The Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation are men and women executed under treason legislation in the English Reformation, between 1534 and 1680, and recognised as martyrs by the Catholic Church. Though consequences of the English Reformation were felt in Ireland and Scotland as well, this article only covers those who died in the Kingdom of England.

On 25 February 1570, Pope Pius V's "Regnans in Excelsis" bull excommunicated the English Queen Elizabeth I, and any who obeyed her. This papal bull released her subjects from allegiance to her. In response, in 1571 legislation was enacted making it treasonable to be under the authority of the pope, including being a Jesuit, being Catholic or harbouring a Catholic priest. The standard penalty for men convicted of treason at the time was execution by being hanged, drawn and quartered. Women were burned at the stake.

In the reign of Pope Gregory XIII (1572–85), authorisation was given for 63 recognised martyrs to have their relics honoured and pictures painted for Catholic devotions. These martyrs were formally beatified by Pope Leo XIII, 54 in 1886 and the remaining nine in 1895. Further groups of martyrs were subsequently documented and proposed by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales and formally recognised by Rome.

Numbers in various categories In 1874 a process was begun, containing 353 names, to which six were added in Rome, making 359.Acts of English martyrs hitherto unpublished, page 384 Of those: 54 were beatified in 1886, of whom two were canonized in 1935, and 11 in 1970. 9 were beatified in 1895. One (Oliver Plunkett) was beatified in 1920, and canonized in 1975. 136 were beatified in 1929, of whom 29 were canonized in 1970 85 were beatified in 1987. (So 285 were beatified at various times, of whom 43 were subsequently canonised). 30 were declared venerable, of whom one, John Travers, was executed in Dublin and appears in Irish Catholic Martyrs. (So 315 were declared venerable, of whom 285 were subsequently beatified). 44 were postponed ("dilati") – 36 died in prison and 8 were postponed for other reasons.

Saints Canonised on 19 May 1935

John Fisher (1469–1535), Bishop of Rochester; Cardinal (Yorkshire – London, England) Thomas More, (1478–1535), married layman of the Archdiocese of Westminster (London, England)

Canonised on 25 October 1970

John Houghton (c. 1487–1535), priest of the Carthusian order (Essex – London, England) Robert Lawrence (c. 1485–1535), priest of the Carthusian order (London, England) Augustine Webster (died 1535), priest of the Carthusian order (London, England) Richard Reynolds (c. 1492–1535), priest of the Bridgettine order (Devon – London, England) John Stone (died 1539), priest of the Augustinian order (Kent, England) Cuthbert Mayne (c. 1544–1577), priest of the Diocese of Plymouth (Devon – Cornwall, England) Edmund Campion (c. 1540–1581), Jesuit priest (London, England) Ralph Sherwin (c. 1550–1581), priest of the Diocese of Nottingham (Derby – London, England) Alexander Briant (c. 1556–1581), Jesuit priest (Somerset – London, England) John Payne (1532–1582), priest of the Diocese of Brentwood (Northampton – Essex, England) Luke Kirby (c. 1549–1582), priest of the Diocese of Middlesbrough (North Yorkshire – London, England) Richard Gwyn (alias Richard White) (c. 1537–1584), married layman of the Diocese of Wrexham (Powys – Clwyd, Wales) Margaret Clitherow née Middleton (1556–1586), married laywoman of the Diocese of Middlesbrough (North Yorkshire, England) Margaret Ward (c. 1550–1588), laywoman of the Diocese of Shrewsbury (Cheshire – London, England) Edmund Gennings (1567–10 December 1591), priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham (Staffordshire – London, England) Swithin Wells (1536– 10 December 1591), married layman of the Diocese of Portsmouth (Hampshire – London, England) Eustace White (1559–10 December 1591), priest of the Diocese of Nottingham (Lincolnshire – London, England) Polydore Plasden (1563–10 December 1591), priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster (London, England) John Boste (1543–1594), priest of the Diocese of Lancaster (Cumbria – London, England) Robert Southwell (1561–1595), Jesuit priest (Norfolk – London, England) Henry Walpole (1558–1595), Jesuit priest (Norfolk – North Yorkshire, England) Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel (1557–1595), married layman of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton (London, England) John Griffith (alias Jones, Buckley, or Griffith, or Godfrey Maurice) (1559–1598), priest of the Franciscan Friars Minor (Observants) (Gwynedd, Wales – London, England) John Rigby (c. 1570–1600), layman of the Archdiocese of Liverpool (Lancashire – London, England) Anne Line née Higham (c. 1565–1601), married laywoman of the Diocese of Brentwood (Essex – London, England) Nicholas Owen (c. 1550–1606), Jesuit (Oxfordshire – London, England) Thomas Garnet (1575–1608), Jesuit priest (London, England) John Roberts (c. 1576–1610), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation) (Gwynedd, Wales – London, England) John Almond (c. 1577–1612), priest of the Archdiocese of Liverpool (Merseyside – London, England) Edmund Arrowsmith (1585–1628), Jesuit priest (Lancashire, England) Edward Barlow (Ambrose) (1585–1641), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation) (Lancashire, England) Bartholomew Roe (Alban) (1583–1642), priest of the Benedictine order(English Congregation) (Suffolk – London, England) Henry Morse (1595–1645), Jesuit priest (Suffolk – London, England) John Southworth (1592–1654), priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster (Lancashire – London, England) John [William] Plessington (c. 1637–1679), priest of the Diocese of Lancaster (Lancashire – Cheshire, England) Philip Evans (c. 1645–1679), Jesuit priest (Monmouthshire – Cardiff, Wales) John Lloyd (c. 1630–1679), priest of the Diocese of Menevia (Powys – Cardiff, Wales) John Wall (Joachim of Saint Anne) (c. 1620–1679), priest of the Franciscan Friars Minor (Recollects) (Lancashire – Worcestershire, England) John Kemble (1599–1679), priest of the Archdiocese of Cardiff (Herefordshire, England) David Lewis (1616–1679), Jesuit priest (Monmouthshire, England)

