Dr Thomas & Dorothy Vavasour

👑 1509 - 1547

• Reign of Henry VIII  (Catholic - Protestant)

Early Life and Influences

Thomas Vavasour was born at Spaldington circa 1510. [6]    He was the son of Sir Peter Vavasour and his wife, Elizabeth Windsor.

Thomas entered St John's College, Cambridge in 1532 and was awarded his BA in 1536 and his MA in 1538.  For most of his time at St John's, the College was led by staunch Catholic, Nicholas Metcalfe.  Surely this must have had some influence on Thomas's future religious convictions.

In 1539 Thomas became a fellow of Clare Hall.   Clare Hall was founded in 1326 and endowed a few years later by Lady Elizabeth de Clare, a granddaughter of King Edward I.

Thomas's next move was to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became a Steward and Junior Bursar in 1547-8.   It is possible that he was studying theology there, although it is thought that he also started to study medicine privately.  

A visitation of Trinity College around 1549 named Thomas amongst a list of members forming a 'nest' of papistry. In fact, he was responsible for a satirical text aimed at the visitors, which made barely veiled allusions to the penalties already being imposed on religious conservatives:

Prison and exile, fines and griefs and threats.

Are all the reward now left to learned men.

Not thus the path to the Muses. Repent ye, who

Have sworn to overthrow our fathers’ laws:

Or else this great Academy will fall

In miserable ruin, her Muse compelled

To leave and find herself another home.’  [7]

✝️  1534 

• Act of Supremacy.   Henry VIII assumed authority over religious matters in England. 

✝️  1536 - 1541

• Dissolution of the Monasteries

👑 1547 - 1553 

• Reign of Edward VI (Protestant)

👑  1553 - 1558 

• Reign of Mary I  (Catholic)

1556

In 1556 Thomas took the degree of Doctor of Medicine at Venice, and on the 20th November, 1556, received a licence from the College of Physicians, to practise that faculty for two years.  [8]

1558 - 1603 👑

• Reign of Elizabeth I  (Catholic - Protestant)

1573

During the reign of Elizabeth the Catholic gentry of Yorkshire began to send their sons to continental seminaries to be trained as missionaries or simply to receive a Catholic education.  It appears that Dr Thomas Vavasour of York sent his son to the seminary of Douai in northern France in this year.  [10]  Thomas and Dorothy had two sons, James and Peter.  [11]  James was the oldest brother and he went on to become a priest so, presumably he was the son who was sent to Douai.  He died in 1593 [12]

In 1585, priests who had trained abroad were barred from returning to England and those who did were considered guilty of high treason. All English born Catholic priests who had trained abroad were ordered to leave the country within 40 days. As a result, priests were hunted down and a total of 126 priests were executed during the reign of Elizabeth I.  It is possible that this may have affected Thomas's son!  [13]

1574

A terrifying event for the family occurred during this year.  Thomas had returned home in secret, having been previously banished from his house.  However, he was seen by a local schoolmaster, who betrayed him to the Council.  As a result a search was made of his house.  

The men were "very fearfully raging about every place of the house with naked swords and daggers, thrusting and porring in at every hole and crevice, breaking down walls, rending down cloths, pulling up boards from the floors, and making such spoil of their goods in such cruel manner, that the gentlewoman his wife, and his children, being so frighted with fear lest they should have slain her husband, that thereupon she lost her wit, being extremely possessed, lay bound for the space of a quarter of a year, and in her raging detected [disclosed] many secrets. The search lasted a whole day, yet the secret place being so politicly devised, they could not find him, and being made certain that he was in the house, they did not depart until the Lord Mayor was willed to command watchmen with halberts to be set about the house, thereby to make him yield by famine, which so remaining that night and the next day, he yielded himself to the watch the sooner for saving a priest which was with him."

Thomas was sent to Doctor Hutton, the Dean and, from there, to Alderman Brookes, where he remained for about three months.  During this time, he was allowed to return to visit Dorothy until "she was mended".  He was then committed to Hull Castle, where he remained for eight years and finally died. [14]

The first recorded find of a priest hole was in the York home of Thomas Vavasour in February 1574.  [15]  It seems likely that this discovery may have been found during the above raid.

Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of York, writing to Lord Burghley on 13th November in the same year, refers to Dr. Vavasour, who, he says, was an old acquaintance of his lordship, who had been tolerated in his own house at York, 'almost three-quarters of a year', till the Archbishop and the Lord President of the North committed him to a solitary prison in the Queen’s castle of Hull. The Archbishop says that the doctor had been, especially in his younger years, sophistical, disdainful, and eluding argument with scoffing, when he was not able to solve the same with learning.  [16]

6th June 1576 - Report by Edmond Richardson, Lord Mayor of York

Ousebridge Kidcote (Kidcote was the nickname given to the medieval prisons of York):

" Forasmuch as divers disobedient persons within this city, neglecting their duties to God and the Queen’s Majesty, will in nowise come to their parish churches to hear the divine service of Almighty God according to His laws and the laws of this realm : Therefore it is now agreed by these presents, that according to the form of the statute in that case provided, warrants shall be made to the churchwardens of every parish wherein any the said disobedient persons do dwell, commanding them to levy 12d. of the goods and chattels of every such person by way of distress for every time that he or she, having no sufficient excuse, shall be absent from their parish church every Sunday or holiday in the time of common prayer, preaching, or other service of God. The copy of the names of which said disobedient persons sent from Mr. Dean and other the Commissioners are underwritten as followeth." [1]

Included in the list was:

"Christ's Parish - Ux. Thomas Vavasor - Comes not to the church."  This refers to Dorothy, the wife (Ux = Uxor) of Thomas Vavasour.

Also listed in the same parish was "Ux. Johis Clitheroe".  [1]  This was probably Margaret Clitheroe who, c.1568, married a prosperous meat merchant named John Clitherow (Clitheroe).

" Dorothy Vavasour, wife of Thomas Vavasour, doctor of physic, sayeth she cometh not to the church because her conscience will not serve her so to do, for she sayeth she will remain in the faith that she was baptized in. And as for the substance of the same Thomas, we think it little or nothing worth, and he hath no lands to our knowledge." [1]

From this, we can see that Dorothy was baptised as a Catholic.  Also, this suggests that Thomas does not seem to have been a wealthy man - he had no land and owned little of worth.

"Margaret Clitherow [in prisona, in marg.], wife of John Clitherow, butcher, cometh not to the church, for what cause we cannot learn, for she is now great with child, and could not come before us.  The same John sayeth he is worth in clear goods 6l., and so we think." [1]

From this we learn that Margaret is already in prison and is pregnant.  Her husband's wealth is given as £6, which equates to approximately £2,200 today.

Recusancy

Under Queen Elizabeth I, the laws of recusancy made it illegal for anyone not to attend the Protestant Church of England service in their local parish on religious holidays and every Sunday.  Those who did not comply found their name on a list, such as the one mentioned above.  Many Catholics continued to worship in secret, but still attended their local church every Sunday.  A small minority, however, were openly defiant and refused to attend Church of England services, with the result that their property could be confiscated.  In the case of a recusant wife, such as Dorothy and Margaret, their husband could be fined and the wife could be sent to prison.

Where did they live?

Christ's Church was located at the top of the Shambles.  Sadly the church was demolished in 1937 but, during the lifetime of Dorothy and Margaret, it would have been a familiar sight and, possibly, the 'local' church in which they were supposed to worship.

Thomas and Dorothy Vavasour

It is reported that Mass was said in the Vavasour's house in 1570.  Apparently, their house was 'by the common school house' in the city of York.  It could be that this was in Ogleforth, which ran from Goodramgate to Chapter House Street, as Thomas established his clinic there.  In 1575 the gate of Ogleforth was said to have been next to the Free School.  The deed of foundation of Archbishop Holgate’s Free School states that the “Free School shall be in the Close in one house and place therefore provided adjoining to the parish church of St John-del-Pyke.”  The school was founded in 1547.  

Thomas established his clinic in this house.  But why did he become a Doctor of Medicine, when his original calling was to religion?  It has been suggested that the demand for healers in towns and cities increased during the 1500's and 1600's.  Prior to the Reformation, the Minster and its Close had been a place of pilgrimage, particularly for people seeking healing.  Once rituals of absolution, purification and confession had been removed from religion, the medical doctor could step in and perform these and other forms of support which had previously been offered by the Catholic Church.   So the Minster Close retained its role as a healing centre, but 'medical' healing rather than 'spiritual'.

