Thomas Ford, Blessed, b. in Devonshire; d. at Tyburn, 28 May, 1582. He incepted M.A. at Trinity College, Oxford, 14 July, 1567, and was a fellow, Woods says president, of the college. He went to the English College, Douai, in 1570, and was one of the first three of its students to be ordained, receiving all orders in March, 1573, at Brussels. After becoming B.D. at Douai he left for England, 2 May, 1576, and soon became chaplain to Edward Yate and his Bridgettine guests at Lyford, Berkshire. Arrested with Blessed Edmund Campion (q. v.) 17 July, 1581, and committed to the Tower 22 July, he was thrice tortured. He was brought beforé the Queen’s Bench 16 November, with his fellow martyr Blessed John Shert, on an absurd charge of conspiracy at Rome and Reims, where he had never been, on dates when he was in England, and both were condemned 21 November. With him suffered John Shert and Robert Johnson.
John SHERT, BLESSED, a native of Cheshire, took the degree of B. A. at Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1566. Successively schoolmaster in London, and servant to Dr. Thomas Stapleton at Douai, he entered the seminary in 1576, and was ordained subdeacon. He was ordained priest from the English College, Rome, of which he was senior of the first six scholars. He left Reims for England 27 August, 1579, and was sent to the Tower, 14 July, 1581.
Robert JOHNSON, Blessed, b. in Shropshire, entered the German College, Rome, 1 Oct., 1571. Ordained priest at Brussels from the English College Douai, in April, 1576, he started immediately for England. After a pilgrimage to Rome in 1579 he returned to England in 1580, and was committed to the Poultry Counter 12 July, whence he was transferred to the Tower 5 Dee. On 16 December he was terribly racked, and then thrust into an underground dungeon. He was brought before the Queen’s Bench 14 Nov., and condemned 20 Nov.
Keogh and Camm, Lives of the English Martyrs (London, 1904-5), II, 443-490; Harr in Appendix to Sander, De Origine, etc. Schismatis Anglicani (Rome, 1589); ALLEN, Briefe Historie, ed. Pollen (London, 1908), 57-66; CHALLONER, Missionary Priests, nos. 9, 10, 11; Grttow, Bibl. Dict. Eng. Cath., s. v., Ford, Thomas, Johnson, Robert; Cooper, in Dict. Nat. Biog., s. v., Forde, Thomas; Cath. Rec. Soc., I, II, II, IV, V, IX; Simpson, Edmund Campion (London, 1896).
John B. Wainewright.