Margaret Clitherow’s story is one that intertwines faith, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of religious persecution during Elizabethan England. Known as “the Pearl of York,” she was a woman who defied the laws of her time, choosing to secretly harbor Catholic priests and facilitate Mass during a period of intense anti-Catholic sentiment. This act of defiance ultimately led to her gruesome death by crushing, a martyrdom that has echoed through history and earned her sainthood.
Born in 1556, Margaret was the daughter of a a respected businessman, a wax-chandler and Sheriff of York in 1564. At the age of fourteen, she married John Clitherow, a butcher and chamberlain in the city of York. Her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1574 marked a significant turning point in her life. Despite the dangers and her husband belonged to the Established Church, Margaret’s dedication to her new religion was unwavering. She was imprisoned multiple times for her refusal to attend church services, with her third child even being born during her incarceration.
Margaret’s commitment to her faith did not waver in the face of danger. The Jesuits, etc. Act of 1584 made harboring priests a capital offense, yet she provided hidden chambers for fugitive priests and ensured that Mass was celebrated amidst persecution. Her home and other locations such as The Black Swan at Peasholme Green became crucial sanctuaries for these religious outcasts.
When a search of her house in 1586 led to her arrest, Margaret made a profound decision that would solidify her place in history. She refused to enter a plea, avoiding a trial that would have forced her own children to testify against her and likely endure torture. This refusal subjected her to a heinous form of execution—death by pressing with her own door, although pregnant with her fourth child. The execution, as one source notes, was delegated to four desperate beggars. Her death occurred within fifteen minutes, but her body was left for six hours before the weight was removed.
Despite this tragic end, Margaret’s legacy would flourish. She was beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI and eventually canonised on 25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. The Roman Catholic Church commemorates her feast day on 4 May in England and 25 October in Wales. Additionally, she is remembered on 30 August alongside martyrs Anne Line and Margaret Ward, with this date also recognized by the Episcopal Church.
Her life has inspired literary works, with English poet and Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins penning a tribute to her courage and faith. More recently, her tale has influenced modern narratives, such as the dystopian novel “I Am Margaret” by Corinna Turner in 2014, which, while not a strict retelling, draws upon the themes of religious persecution reminiscent of Clitherow’s own struggles.
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– Margaret Clitherow