Ralph Sherwyn

, where born unless in the Western parts of England I know not, was made Fellow of Exeter Coll. by Sir Will. Petre a principal benefactor thereunto, in July 1568, went through with great industry the several classes of Logick and Philosophy, and in 1574 proceeding in Arts, was made Senior of the Act celebrated 26 July the same year, being then accounted an acute Philosopher, and an excellent Grecian and Hebritian. Afterwards he, (with Joh. Currey M. of A. and Fellow of the said Coll.) obtaining leave to travel beyond the Seas in July 1575, left the University, utterly renounced the Religion, in which he had been mostly educated, went to Doway, spent some time in the study of Divinity in the English Coll. there, and was made Priest with Laur. Johnson (who afterwards was hanged by the name of Richardson) 23. March 1576/7. In that place (and for a time in the English Coll. at Rome) he continued in making progress in divine studies till about the beginning of 1580, and then instead of going into England with certain Persons of his society into the Mission, he went to Rheimes upon publick concerns to be had with Thom. Goldwell Bishop of St. Asaph then there, who being at that time in a sickly condition, and therefore not able to serve Sherwin and his Brethren as to Episcopal confirmation and other matters relating to the mission, he waited upon the said Bishop in the quality of a Chaplain during his sickness. Afterwards being well, and sent for to Rome, Sherwin went into England, and before he was quite settled in London, he was taken in the house of one Roscarriot or Roscarrock, committed Prisoner to the Marshalsea, and had fetters fastned to his legs. While he continued there he had notice once or twice that he should prepare himself to dispute with certain Protestant Divines; whereupon shewing himself very ready to encounter them, he was translated to the Tower of London, where, after he had many questions proposed to him concerning Campian, Persons and other Priests, he shew’d himself afterwards to be a Man of parts, and one that needed not to be asham’d of his education in Exeter College. At length after he had continued there more than an year in great misery, was at length tried for his life, and refusing several times the Oath of Supremacy and going to hear service in the Protestant Churches, was condemned to die. His writings are,

Discourse in the tower of London with Edm. Campian the Jesuit.

[•] account of the disputations in Wisbich Castle between Will. Fulk of Cambridge and certain R. Priests who were Prisoners there.—These two are not printed, but kept in MS. as choice reliques among R. Cath. beyond the Sea. Where, or else in the Tower, Rich. Stanyhurst saw them.

Epistles and Letters to divers Persons—Two of which are in a book entit. Concertatio Ecclesiae Catholicae. Aug. Trev. 1594. fol. 71. 72. &c. See more of him in the latter end of Pet. White, under the Year 1590. At length being found guilty of high treason, was hang’d, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn 1. 1581 Decemb. in Fifteen hundred eighty and one. At the same time suffered Edm. Campian before-mentioned, who was much pittied by all learned Men, especially by his contemporaries in Oxon, as Sherwyn was, who had been very often a companion with Campian in his travels. Alex. Briant also (whom I am now about to mention) did suffer at the same time, and tho not so much commiserated by Scholars, yet by many others, because he was, as the character went on both sides, juvenis pulcherrimus, vultu innocens & prope angelico, &c. Contemporary with Ralph Sherwyn was one Martin Ayray, who, after he had left this University, was one of the first that was brought up in the English Coll. at Rome, and was companion there with the said Sherwyn. Afterwards he became a good workman in England and of great edification for divers years (as those of his opinion say) both before he was taken, and afterwards in Prison. He was living in 1602 which was the last year of Qu. Elizab. at which time he was Provost of the English Church and residence of St. George in St. Lucar of Spain.