Feastday: September 7
Birth: 1598
Death: 1644
Jesuit martyr of England, also known as Ralph Corbington. Born in Maynooth Ireland, on March 25, 1598, he was trained at St. Omer, France, Seville, and Valladolid, Spain, before receiving ordination. He entered the Jesuits in 1631, and volunteered in 1632 for the dangerous mission in England He was given responsibility for the area around Durham Ralph worked for twelve years before he was arrested near Newcastle with Blessed John Duckett. He was martyred by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tybum on September 7. Ralph was beatified in 1929.
Ralph Corbie (Corby, Corbington, at times Corrington) (25 March 1598 – 7 September 1644) was an Irish Jesuit. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929.
Life
Corbie was born near Dublin. His parents were from Durham and returned to England when Ralph was about five years of age. A brother of Ambrose Corbie, he spent his childhood in the north of England. Then going overseas he studied at Saint-Omer, Seville, and the English College, Valladolid; where he was ordained. Having become a Jesuit about 1626, he came to England about 1631, where he was known by the name of "Carlington". He worked at Durham for about twelve years.
He was seized by the Parliamentarians at Hamsterley, 8 July 1644, when clothed in his Mass vestments, conveyed to London, and committed to Newgate Prison (22 July) with John Duckett, a secular priest. At their trial (Old Bailey, 4 September), they both admitted their priesthood, were condemned to death. Corbie was a Jesuit and the Society tried to save him. When the pardon finally arrived, Corbie insisted that Duckett used it, since he was younger. But John refused. Both were condemned to death. and executed at Tyburn, 7 September.
Stonyhurst has a relic of Father Corbie.
