The story of the Pearl Of York

Historical Background:

Religious Tension

The 1500s was a period fraught with conflict and religious turmoil. The divergence between catholics and protestants was a complex and intense battle which underpinned the reign of the Tudor monarchy, causing chaos and instability in the lives of the English citizens. One of the defining factors in this diverging of religious practice came during the years 1532 – 1534 when Henry VIII initiated the break from the Roman Catholic church, and declared himself the supreme head of the church of England. This began a period of intense religious persecution, with catholic martyrdom in particular, becoming a common occurrence. Tensions were only heightened in 1553 when Mary I ascended to the throne and marked the start of a period which would later become known as her reign of terror. In an attempt to secure England’s Catholic roots Mary embarked on a journey of intense protestant persecution, earning herself the nickname ‘bloody Mary.’ Whilst these two monarchs are the figures most commonly associated with religious conflict, these issues persisted through to the reign of Elizabeth, who herself was no stranger to the difficulties of enforcing religious compliance.

Reign of Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I ascended to the throne in 1558, following the death of her sister Mary, and almost immediately began to enact her religious settlement. Initially this settlement appeared to be an attempt at leniency, with a focus on bridging the gap between catholic and protestant denominations. Whilst Elizabeth did enforce the act of supremacy, naming herself supreme governor of the Church of England, she also initiated the act of uniformity. This act brought a new book of common prayer into circulation, which blended protestant doctrine with catholic structures of practice. Despite this, there was little progress made in quelling the religious unrest of the two diverging groups. In 1568 Mary Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate her throne in Scotland and she  arrived in England, putting pressure on the authority of Elizabeth. Mary provided a legitimate Catholic alternative to the current English monarch, and as such became the focal point of several catholic plots aiming to threaten Elizabeth’s power and usurp the throne from her control. In 1581 it became treason to convert to catholicism, and by 1585 all catholic priests were ordered to leave the country or be executed. Due to her supposed involvement in the Babington plot to murder Queen Elizabeth, Mary was eventually put to death in 1587. Despite her initial attempts at inclusivity, like her predecessors Elizabeth went to extreme lengths to assert her religious authority, and it is this tension which provides the backdrop for Margaret Clitherow’s life.

The Life of Margaret Clitherow

Margaret Clitherow, also known as the pearl of York, was born to Thomas and Jane Middleton in 1552 and was likely baptised at St Martin’s church. When she was 18 she married the butcher John Clitherow, and subsequently moved to the shambles, where she would live for the remainder of her life. Whilst both her parents and her husband were devout protestant supporters, in around 1574 Margaret converted to Catholicism. She was deeply moved by the stories of priests who suffered for their faith, and the rest of her life was underpinned by this fascination with martyrdom. Her recusancy would frequently draw the attention of the authorities, resulting in fines levied against her husband and three periods of imprisonment in York castle. Despite these punishments, Margaret was never deterred from following her faith, and she utilised the time she spent incarcerated in order to strengthen her religious commitment through prayer and fasting. It was also during her stay at York Castle that she learnt to read Latin, obtaining just enough knowledge of the language to engage with simple devotional works.

“For the spirit of  God wrought so graciously in her, that all troubles, persecutions, and cruelty practised against her for catholic religion and conscience’ sake daily increased more and more the constancy of her faith” (370)

– The words of John Mush in ‘The Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers related by themselves.’

Her Pilgrimage

During this period Margaret came in contact with the catholic priest John Mush, and the two developed a close relationship for the remainder of Margaret’s life. Mush held Clitherow in high esteem, and he wrote in great detail of her piety and his admiration towards her devotion. In one such account he details her fascination with a group of priests that had been martyred at Knavesmere. Margaret took it upon herself to visit the site of this atrocity, and along with a few other women she set out on a pilgrimage to pay her respects at the site of their death. The intensity of anti – Catholic sentiment during this period meant the pilgrimage had to be conducted in secret under the cover of darkness. Despite the dangers Margaret fulfilled the duty she felt compelled to undertake. 

Practising Catholicism

Her defiance of protestant rule didn’t just come in the form of private pilgrimages, as she also provided places of sanctuary to those catholic priests which were being targeted by Elizabeth’s new legislation. Secret rooms were constructed in both her and her neighbour’s houses in which these priests could remain hidden from the authorities. These spaces also allowed Margaret the opportunity to provide her neighbourhood with access to catholic sacraments, suggesting her importance came not only from her own devotion but her ability to facilitate the devotion of others. Her children provide examples of this, as at least two of them followed in her religious footsteps. Henry, Margaret’s eldest son, was sent to France in order to train as a priest in 1584, and her daughter, Anne, went to live at St Ursula’s Convent. It was ultimately this dedication to providing others with access to Catholic services and teachings which would lead to her final arrest in 1586.

The details surrounding her arrest: