Thurston Hunt
English Roman Catholic priest
Feast: 3 April (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Thurstan Hunt, of the family of Carlton Hall near Leeds, studied at Reims. In 1600 he was captured trying to rescue the priest Robert Middleton, nephew of St Margaret Clitherow, near Preston.
Both were heavily ironed day and night and paraded in disgrace to London and back to Lancaster, where they were condemned for their priesthood and executed in March 1601. No one would lend a horse to drag them to execution; they reconciled condemned felons to the Church before dying.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
A priest who died trying to save a fellow priest.
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
- Margaret Clitherow Saint“In 1600 he was captured trying to rescue the priest Robert Middleton, nephew of St Margaret Clitherow, near Preston.” — this site's research
- Robert Middleton Blessed“He was tried and executed with Robert Middleton, also a priest.” — Wikipedia
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Thurstan Hunt
- Wikidata Q7799452 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Thurston Hunt (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.