10
and that of an altar stone to
contain the relics of a Saint
ended with Vatican-II.
The years passed during Father
Postgate’s ministry to the moors
and the restrictions and penalties
for being Catholic gradually
eased and were not strictly
enforced. In fact, Fr. Postgate
was generously assisted in his
localized work by many
Protestants. They knew who he
was and what he was, but they
offered him food and shelter in
his long, lonely treks. He listened
to their worries and concerns, and
gave them advise of a spiritual
nature where necessary or offered
practical help if it was required.
If he found that it was necessary
to impose severe penances upon
a penitent, he would offer to do half
of it himself. He had a very deep
understanding of human nature and
was able to make friends with total
strangers. In undertaking his mission
upon the moors, he was clearly in the
right place at the right time. Despite
their small population and remote
location, it became one of the strongest
Catholic areas in England. One third
of the population remained Catholic
despite the persecution.
As time passed, Fr. Postgate could be
forgiven for believing that the difficulties
he faced on a daily basis were drawing
to a peaceful close. Henry-VIII died and
his 9-year old son, Edward-VI, took
office. Upon his orders, the churches
were ransacked and so began wholesale
destruction of anything that the
authorities considered to be ‘papist
superstition.’ Altars were removed,
altar stones smashed and relics were
destroyed. Anything concerning the
Virgin Mary was removed. Processions
and pilgrimages were banned.
In 1678, Titus Oates and a fellow
conspirator, Israel Tonge, put
out a rumor that the Catholics
were scheming to assassinate King
Charles-II and take over the
country by armed force. The King
summoned Titus and had a
private interview with him. He
realized that the man was a
buffoon and dismissed him.
Oates did not give up but added
‘facts and details’ to the story
with apparent witnesses. Despite
their absurdity, the rumors spread
like rip fire through London and
the flames of fear fanned by the
extremists set the wholesale
slaughter of Catholic priests
back in motion.
There was mass hysteria with
Catholic priests being hunted
down and murdered. A friend of
Oates, John Reeves, traveled to the
moors for the express purpose of
arresting Fr. Nicholas Postgate whose
exploits and successes at keeping the old
Faith alive on Blackmoor were known
at the highest level within Parliament.
While planning on arresting him for
subversive terrorism against the
government, it was learned that a
Baptism was to be carried out at the
Lyth household. Fr. Postgate was to be
the priest to do the Baptism. He was
caught at the scene and questioned.
A priest caught in such circumstances
was to protect the people around him.
They were open, at the very least, to a
charge of harboring a priest. Fr. Postgate
and the three men in attendance were
hauled off to Brompton Hall, placed in
detention cells and locked up. A witness
was found who knew Father and gave
testimony to having seen and heard
him say Mass several times and given
her Communion. She had since left
the Church. The evidence of that
witness was sufficient for a trial to
take place.