George Nichols

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Blessed George Nichols (~1550 — October 19, 1589) was an English Catholic martyr.

George Nichols was born at Oxford and entered Brasenose College in 1564 or 1565, and was readmitted 20 August, 1567, and supplicated for his B.A. degree in 1570-1. He subsequently became an usher at St. Paul's School, London. He arrived at Reims with Thomas Pilehard, on the 20th November, 1581, but went on to Rome, whence he returned on the 21 July, 1582. He was ordained subdeacon and deacon at Laon (probably by Bishop Valentine Douglas, O.S.B.) in April, 1583, and priest at Reims by Louis II, Cardinal of Guise on the 24 September. He was sent on the mission the same year.

Having converted many to Roman Catholicism, notably a convicted highwayman in Oxford Castle, he was arrested at the Catherine Wheel Inn, opposite the east end of St. Mary Magdalen's Church, Oxford, together with Humphrey Prichard, a Welsh servant at the inn, Thomas Belson, and Richard Yaxley.

All four prisoners were sent from Oxford to the Bridewell prison in London, where the two priests were hanged up for five hours to make them betray their hosts, but without avail. Yaxley was sent to the Tower as a close prisoner 25 May, 1589, and appears to have been racked frequently. Belson was sent to the Gatehouse. The other two remained in Bridewell, Nichols being put into a deep dungeon full of venomous vermin. On 30 June all four were ordered back to Oxford to take their trial. All were condemned, the priests for treason, the laymen for felony. On the 5 July, they were executed. Nichols and Yaxley were hanged, drawn, and quartered, Belson and Prichard were hanged. The priests' heads were set up on the castle, and their quarters on the four city gates.

The severity of the punishment seems to have shocked the people of Oxford - it would be 20 years before another Catholic recusant was executed in Oxford.

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.