Nicholas Sanders
Nicholas Sanders was born at Sander Place near Charlwood, Surrey, around the year 1530. He entered one of twelve children into a family with strong Roman Catholic leanings. Two of his elder sisters became nuns of Sion convent before its dissolution. At the age of ten, Nicholas became a student at Hyde Abbey. He later attended Winchester College and New College, Oxford. Sanders was elected fellow in 1548 and graduated B.C.L. in 1551. The family had deep religious convictions that shaped his early path.
In Rome, Sanders was befriended by Pole's confidant, Cardinal Morone. He also owed much to the generosity of Francis Englefield. Sanders was ordained a priest in Rome and afterwards received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. In 1560 he wrote a Report on the State of England for Cardinal Morone. He attended the Council of Trent as a theologian of Cardinal Hosius. In 1565, Fr. Sanders made his headquarters at Louvain. His mother and siblings joined him there as refugees from anti-Catholic recusancy laws. His sister Elizabeth Sanders became a nun of Syon at Rouen.
Sanders and Fitzmaurice landed a force of some 600 Spanish and Italian freelance troops with arms for 4,000 rebels. They launched the Second Desmond Rebellion at Smerwick harbour in Ireland. The invasion fleet was immediately captured by Sir William Winter. In November 1580 the troops already at Smerwick were massacred by the Irish Royal Army under Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton. This followed the 3-day Siege of Smerwick. As Spain and the Papacy were not formally at war with England, Fr. Sanders and his men were declared outlaws. Grey's report mentioned the execution of an Englishman who served Dr. Sanders. Two others had their arms and legs broken for torture before death.
After spending months as a fugitive in the south-west of Ireland, Sanders is believed to have died of cold and starvation. This occurred in the spring of 1581. He escaped into the hills following the massacre at Smerwick. No body was ever recovered from the rugged terrain. His disappearance marked the end of a life dedicated to Catholic resistance against Elizabethan rule. The harsh conditions of the Irish countryside proved fatal to those left behind after the failed expedition.
Fr. Sanders' De visibili Monarchia Ecclesiae provided the first narrative of the sufferings of the English Catholics. It was published in 1571, in the aftermath of both Regnans in Excelsis and the Northern Rebellion. The work detailed the persecution faced by believers under Protestant governance. It became a foundational text for later Catholic histories of the English Reformation. The treatise offered a theological defense of the Church visible on earth during times of crisis.
His major unfinished work was titled Of the Origin and Progression of the English Schism. This had many editions and was used as a basis for other works. Edward Rishton supposedly printed it at Cologne in 1585, actually by Jean Foigny at Reims. William Allen is now assumed to have had a large editorial role from the start. Rishton acted as an editor and moved De origine towards martyrology. The materials included the prison journal of the Jesuit John Hart. Other sources included writings of Reginald Pole on the English Reformation and a life of John Fisher.
Catholic writers who took up the content of De origine included Girolamo Pollini and Andrea Sciacca. British Protestant reactions included that of Peter Heylin, who called Sanders Dr Slanders. Gilbert Burnet was prompted into his History of the Reformation at the end of the 17th century. The writings formed the basis of later Catholic histories of the English Reformation and its martyrology. Protestant critics attacked his reputation while Catholic historians utilized his writings for martyrdom narratives. His legacy remains divided between those who saw him as a traitor and those who viewed him as a saintly figure.
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Common questions
When was Nicholas Sanders born and where did he grow up?
Nicholas Sanders was born around the year 1530 at Sander Place near Charlwood in Surrey. He entered a family with strong Roman Catholic leanings as one of twelve children.
What happened to Nicholas Sanders during the Second Desmond Rebellion in Ireland?
Nicholas Sanders landed a force of some 600 Spanish and Italian freelance troops at Smerwick harbour in Ireland to launch the Second Desmond Rebellion. The invasion fleet was captured by Sir William Winter, and the troops were massacred by the Irish Royal Army under Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton, following the 3-day Siege of Smerwick in November 1580.
How did Nicholas Sanders die and when did his death occur?
Nicholas Sanders died of cold and starvation in the spring of 1581 after spending months as a fugitive in the south-west of Ireland. No body was ever recovered from the rugged terrain where he escaped into the hills following the massacre at Smerwick.
Which books did Nicholas Sanders write about English Catholics and the Reformation?
Nicholas Sanders published De visibili Monarchia Ecclesiae in 1571 which provided the first narrative of the sufferings of the English Catholics. His major unfinished work titled Of the Origin and Progression of the English Schism became a basis for later Catholic histories of the English Reformation.
Who edited or printed Nicholas Sanders' unfinished work On the Origin and Progression of the English Schism?
Edward Rishton supposedly printed the work at Cologne in 1585 but it was actually produced by Jean Foigny at Reims with William Allen having a large editorial role from the start. Rishton acted as an editor and moved the text towards martyrology using materials like the prison journal of the Jesuit John Hart.