The Tudor Society

June 10 – Two Carthusian monks are starved to death

On this day in Tudor history, 10th June 1537, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Blessed Thomas Green and Blessed Walter Pierson, two Carthusian monks from London Charterhouse, died in Newgate Prison from starvation. They were two out of nine monks who were purposely starved to death for refusing to accept the royal supremacy.

A total of eighteen Carthusian monks were killed between May 1535 and August 1540. Some were hanged, drawn and quartered, some were hanged in chains and some were starved to death. They were all punished for refusing to accept Henry VIII as supreme head of the Church. All eighteen have been recognised by the Catholic Church as martyrs.

Here are videos I’ve done on the Carthusian martyrs of Henry’s reign:

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June 10 – Two Carthusian monks are starved to death