Canonised on 12 October 1975 Oliver Plunkett (1625–1681), Archbishop of Armagh (Meath, Ireland – London, England)

Canonised on 17 October 1976 John Ogilvie (1579–1615), Jesuit priest (Moray – Glasgow, Scotland)

Blesseds Beatified on 29 December 1886

As well as those listed below, John Fisher and Thomas More were beatified on this date, as were 11 members of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, making a total of 54.

Order of Carthusians

William Exmew (died 1535), priest of the Carthusian order (London, England) Humphrey Middlemore (died 1535), priest of the Carthusian order (Birmingham – London, England) Sebastian Newdigate (died 1535), priest of the Carthusian order (Middlesex – London, England) John Rochester (died 1537), priest of the Carthusian order (Essex – North Yorkshire, England) James Walworth (died 1537), priest of the Carthusian order (North Yorkshire, England) William Greenwood (died 1537), priest of the Carthusian order (London, England) John Davy (died 1537), Carthusian monk (London, England) Robert Salt (died 1537), Carthusian monk (London, England) Walter Pierson (died 1537), Carthusian monk (London, England) Thomas Green (died 1537), priest of the Carthusian order (London, England) Thomas Scryven (died 1537), Carthusian monk (London, England) Thomas Redyng (died 1537), Carthusian monk (London, England) Richard Bere (died 1537), priest of the Carthusian order (Somerset – London, England) Thomas Johnson (died 1537), priest of the Carthusian order (London, England) William Horne (died 1540), Carthusian monk (London, England)

Diocesan Clergy

John Haile (or Hale) (died 1535), priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster (London, England) Thomas Abel (died 1540), priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster (London, England) Edward Powell (died 1540), priest of the Diocese of Clifton (Wales – London, England) Richard Fetherston (died 1540), priest of the Diocese of Menevia (London, England) John Larke (died 1544), priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster (London, England) Thomas Plumtree (died 1570), priest of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (Lincolnshire – Durham, England) Everard Hanse (died 1581), priest of the Diocese of Northampton (Northamptonshire – London, England) Thomas Ford (died 1582), Priest of the Diocese of Plymouth (Devon – London, England) John Shert (died 1582), priest of the Diocese of Shrewsbury (Cheshire – London, England) Robert Johnson (died 1582), priest of the Diocese of Shrewsbury (Shropshire – London, England) William Filby (died 1582), priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham (Oxfordshire – London, England) Lawrence Richardson (also known as Lawrence Johnson) (died 1582), priest of the Archdiocese of Liverpool (Lancashire – London, England) William Lacy (or Lacey) (died 1582), priest of the Diocese of Leeds (North Yorkshire, England) Richard Kirkman (died 1582), priest of the Diocese of Leeds (North Yorkshire, England) James Tompson (died 1582), priest of the Diocese of Middlesbrough (North Yorkshire, England) William Hart (died 1583), priest of the Diocese of Clifton (Somerset – North Yorkshire, England) Richard Thirkeld (died 1583), priest of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (Durham – North Yorkshire, England)

Society of Jesus (Jesuits)

Thomas Woodhouse (1535–1573), Jesuit priest (Lincolnshire – London, England) John Nelson (died 1578), Jesuit priest (Yorkshire – London, England) Thomas Cottam (1549–1582), Jesuit priest (Lancashire – London, England)

Franciscan Friars Minor (Observants)

John Forest (died 1538), priest of the Franciscan Friars Minor (Observants) (London, England)

Roman Catholic Laity Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1473–1541), married laywoman of the Diocese of Portsmouth (Somerset – London, England) German Gardiner (died 1544), layman of the Archdiocese of Southwark (London, England) John Felton (died 1570), married layman of the Archdiocese of Southwark (London, England) John Storey (died 1571), married layman of the Diocese of Clifton (Wiltshire – London, England) Thomas Sherwood (1551–1578), layman of the Archdiocese of Westminster (London, England)

Beatified on 13 May 1895

Adrian Fortescue (c. 1480–1539), married layman of the Archdiocese of Westminster; Member of the Lay Dominicans and Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem (Hertfordshire – London, England) Richard Whiting (died 1539), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation); Abbot of Glastonbury (Somerset, England) John Thorne (died 1539), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation) (Somerset, England) Roger James (died 1539), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation) (Somerset, England) Hugh Cook Faringdon (died 1539), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation); Abbot of Reading (Berkshire, England) William Eynon (John) (died 1539), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation) (Berkshire, England) John Rugg (or Rugge) (died 1539), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation) (Berkshire, England) John Beche (or Thomas Marshall) (died 1539), priest of the Benedictine order (English Congregation); Abbot of Colchester (Essex, England) Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland (1528–1572), married layman of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (Northumberland – North Yorkshire, England)

Beatified on 15 December 1929

As well as those listed below, 29 members of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales were also beatified on that date, making a total of 136. This beatification was attended by G.K. Chesterton as detailed in his book The Resurrection of Rome.

Henry Abbot, layman, 4 July 1597 John Amias, priest, 16 March 1589 Robert Anderton, priest, 25 April 1586. William Andleby, priest, 4 July 1597