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The skull of a saint that was discovered during renovations
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- On 25 April 1641, Catholic priest Ambrose Barlow held a secret Easter mass at Morleys Hall, Greater Manchester, but was arrested by a 400-strong armed group led by a local vicar following King Charles I's decree banning Catholic priests.
- Barlow surrendered peacefully, prioritizing the safety of around 150 congregants, and was imprisoned at Lancaster Castle, later tried and executed for treason on 10 September 1641.
- His skull, a sacred relic, was preserved at Wardley Hall in Worsley, the Bishop of Salford's residence, where it was discovered during renovations in 1745 and later confirmed by forensic tests.
- Ambrose Barlow was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the 40 martyrs of England and Wales, recognizing those killed for their Catholic faith in the 16th and 17th centuries.
- The story of Saint Ambrose Barlow is featured in a new episode of Hidden Manchester on BBC Sounds, and his skull remains a rare relic accessible by private appointment at Wardley Hall.