In 1576 Hugh Graves, the new Lord Mayor of the City of York, made a declaration to the Churchwardens of Christ's parish.  He referred to a previous direction made by his predecessor, John Dyneley, who commanded the Churchwardens to charge a tax on all the belongings of Thomas Vavasour, doctor of physic, amongst other residents, for every Sunday and other holiday that his wife, Dorothy, had "wilfully absented herself from her parish church and would not come to the same, and there remain orderly and soberly during the time of common prayer, preaching, or other service of God, then to be used and ministered, but obstinately and wilfully should refuse the same contrary to the true meaning of the statutes made in the first year of the Queen’s Majesty’s reign, for every such offence 12d., by way of distress, &c."

The Churchwardens were directed to let the Mayor know every fortnight how much money had been raised in this way.  However, it seems that in the past the wardens had been rather lax in their duties and had not been reporting back to the previous Mayor, nor handing over any monies which should have been raised.  Hugh Graves was determined to put this right and insisted that the wardens carry out their duties, "unless the said offenders can show some lawful and reasonable cause of their absence, to be allowed from time to time by me the said Mayor, Mr. Recorder, and four of my brethren aldermen, which Dorothy, Mary, Janet, &c., have been lately presented offenders in this behalf against the form of the said statute ".   In his directive, the husband of John Clitherowe was included.

Hugh Graves commanded the Churchwardens to certify in writing all such money collected by them, on Wednesday, 11th June, at "nine of the clock before noon"  in the Council Chamber upon Ousebridge.  This was to be repeated every fortnight from that date.  If they failed to do this, "you and every of you will answer to the contrary at your extreme perils." [1]

The 'new' Ouse Bridge had only opened ten years earlier to replace a previous bridge which collapsed in 1154 under the weight of a crowd gathered to welcome St William of York. .  The new bridge was lined with houses, shops, a courthouse, a prison and St William’s Chapel.  Possibly the Council Chamber would have been situated in the courthouse.

1577

On 2nd August, Margaret Clitheroe was committed to York Castle prison for refusing to attend church services.  [18]

1579

It seems that Thomas was back home in June 1579 and Mass was again said in his house.

However, his freedom was not to last as he was subsequently imprisoned in the Gatehouse Prison, Westminster.  Nevertheless, he was later released from here on submitting to acknowledge the royal supremacy in religious matters.  [16]

1580

On 3rd October, Margaret again refused to take an oath or conform.  She was committed as a close prisoner to York Castle.  [18]

1581

On 24th April Margaret Clitheroe's husband, John, took a bond to permit Margaret's release from gaol under condition that she must return six weeks after childbirth. [18]

On 15th August 1581, Dorothy Vavasour's house was raided again.  A priest saying Mass and all his congregation were brought before the Lord Mayor, William Robinson.  The case was brought before the court of Quarter Sessions on 4th October 1581, but most of the people who had been arrested refused to answer.  Against their names is the note, "nihil die(it)".  [14] 

1583

Margaret Clitheroe was again committed to 10 months in York Castle prison. [18]

Tragic Endings

1585  

Thomas Vavasour died at Kingston upon Hull in May 1585.  [6]  He was buried at Drypool near Hull.

His death was brought about by his attentions to his fellow prisoners in the North Blockhouse & Castle, Hull, “Where daily he passed his time in virtuous studies in contemplation & prayer, giving good counsel & ministering physic freely & cheerfully, good for both body & soul, to any fellow prisoners visited with the hand of God or summoned with sickness the messenger of death. He and all the whole company of that house remaining alive were removed to the Castle where they were so close and pestered with so many bodies in one chamber that it was impossible for old & diseased men to continue any time. Here this constant confessor being most diligent about some good aged priests who were grievously diseased & had very sore legs, took a sore sickness, wherein he lying long with lingering pain, most patiently suffered both the absence of his dear wife (who could not be permitted to come to him) and all the pangs of sickness till it pleased God to call him to his mercy. Thus ended his life in this noble cause, which he had nobly defended with a noble and valiant heart, worthy of the noble line from whence he descended.  [8]

Notes made by a prisoner state:

