Ralph Corbie, SJ (Corby, Corbington, at times Corrington; 25 March 1598 – 7 September 1644) was an Irish

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

. A victim of the anti-Catholic persecutions following the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, 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 1929.

Life

Corbie was born near

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

."Blessed Ralph Corby", Jesuits -Global
/ref> His parents were from Durham and returned to England when Ralph was about five years of age. A brother of Ambrose Corbie, he spent his childhood in the north of England. Then going overseas he studied at

Saint-Omer Saint-Omer (; ; Picard: ''Saint-Onmé'') is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Sa ...

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, and the English College, Valladolid; where he was ordained. Having become a Jesuit about 1626, he came to England about 1631, where he was known by the name of "Carlington".Stanton, Richard. ''A Menology of England and Wales'', Burns & Oates, Ltd., London, 1892
/ref> He worked at Durham for about twelve years.
/ref> He was seized by the Parliamentarians at Hamsterley, 8 July 1644, when clothed in his Mass vestments, conveyed to London, and committed to

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...

(22 July) with

John Duckett John Duckett (1613 – 7 September 1644) was an English Catholic priest and martyr. Life John Duckett was born at Underwinder, in the parish of Sedbergh, in Yorkshire, in 1613, the son of James and Francis Duckett. He was a relative of ...

, a secular priest."Blessed John Duckett and Ralph Corbie", ''Oye Magazine'', Claretian Publications, Chicago, Illinois
/ref> At their trial (

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

, 4 September), they both admitted their priesthood, were condemned to death. Corbie was a Jesuit and the Society tried to save him. When the pardon finally arrived, Corbie insisted that Duckett used it, since he was younger. But John refused. Both were condemned to death. and executed at

Tyburn Tyburn was a Manorialism, manor (estate) in London, Middlesex, England, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. Tyburn took its name from the Tyburn Brook, a tributary of the River Westbourne. The name Tyburn, from Teo Bourne ...

, 7 September. He was hung until dead, then disemboweled and quartered.

Stonyhurst Stonyhurst is a rural estate owned by the Society of Jesus near Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. It is centred on Stonyhurst College, occupying the great house, its preparatory school Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall and the parish church, St ...

has a relic of Father Corbie.

References

;Attribution * The entry cites: ** Matthias Tanner, ''Societas Jesu militans'', 122; **

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 ...

, ''Missionary Priests'' (1742), II, 278; {{DEFAULTSORT:Corbie, Ralph 1598 births 1644 deaths 17th-century Irish Jesuits Irish beatified people 17th-century venerated Christians Executed Roman Catholic priests One Hundred and Seven Martyrs of England and Wales Executed people from County Dublin Christian clergy from County Dublin