William Bawden

William Bawden or Baldwin (born Cornwall, 1563; died at St.-Omer, 28 September, 1632) was an English Jesuit and schoolmaster who was implicated in the Gunpowder plot.

Father Bawden studied for five years at Oxford and later spent some time at the University of Douai, whence he went to Reims, arriving at the latter institution on 31 December, 1582. Leaving Reims, he went, on 13 August, 1583, to Rome and in the Venerable English College in that city, he completed his studies for the priesthood, and was ordained priest, 16 April, 1586. After his ordination he served one year as English penitentiary at St. Peter's Basilica, when his health failed. He next went to Belgium, and in 1590, on joining the Jesuits, he became professor of theology at the Catholic University of Leuven. His health failing again he went to Brussels, where he resided for eleven years. His next change was to Germany, where he was arrested and sent to England for an alleged connection with the Gunpowder plot. He was incarcerated in the Tower of London for eight years and was tortured in the hope of extracting a confession from him. His innocence being established, he was liberated, but at the same time banished. In 1621 he was appointed rector of the University of Leuven, and the next year was transferred to the rectorship at the College of St. Omer, where he remained until his death.

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