Thomas Baily

Thomas Baily (c.1525, Yorkshire - Oct 7 1591, Douai) was an English Catholic clergyman during the Elizabethan persecutions.

Baily was a student at Clare Hall , Cambridge, where he obtained the degree of B.A. degree in 1546. Soon after he became a Fellow of that house receiving the degree of M.A. degree in 1549. In 1554 he was appointed Proctor and in the following year he subscribed to the Roman Catholic Articles. About November, 1557, he was appointed Master of Clare Hall and was given the degree of B.D. degree in 1558. In the same year Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne and efforts were made by the Protestant party to gain recruits to its ranks, but Baily refused to conform to the new religion. As a consequence he was deprived of his Mastership. He next visited Leuven, where he remained until 30 January, 1576, during the interval receiving the D.D. degree. From Leuven he went to Douai at the invitation of William Allen (afterwards Cardinal), during whose absence he usually filled the position of President of the English College both at Douai and Reims. He finally left Reims, 27 January, 1589, returning to Douai, where he remained until his death. He was associated with Cardinal Allen in the management of the College, the distribution of the labour being that Cardinal Allen had charge of the discipline, Baily the temporal affairs, and Richard Bristow, another of Cardinal Allen's colabourers, the studies. He was buried in the Chapel of St. Nicholas in the parish church of St. James, Douai.