Blessed Edward Oldcorne SJ (1561-1606) worked in the English mission in Worcestershire for 16 years, where many came to him for encouragement.

He developed cancer of the throat, but he kept preaching even though it was quite painful.

Edward made a pilgrimage to St. Winifred's shrine in Flintshire to seek a cure which was granted and his cancer was healed. He returned stronger and healthier than before. Then he fell victim to the "Gunpowder Plot" conspiracy to blow up the king and parliament.  Hatched by a small group of Catholic Englishmen who were angered by James I's failure to alleviate the persecution of Catholics, the plot, once discovered, provided an opportunity to increase the persecution and to attack the Jesuits.

Edward was arrested, falsely accused and placed on the rack for five days to find names of the perpetrators and sympathisers in the plot.  The rack master got no information.  Edward was hanged and quartered along with another Jesuit, Brother Ralph Ashley, on 7 April 1606.

 more about the life of Bl. Edward Oldcorne from sjweb.info

 more about the life of Bl. Ralph Ashley from sjweb.info