Ambrose Barlow was executed for treason after celebrating a secret Easter Sunday mass in 1641.
Ambrose Barlow was a Catholic priest who celebrated a secret Easter Sunday mass at Morleys Hall in 1641. During the service, a group of 400 armed men led by a local vicar surrounded the building.
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King Charles I had issued a decree requiring all Catholic priests to leave the country within a month or face charges of treason. Ambrose Barlow refused to hide when the congregation urged him to, and instead ordered the doors to be opened and surrendered peacefully. He was taken to Lancaster Castle and imprisoned for four months. He was subsequently put on trial and found guilty of treason, resulting in a sentence of death. On September 10, he was hung, drawn, and quartered. His skull was placed on a pike as a demonstration of the consequences of refusing to conform to the state religion. In the 20th century, forensic tests confirmed the skull belonged to Ambrose Barlow. The skull remains a sacred relic at Wardley Hall, which has been the residence of the Bishop of Salford since 1930. It is accessible to private groups by appointment.