" Mr. Doctor Thomas Vavasour, a man both grave, learned, and godly, for his zeal and Christian fortitude in professing the Catholic faith, was forced to fly, and was banished in King Edward's days through the malice of heretics. Some of his greatest enemies craved him mercy afterwards, at his return in Queen Mary's time ; after whose death, he openly professing and defending the Catholic faith, was much hated by heretics, who first framed against him a deadly excommunication, which was read openly in York Minster by one Moulton, sometime a religious man, but then a pestiferous apostata. After this the Sheriff of York, one Mr. Askwith, breaking into his house and not finding him there, spoiled the house so unmercifully that he left neither chair, stool, pillow, nor so much as the worst cushion to lay under the poor child when his loving wife should swathe it. About three years [after] this, my Lord President his men did invade his

house, and beset it round about night and day with armed men.  insomuch that the good gentlewoman, his wife, for this fearful

spectacle, and having three days and [nights] wanting sleep, went beside herself, the which her husband perceiving, came

forth of his secret-place, and so was taken and committed to prison. Aftenvards, by the intercession of my Lady Huntingdon, he was permitted to go home to his wife, and she came to herself again. Then he was committed the second time to Mr. Brook, in whose house he had been prisoner before. Here he so learnedly defended his religion against all who did impugn it, that it was reported he would turn the whole city if he were suffered to talk. And thereupon he was sent to Hull with a most strait warrant to be kept alone, excluded from all company (except his own boy), in Hull Castle one whole year, under a cruel and unmerciful keeper called Hawcock, who locked him up continually, but when his meat was brought unto him. At the suit of his brother and other friends, by reason of his infirmity and sickness,

he was removed from Hull to be prisoner at his brother's house, under sureties to appear before my Lord President, when his day

was expired, to get a new day. Hereupon, after some time rumour was spread that he had conformed himself, at which he was so

troubled, that being come to my Lord President to get a new day, and hearing of this rumour, fearing scandal, be plainly refused to

take any more days ; and so was sent again to Hull, and was for some years kept prisoner in the North Blockhouse, where he passed all his time in virtuous studies, in contemplation and prayer, and in ministering physic unto his fellow-prisoners. He and all his company in that house remaining alive were removed to the Castle, where they were so close and pestered with so many beds in one chamber that it was impossible for old and diseased men to continue long. Here this constant confessor, being diligent in dressing the sore legs of some good aged priests, took a grievous sickness, wherein he, lying long with lingering pain most patiently, suffered both the absence of his dear wife, who could not be permitted to come to him, and all the pangs of sickness, until it pleased God to call him to His mercy, ending

his life in this noble cause with a noble and valiant heart, worthy of the noble line from whence he descended, his father being a knight and his mother my Lord Windsor's daughter, a very good and virtuous lady. He departed, the year of our Lord 1585, the 12th of May, and was buried in the churchyard of Drypoole, within the garrison walls of Hull.  [1]

1586

During the 1580's sanctions against Catholics increased.  Harbouring or even helping a Catholic priest could lead to the gallows.  Nevertheless, several priests lived in York - the suspicion was that two of them were living in the Shambles at the back of a butcher's shop.  In the home of Margaret Clitheroe, maybe?  Her expectation may have been that she could expect leniency as the new Lord Mayor was her stepfather.  Surely he would protect her.  Sadly not.  Following a morning raid, Margaret was arrested.  [18]

Not long after, Margaret Clitheroe was executed at Ouse Bridge for hiding Catholic priests. On Good Friday Margaret was taken from the prison which stood at the end of the bridge to the Ouse bridge toll booth, (only seven yards from the jail), where the sentence of 'peine forte et dure' was carried out. She was stripped naked and laid upon the floor of the toll booth, with a sharp stone under her back. A quantity of seven or eight hundred-weight stones were placed upon her which broke her ribs, causing them to burst through her skin. She was reported to have died after fifteen minutes.

Queen Elizabeth I was so appalled by Margaret’s torturous death that she wrote a public apology to the people of York, claiming that the manner of her death was inappropriate for a woman. 

1587

Dorothy Vavasour died on 26th October 1587 in the New Counter, Ousebridge, York.

Notes made by a prisoner who was also in Ousebridge prison at the same time as Dorothy made the following notes:

" Mrs. Dorothy Vavasour, wife unto Thomas Vavasour, doctor of physic, encouraged much her good and virtuous husband to be

constant in the Catholic faith. Being fallen very sick, and, as some thought, distracted by great sufferings in divers kinds for her

religion, after some time saying our Blessed Lady's Office upon one of our Lady's days, she was suddenly restored to perfect

health, both of body and mind. After which time she did give herself wholly unto the service of God. Living in York, her house

was the refuge for all afflicted Catholics, and specially priests, who were always most charitably entertained. In the year 1578, on the

feast of our Blessed Lady's Assumption, many Catholics being met in her house to hear Mass, before this was begun, the sheriff

