Edward Bamber (alias Reading) (b. c. 1600, at the Moor,

Poulton-le-Fylde Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2021 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,115. There is evidence of human habitatio ...

, Lancashire; executed at

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

7 August 1646) was an English

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

priest. He was

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

in 1987.

Life

Bamber was born the son of Richard Bamber, at Carleton,

, Lancashire. He entered the College of St. Omer and later attended the English College of St Gregory in Seville. He was ordained in 1626 and sent to England."The History of Edward Bamber", Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust
/ref> On landing at

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

, he knelt down to thank God. Seen doing this by the Governor of

Dover Castle Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some writers say it is the ...

, he was arrested and banished.Camm, Bede. "Ven. Edward Bamber." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907 He returned again, and was soon afterwards apprehended near Standish, Lancashire; he had probably been chaplain at

Standish Hall Standish Hall was an estate and country house, built in 1573, owned by the Standish family in the south-west of Standish, Wigan. No standing structures of the hall remain on the former estate, however, some of its wooden-panel interiors have ...

. On his way to

Lancaster Castle Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle and former prison in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Its early history is unclear, but it may have been founded in the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort ove ...

he was lodged at the Old-Green-Man Inn near Claughton-on-Brock, and managed to escape through a window, his keepers being drunk. He was found wandering in the fields by a Mr. Singleton of Broughton Tower and was sheltered by him. Bamber spent the next sixteen years on the English Mission, serving primarily in Lancashire under various aliases. Arrested the third time, he was committed to Lancaster Castle, where he remained in close confinement for three years, once escaping, but recaptured. At his trial with two other priests, Thomas Whitaker and John Woodcock, two apostates witnessed against him that he had administered the sacraments, and he was condemned to die. The execution took place at Lancaster Castle. At his execution he threw a handful of money into the crowd, saying, "God loveth a cheerful giver."Fleury, Cross. ''T̀ime-honoured Lancaster'', Eaton & Bulfield, printers, 1891, p. 184
/ref> Edward Bamber was beatified by Pope John Paul II in November 1987. A stained glass window in the church of St.Marie's in Standish depicts Bamber being pushed off a ladder, which served as a gallows for his execution, by two soldiers. An ode composed on his death is still extant.

References

;Attribution * The entry cites: **

Richard Challoner Richard Challoner (29 September 1691 – 12 January 1781) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Vicar Apostolic of the London District during the greater part of the 18th century, and as Titular Bishop of Doberus. In 1738, he publishe ...

, ''Memoirs'' (1750) **William Watson, ''Decacordon of ten Quodlibet Questions'' (1602) **

Joseph Gillow Joseph Gillow (5 October 1850, Preston, Lancashire – 17 March 1921, Westholme, Hale, Cheshire) was an English Roman Catholic antiquary, historian and bio-bibliographer, "the Plutarch of the English Catholics". Biography Born in Frenchwood Ho ...

, ''Bibl. Dict. Eng. Cath.'' (London, 1885) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bamber, Edward 1646 deaths 16th-century English Roman Catholic priests English beatified people 17th-century venerated Christians English College, Valladolid alumni Year of birth unknown Eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales 17th-century English Roman Catholic priests 17th-century Roman Catholic martyrs People from Poulton-le-Fylde Executed Roman Catholic priests

Life

See also

References