PICKERING, THOMAS, BL.

Benedictine lay brother and martyr; b. Westmorland (?), England, c. 1621; d. hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn (London) May 9, 1679. Thomas was admitted to the Benedictines at St. Gregory's Abbey, Douai, in 1660. Upon returning to London (1665), he was procurator and steward of the community at the queen's chapel. Pickering, who was known to King Charles II, was allowed to stay in England after the expulsion of the Benedictines in 1675 because he was not a priest. He was unjustly implicated in the Titus Oates Plot in 1678. Although the queen upheld his innocence, the jury convicted and condemned him. The king made attempts to save Pickering while satisfying the public blood thirst by executing two others condemned for the conspiracy. However, after the House of Commons petitioned (April 26, 1679) for Pickering's execution, the king yielded and Pickering was martyred. Downside Abbey, Bath, preserves a relic. Pickering 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: Remarks on the tryal of Mr. Ireland, Mr. Pickering, and Mr. Grove (London 1679). r. challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, ed. j. h. pollen (rev. ed. London 1924; repr. Farnborough 1969), II, 376. w. ireland, The tryals of William Ireland, Thomas Pickering, and John Grove … (London 1678). j. h. pollen, Acts of English Martyrs (London 1891).

[k. i. rabenstein]