THWING, THOMAS, BL.

Priest and martyr; b. 1635, Heworth Hall (near York), North Riding, Yorkshire, England; d. hanged, drawn, and quartered at York, Oct. 23, 1680. Thomas, the grand-nephew of Bl. Edward thwing, was the son of Sir George Thwing of Kilton Castle and Heworth and Anne Gasciogne of Barnbrow Hall. Following his education at St-Omer, Douai, and ordination, Thomas returned to England (1664).

There he was chaplain at Carlton Hall, the seat of his Stapleton cousins (1664–68), and opened a school in their dower-house at Quosque (April 1668). In 1677, he became chaplain at Dolebank to the Institute of Mary to which three of Thwing's sisters belonged. The community was founded in the house donated by Sir Thomas Gasciogne, where Fr. Thwing was arrested in 1679.

About the time of the Titus Oates Plot, disgruntled former Gasciogne servants sought vengeance and reward by alleging that their former master and his associates, not including Thwing, plotted to assassinate the king. Nevertheless, Thwing was apprehended with Gasciogne and others. All were taken to Newgate for trial and all were acquitted, except Thwing.

On July 29, 1680, Thwing was tried at York before a partisan jury, and found guilty on the same evidence upon which his relatives had been acquitted. Although he declared his innocence and the king initially reprieved him, a death warrant was issued the day after Parliament met. On the gallows he prayed for the king and asked for prayers, before uttering his dying words, "Sweet Jesus, receive my soul!" He was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary, Castlegate; however, some relics are preserved at the Bar Convent in York and at Oscott College. He was beatified by Pius XI on Dec. 15, 1929.

Feast of the English Martyrs: May 4 (England).

See Also: england, scotland, and wales, martyrs of.

Bibliography: r. challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, ed. j. h. pollen (rev. ed. London 1924; repr. Farnborough 1969). h. foley, Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus, 7 v. (London 1877–82). j. h. pollen, Acts of English Martyrs (London 1891).

[k. i. rabenstein]