“Born in Shropshire, he became a gentleman’s servant, but went abroad and was ordained priest at Douay and was sent on the English Mission in 1576.
In December 1580, after being arrested, he was sent to the Tower of London where he was viciously racked on three occasions. He was sentenced in November 1581 but his execution was postponed until May 1582.
On the scaffold he boldly answered the Sheriff that Elizabeth was as much Head of the Church as Mary had been. The Sheriff replied:”Thou art a traitor most obstinate”.
Bl Robert replied: “If I be a traitor for holding the faith, then all our kings and queens and all our ancestors were traitors, for they maintained the same”.
They then placed the rope around his neck and he began to pray in Latin. They then willed him to pray in English that they might witness with him: He said: “I pray that prayer which Christ taught.” A minister cried out from the crowd: “Pray as Christ taught?” To whom, Mr Johnson replied: “What! do you think Christ taught in English?”
And so he won his crown with the Church’s words upon his lips.
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