Nicholas Owen

Nicholas Owen, S.J. (c. 1562 – 1/2 March 1606)

Nicholas Owen was an English Jesuit lay brother and a pivotal figure in the clandestine support of Catholic clergy during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and James I. He is primarily remembered as the principal builder of "priest holes," intricate and concealed hiding places constructed within the homes of English Catholics to shelter priests from persecution.

Life and Historical Context

Born around 1562 in Oxford, England, into a devout Catholic family, Nicholas Owen grew up under the Penal Laws. His father, Walter Owen, was a carpenter, and Nicholas was apprenticed as a joiner in 1577, acquiring the practical skills essential for his future work. Two of his brothers became priests.

Owen's involvement with Catholic clergy began early when he served Edmund Campion. After Campion's arrest, Owen was himself detained for protesting Campion's innocence. Upon his release, he entered the service of Jesuit priest Henry Garnet around 1588. For the next 18 years, Owen dedicated himself to building secret hiding places throughout England.

He often traveled under aliases such as "Little John" and "Little Michael," accepting only basic necessities as payment. To deflect suspicion, he worked as a traveling carpenter during the day. Owen was of short stature and suffered from physical ailments, including a hernia and a crippled leg. His hiding places were remarkable for their ingenuity, often featuring an outer, more visible decoy concealing a deeper, more secure inner refuge. The exact location of these secret rooms was known only to Owen and the homeowner.

Notable Works and Arrests

While many of Owen's constructions may still be undiscovered due to their ingenious design, surviving examples are found at Broad Oaks Manor. It is highly probable that Baddesley Clinton also housed one of his hides, where seven priests successfully evaded discovery in 1591. Other probable sites include Sawston Hall, Oxburgh Hall, Huddington Court, and Harvington Hall.

Owen was admitted into the Society of Jesus as a lay brother. He was arrested in 1594 and subjected to torture at the Poultry Compter but revealed no information. He was released after a wealthy Catholic family paid a fine on his behalf, as his captors underestimated his significance.

In 1606, Owen was arrested for the final time at Hindlip Hall. He and Ralph Ashley were found in one of Owen's hides after four days with minimal sustenance. His capture was met with great exultation by Secretary of State Robert Cecil, who recognized Owen's immense value in constructing hiding places across England.

Death and Martyrdom

Following his final arrest, Owen was taken to the Marshalsea prison and then to the Tower of London. He was subjected to severe torture on the Topcliffe rack. The torture, exacerbated by his hernia, is believed to have led to his death on the night of March 1/2, 1606. He died without betraying any secrets to his interrogators. John Gerard later wrote that Owen had done more good for the English Catholic mission than almost anyone else, saving hundreds of lives.

Veneration and Legacy

Nicholas Owen was canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI on October 25, 1970. His individual feast day is observed on March 22. Catholic stage magicians consider him the patron saint of illusionists and escapologists due to his skill in creating deceptive hiding places. Catholic churches in Little Thornton, Lancashire, and Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, are dedicated to him, and a Catholic school academy company in the Kidderminster area bears his name in honor.