of the town came and took the priest and several others, whom they carried to prison, appointing the gentlewoman to appear,

when she should be called, before Sands, Lord Bishop of York.  She did so, and behaved herself with great courage and constant

profession of her faith and of her devotion to our Blessed Lady.  By favour and intercession of friends, she was dismissed at that

time, and continued or rather increased her accustomed devotion for three years, until she was again upon one of our Lady's feasts

apprehended, together with her two daughters and many others, and carried to prison to the New Counter at Ousebridge. Her

husband being prisoner for his religion at Hull and York, she sued for leave to go and see him, but could not obtain it. After his  death, she lived very virtuously for some years in the same prison, from whence in the year of our Lord 1587, she with divers of her fellow-prisoners was removed into the low Kidcote, in which strait and pestilent place she and many others fell sick, and contracted such diseases as never left them until their dying day. At length she was removed again to the same prison of the New Counter, where she yielded up her soul unto God the 26th day of October of the said year 1587. 

What has been said is explained by the following:

This year John Wedall and Leonard Beckwith were chosen sheriffs at Michaelmas, who at their entrance did cruelly thrust down into the low place of Kidcote all or the most of the Catholic prisoners, especially women, whereupon they fell into sickness, most of them, for the place was infected with a prisoner who died there. Whereupon Mary Hutton, wife to William Hutton, a virtuous and constant young woman, died the 2[5] October, 1587.  The next day died the reverend and devout matron, Mrs. Dorothy Vavasour. Also the day following died Alice Aldcome, wife of Thomas Aldcorne, now prisoner at Hull. These were buried on Toftgreen, an obscure place near Micklegate-bar. Thus through hard usage and extreme dealing, these had their days shortened for professing the Catholic faith."  [1]

Between 1574 and 1601, a number of Catholics were prosecuted in Hull for not going to church.  Many of the prisoners were ill-treated with most of them cuffed in chains and left to face their fate. In some cases, the dungeons would fill with water at high tide and drown the prisoners, who were then removed to the churchyard at Drypool and buried.  [17]

The Children of Thomas and Dorothy Vavasour

Thomas and Dorothy's daughter, Johanna (Joane, Jane?) Vavasour, married Peter Newark, who was described as an esquire of the body to Queen Mary.  It seems that the couple may have lived in Holgate Lane, York as, in 1580, Micklegate wardmote court required persons living in Holgate Lane to pave before their houses and demanded that one Peter Newarke should make a gate and fence at the lane end going from Dringhouses to Knavesmire [4]

They also had two sons, James and Peter.  [11]  James was the oldest brother and he went on to become a priest.  He died in 1593 [12]

Sources

1. "The Catholics of York under Elizabeth", online e-book edited by John Morris.

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10%E2%80%9311_The_Shambles

3. The Cathedral Landscape of York, The Minster Close, c.1500-1642, by Stefania Merlo Perring, MA, PhD.

https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/22283/9/PhD%20Vol%201.pdf , https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/22283/10/Merlo%20Perring%20Vol.%202..pdf 

4. Newark of Acomb, https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~newark/genealogy/acomb.htm 

5. Three Sites in the City of York

6.  "Vavysor, Thomas (VVSR535T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.  Cited on Wikipedia.

7. "Thomas Vavasour MD" by Richard Rex

8. https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/thomas-vavasour   

9. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/history/gruesome-punishments-handed-out-criminals-2901240 

10. "The Decline and Dissolution of the Gilbertine Order", 2011 thesis submitted by F.M. Stephenson

11. The baronetage of England, or The History of the English baronets, and such baronets of Scotland, as are of English families; with genealogical tables, and engravings of their coats of arms.

12. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-catholic-history/article/abs/three-sites-in-the-city-of-york1/C58A3478957203D6D811207BBFC0089C 

13. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FEZ5Pv5aY1oakdSO8irMHwGa2U1S453HTjg25TScFpA/edit

14. York & Ainsty Q.S. Bk. iii., cited in THE “TRIAL” OF MARGARET CLITHEROW, by  Katherine M. Longley

15. "A Topographical Index of Hiding Places, II" in Recusant History, Vol.24, Issue 1, May 1998)

16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Vavasour

17. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/history/gruesome-punishments-handed-out-criminals-2901240 

18. tonymorganauthor.wordpress.com, citing from "Catholic Recusancy int eh City of York 1558-1791" by J.C.H. Aveling