Francis Tregian 1548-1608, Elizabethan Recusant: A Truly Catholic Cornishman

Francis Tregian owned estates in Cornwall, and held a high place in court at the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I. He made no secret of his Catholic faith. Banished from court on trumped-up charges, he was arrested for hiding a priest, St Cuthbert Mayne, and imprisoned for 30 years. Released under James I, he died in a Jesuit hospital at St Roque, Lisbon, Portugal, and was buried standing up because he had stood up’ to Elizabeth and her heresies. Francis Tregian is much revered on the Continent, where there have been recent attempts to have him elevated to sainthood. At his place of burial there is a detailed description of how he preferred the confiscation of his estates for the defence of the Catholic Faith. This booklet details the history of Francis Tregian, and includes all known details, including Tregian’ Elizabethan music. Includes a Prayer for the Beatification of Francis Tregian as authorised by the Right Reverend Christopher Budd, Bishop of Portsmouth.