THE CIVIL WAR

The Civil War (Parliamentarians v Royalists)

The conflict between these two factions had a detrimental effect on Catholic recusants and their property all over the country. Catholic recusants were usually loyal to the king and so were persecuted by Cromwell’s militia. It is recorded of George Heneage that for helping the Royalists he was heavily fined by the Parliamentarians and in 1652 was accused of being a Popish recusant and a Royalist. George Heneage died in prison for his loyalty. Heneage’s property was ordered to be sequestered by the Cromwellians. The order was that he should be discharged from prison only if he would take the oath of abjuration. This oath included a renunciation of the doctrine of transubstantiation and Papal authority. Since his estates were not sequestered he may have taken the oath.

The Catholic recusants in Lincoln suffered when Cromwell and his forces occupied the city. Fr Corker, from Louth, was the Jesuit priest in charge of the Jesuit residence in Lincoln at this time. He writes to his superior Fr Caraffa, the Jesuit General in Rome on May 22 1646:

“As to what regards our affairs, we have been for these four years and more grievously oppressed, having no rest, no settled abode. At the beginning of these disturbances (the Civil War) we numbered ten priests in the district and were struggling hard for maintenance. The Catholics are deprived of nearly all their property, several are driven from their homes and yet they bear firmly and cheerfully their many misfortunes and trials.”

There is “a noble reduced to such distress as not even to have a bed to lie upon. Her lord and husband (probably George Heneage) has for the last four years been denied access to his own house, has been stripped of his abundant and does not venture as yet to return home”.

I have recently left a town (Lincoln) that, after a siege of six months, capitulated to the enemy and I am lying concealed, because their troops are quartered here so that very few even of the Catholics are aware of my return. I have lost all my sacred furniture, my well stored library has been plundered, torn up or burnt”.

“Whilst we retained the Royal garrison, we could more freely perform the ministerial functions of our Society amongst Catholics. A few have fallen away from the faith. More have been proscribed....”

The writer of this letter, Fr Corker SJ, died in the Lincoln residence on June 1 1656 aged 58. During that time several of the priests were persecuted and imprisoned. It was reported that a man entering the city was challenged by soldiers. When he revealed he was a Catholic, he was shot.