he had gone to London to be cured of a wound in his leg. He was arrested on the charge of harbouring Catholic priests and committed to Newgate Prison, where he was kept for a long time close confined in a cell. Due to the heavy fetter on his leg and the deprivation of all medical aid, he contracted blood poisoning in the injured leg which rendered an amputation necessary.^[2] During the procedure, he was assisted by John Hewitt, a priest and fellow prisoner, also originally from York.^[3]

After a year, he was set free through the efforts of some friends, and worked at his trade at some lodgings at Smithfield. At some point he made the priest Bales a jerkin. When he was again found to be harbouring priests he was cast into Bridewell for harbouring priests and hung up by the wrists till he nearly died.^[4]

Horner was convicted of a felony for making a jerkin for a priest, and as he refused to conform to the public worship of the Church of England, was condemned. On the eve of his execution at Smithfield, he had a vision of a crown of glory hanging over his head; the story of this vision was told by him to a friend, who in turn transmitted it by letter to Robert Southwell.^[2] He was hanged in front of his lodging in Smithfield, 3 March 1590.^[4]