John Plessington

John Plessington (c. 1637 – 19 July 1679)

John Plessington, also known by aliases such as John Plesington, William Scarisbrick, and William Pleasington, was an English Catholic priest who became a martyr for his faith. He is recognized as one of the Catholic Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, a group honored for their sacrifice during periods of religious persecution.

Life and Ministry

Born around 1637 at Dimples Hall in Garstang, Lancashire, John Plessington came from a staunchly Royalist and Catholic family, which faced persecution for both their religious and political beliefs. His education was undertaken by the Jesuits at Scarisbrick Hall, followed by studies at the Royal College of Saint Alban in Valladolid, Spain, and the Saint Omer Seminary in France. He was ordained a priest in Segovia, Spain, on March 25, 1662.

Returning to England in 1663, Plessington ministered to covert Catholics in the Holywell and Cheshire regions, often using the alias John Scarisbrick. He also served as a tutor at Puddington Old Hall near Chester. His ministry was clandestine due to the severe restrictions placed upon Catholic clergy in England.

Martyrdom and Veneration

Plessington was arrested in Chester during the heightened anti-Catholic sentiment surrounding the Popish Plot, fomented by Titus Oates. He was imprisoned for two months before being tried and condemned. He was executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering on July 19, 1679, at Gallow's Hill in Boughton, Cheshire. From the scaffold, he made a declaration questioning the legal basis for his execution, referencing the origins of Anglican ordination.

His cause for sainthood progressed with his beatification in 1929 by Pope Pius XI. Subsequently, on October 25, 1970, Pope Paul VI canonized him as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Memorials and Legacy

A memorial tablet commemorating John Plessington is located in the entrance porch of St Werburgh's Catholic Church in Chester. In 1980, his name was added to the base of a granite obelisk in Boughton, erected in 1898 for the Protestant martyr George Marsh. The inscription on the obelisk reads: "John Plessington Catholic Priest, martyred here on 19th July 1679. Canonised Saint 25th October 1970."

Further testament to his legacy is the Catholic school named St. John Plessington in Wirral, England, which received significant recognition in 2010.

Remains

In the early 21st century, interest arose regarding a set of human bones discovered in an old trunk in Wales, which were believed to possibly be Plessington's remains. These bones were found wrapped in 17th-century clothing in a pub in Holywell, Flintshire, a region where Plessington had ministered. The bones showed signs of violence and had been entrusted to a community of the Society of Jesus. Earlier, in 1962, a grave believed to be Plessington's was opened during his beatification process, but it contained the remains of a younger man, leading to subsequent focus on the Welsh discovery. In 2015, a campaign was initiated by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury to fund DNA testing of these remains.