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(Or ST. WILLIAM OF ROCHESTER).
Martyr, born at Perth; died about 1201. Practically all that is known of thismartyr comes from the "Nova legenda Anglie", and that is little. In youth he had been somewhat wild, but on reaching manhood he devoted himself wholly to the service ofGod. A baker by trade, he was accustomed to set aside every tenth loaf for the poor. He went to Mass daily, and one morning, before it was light, found on the threshold of the church an abandoned child, whom he adopted and to whom he taught his trade. Later he took avow to visit the Holy Places, and, having received theconsecrated wallet and staff, set out with his adopted son, whose name is given as "Cockermay Doucri", which is said to be Scots for "David the Foundling". They stayed three days at Rochester, and purposed to proceed next day toCanterbury, but instead David wilfully misled his benefactor and, withrobbery in view, felled him with a blow on the head and cut his throat. The body was discovered by a madwoman, who plaited a garland of flowers and placed it first on the head of the corpse and then her own, whereupon the madness left her. On learning her tale themonks of Rochester carried the body to thecathedral and there buried it. In 1256 theBishop of Rochester, Lawrence de S. Martino, obtained thecanonization of St. William by Pope Alexander IV. A beginning was at once made with his shrine, which was situated in the northeasttransept, and attracted crowds ofpilgrims. At the same time a smallchapel was built at the place of themurder, which was thereafter called Palmersdene. Remains of thischapel are still to be seen near the present St. William's Hospital, on the road leading by Horsted Farm to Maidstone. On 18 and 19 February, 1300, King Edward I gave two donations of seven shillings to the shrine. On 29 November, 1399,Pope Boniface IX granted anindulgence to those who visited and gavealms to the shrine on certain specified days. St. William is represented in a wall-painting, which was discovered in 1883 in Frindsbury church, near Rochester, which is supposed to have beenpainted about 1256-1266. His feast was kept on 23 May.
Acta SS., XVII, 268; HORSTMANN, Nova legenda Anglie, II (Oxford, 1901), 457; Archaeologia Cantiana (London, 1858-), III, 108; V, 144; XV, 331; XVI, 225; XVIII, 200; XXIII, passim; XXVII, 97; BLISS AND TWEMLOW, Calendar of Papal Letters, V (London, 1904), 256-7; BRIDGETT in The Month (London, 1891); STANTON, Menology of England and Wales (London, 1887-92), 228, 648; CHALLONER, Britannia Sancta, I (London, 1745), 312.
APA citation.Wainewright, J.(1912).St. William of Perth. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15637a.htm
MLA citation.Wainewright, John."St. William of Perth."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 15.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1912.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15637a.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Thomas M. Barrett.Dedicated to St. William of Perth.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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