MALCHUS' EAR
BB. John Mason, Sidney Hodgson and Brian Lacey
Laymen
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| Blessed John Mason © 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions Screenshot from 'Saint Swithun Wells' DVD |
THESE had all been present, with the priests Polydore Plasden and Eustace White, when Mr Edmund Gennings celebrated Mass at Swithun Wells's house. Mason, who had been a gentleman servant in Oxfordshire, was first indicted for: knowing and not revealing a seminary priest, but pleaded successfully that the three days allowed for such denunciations had not expired. He was then charged with abetting a priest to escape. He was, in fact, the man who had thrown Topcliffe downstairs and broken his head.
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| Blessed John Mason and Sidney Hodgson shown at the Mass celebrated in Saint Swithun Wells's house © 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions Screenshot from 'Saint Swithun Wells' DVD |
This much the young man confessed. Asked if he were not sorry for the fact, he replied, "No; if it were to do again, I would resist the wicked, that they should not take God's priests, yea, although I were to be punished with twenty deaths." There suffered with him another serving man, Sidney Hodgson, who, finding himself unpinioned in the belief that he had recanted, boldly declared that, although he had asked her Majesty's forgiveness, he would not have the judge think that he would deny his faith. His offence was helping priests, and so was Brian Lacey's.
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| Blessed John Mason with Saint Swithun Wells in prison © 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions Screenshot from 'Saint Swithun Wells' DVD |
He was a Yorkshire man, cousin and assistant of the Ven. Montford Scott, and had been informed against by his own brother. All three were executed at Tyburn on 10th December 1591.
"One of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest and cut off his ear." - Mark 14, 47.
Reading for 15th December
Mementoes of the Martyrs and Confessors of England and Wales
by Henry Sebastian Bowden of the Oratory
For films about the English Martyrs:
Blessed John Mason was executed with Saint Polydore Plasden at the Triple Tyburn Tree. In our three films about Saint Polydore Plasden, Saint Edmund Gennings and Saint Swithun Wells, we follow Blessed John Mason, who served in the home of Saint SwithunWells. He features in this trilogy of DVDs. If you watch our film about 'Saint Swithun Wells' you will leave Blessed John Mason with Saint Polydore Plasden as Saint Swithun Wells and Saint Edmund Gennings are separated on the journey to Tyburn from the other priests and laymen. Swithun and Edmund were executed outside of Swithun's house. If you watch our film about 'Saint Polydore Plasden' you will continue Blessed John Mason's journey as he is executed with Polydore at the Tyburn gallows, assisted by the kind and comforting words and prayers of the young priest as he is hanged.
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| Filming Blessed John Mason for 'Saint Swithun Wells' DVD © 2010 Mary's Dowry Productions |
If you love the English Martyrs we recommend watching all three films as a trilogy as they become one story. All three are available to view on our Youtube Channel and are also available on DVD:
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