William Hart, BLESSED, b. at Wells, 1558; suffered at York, March 15, 1583. Elected Trappes Scholar at Lincoln College, Oxford, May 25, 1571, he supplicated B.A., June 18, 1574. The same year he followed the rector, John Bridgewater, to Douai. He accompanied the college to Reims, and returned thither after a severe operation at Namur, November 22, 1578. He took the college oath at the English College, Rome, April 23, 1579, whence he was ordained priest. On March 26, 1581, he left Rome, arriving at Reims May 13, and resuming his journey May 22. On reaching England he labored in Yorkshire. He was present at the Mass at which Blessed William Lacy was captured, and only escaped by standing up to his chin in the muddy moat of York Castle. Betrayed by an apostate on Christmas Day, 1582, and thrown into an underground dungeon, he was put into double irons. After examination before the Dean of York and the Council of the North, he was arraigned at the Lent Assizes. From the unprofessional account of his trial, which states that he was arraigned on two counts, we may be fairly certain that he was on trial on three, namely: (I) under 13 Eliz. c. 2 for having brought papal writings, to wit his certificate of ordination, into the realm; (2) under 13 Eliz. c. 3. for having gone abroad without royal licence; and (3) under 23 Eliz. c. 1. for having reconciled John Wright and one Couling. On what counts he was found guilty does not clearly appear, but he was certainly guilty of the second.
JOHN B. WAINEWRIGIIT