Edward Stransham was a 16th-century English Catholic priest who was executed in London. Born in Oxford, he studied at St John's College before traveling to Reims to pursue his religious vocation. Despite suffering from significant illness, including consumption, he returned to England to minister to the local Catholic community. His activities eventually led to his arrest in London while he was performing Mass, resulting in his death at Tyburn in 1586.
Life and death
After his education in Oxford, Stransham was ordained in Soissons in 1580. He spent much of his ministry working near his birthplace in Oxford. In 1585, he traveled from France to the Sussex coast by boat and walked to London. He was apprehended in Bishopsgate while celebrating Mass and was subsequently sentenced to death for his priesthood under the reign of Elizabeth I.
Veneration
Stransham is recognized as a martyr within the Catholic Church. He was beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI. His feast day is observed annually on 21 January, commemorating the date of his execution at Tyburn.