William Exmew was an English Carthusian monk and priest who lived during the early 16th century. A scholar educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, he was highly regarded for his knowledge of Latin and Greek. He served in various leadership roles at the London Charterhouse, including as procurator. Because of his refusal to acknowledge the king as the head of the Church, he was arrested and eventually executed at Tyburn in 1535 during the religious shifts in England.
Life and death
After completing his studies, Exmew joined the London Charterhouse, where he rose to the position of vicar. As the English Crown sought to enforce its break with Rome, the monks of the Charterhouse offered unexpected resistance. Exmew was denounced for his refusal to renounce papal primacy. Following imprisonment in the Marshalsea and the Tower of London, he was tried for high treason and executed at Tyburn on 19 June 1535.
Veneration
The Catholic Church recognizes Exmew as a martyr for his steadfastness in religious teaching. He and his fellow Carthusian companions were beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. He remains honored within the Catholic tradition for his refusal to yield his spiritual convictions to royal authority.