Thomas Palasor

Thomas Palasor [Also Palaser, Palliser.] (born at Ellerton-upon-Swale, parish of Catterick, North Riding of Yorkshire; executed at Durham, 9 August1600) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.

Life

He arrived at Reims 24 July, 1592, and set out for Valladolid 24 August, 1592. There he was ordained priest in 1596.

He was arrested in the house of John Norton, of Ravenswroth, nearly Lamesley, County Durham. Norton seems to have been the second son of Richard Norton, of Norton Conyers, attainted for his share in the Rising of the North in 1569. Norton and his wife (if the identification is correct, she was his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Christopher Redshaw of Owston) were arrested at the same time, and with them John Talbot, one of the Talbots of Thornton-le-Street, North Riding of Yorkshire.

All four were tried at Durham and condemned to death, Palasor for being a priest, and the others for assisting him. Another gentleman was condemned at the same time but saved his life by conforming to the Church of England, as the others might have done. Mrs. Norton, being supposed to be with child, was reprieved. The others were executed together.

Richard Challoner tells how an attempt to poison Palasor and his companions made by the gaoler's wife resulted in the conversion of her maid-servant Mary Day.

Notes