Nicholas Woodfen
British venerated priest
Who they were
Nicholas Woodfen was a priest who was put to death at Tyburn on 21 January 1586, under Elizabeth I, together with Edward Stransham. From about this time, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, almost all the priests who suffered did so under a law of the twenty-seventh year of Elizabeth, simply for being priests.
In 1913 the Catholic Encyclopedia counted him among the English martyrs whose cause had been admitted at Rome, who were then styled Venerable.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
One of the English martyrs who died for the Catholic faith under Elizabeth I.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- Edward Stransham Blessed“Nicholas Woodfen was a priest who was put to death at Tyburn on 21 January 1586, under Elizabeth I, together with Edward Stransham.” — this site's research
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - English Confessors and Martyrs (1534-1729)
- Roman Martyrology, 21 January (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q7026431 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Nicholas Woodfen (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.