Blessed James Duckett

Blessed James Duckett was born in the 16th century in the English Lake District.  He was raised Protestant. As a young man, he moved to London to become an apprentice to a book printer. There, a friend lent him a Catholic book, The Foundation of the Catholic Religion, which led to his conversion to Catholicism, which was banned at the time.

Twice he was arrested for failing to attend Protestant services. Both times his employer interceded and got him out, but he then asked Duckett to leave. He went on to make a living as a tailor. In 1590, he married Anne, a Catholic widow. They had one son, who would later go on to join a Carthusian monastery and become the abbot.

Duckett used his skills as a tailor and a printer to support the underground Catholic Church. He made vestments and altar linens for priests, and he printed illegal copies of Catholic literature. He was arrested several times for printing and distributing Catholic literature. He spent nine out of twelve years of his marriage in prison.

In 1601, a bookbinder, Peter Bullock, who had been arrested himself, turned in Duckett in order to obtain his own release. However, the plan of betrayal did not work, and Bullock and Ducket were taken to their executions at Tyburn in the same cart on April 19, 1601. Upon arrival at Tyburn, where Catholic martyrs and other criminals were killed, Duckett forgave Bullock and urged him to accept the Catholic faith. He did not.

James Duckett was hanged on April 19, 1601. He is a patron of booksellers and publishers.