British saints: A look through history as Pope Francis paves way for latest addition Cardinal John Henry Newman is joining a rich history of British-born saints

He’s been dead since 1890, but later this year Cardinal John Henry Newman will secure a status no British person alive in the last 300 years has achieved: sainthood.

The Victorian poet, theologian and philosopher – who left the Church of England in 1845 to become a Catholic – is to be canonised by the Pope more than 60 years after his name was first proposed, having been credited with two miracles.

The first is judged to have happened in 2001, when Jack Sullivan from Boston in the US prayed to Cardinal Newman to help him walk again after suffering from a spinal disorder, having seen a television programme about the Birmingham-born convert.

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Reported miracles

The second is said to have occurred in 2013, when he is credited with healing a pregnant woman suffering from “unstoppable internal bleeding,” which was threatening both her life and that of her baby, according to the Vatican.

The woman is said to have been a long-time devotee and had prayed to the cardinal for his assistance.

Newman’s heritage is remarkable as the last English canonisations came nearly half a century ago, when the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales – executed between 1535 and 1679 – were recognised in 1970.

The most recent Briton to be canonised was Scottish Catholic John Ogilvie in 1976.

Some of the saints most familiar to us in the UK were in fact from faraway lands, as St George came from what is now modern-day Turkey and St Andrew was born in Galilee.

In fact, St David is the only one of the British and Irish patron saints thought to have been born in the same country where they are celebrated; Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick, was was born in Wales.

Nevertheless, the cardinal joins a rich history of British-born saints, such as these legendary figures:

Saint Nectan

Said to have been the eldest of 24 children, perhaps it’s not surprising this 5th century saint decided to live a solitary lifestyle and become a hermit – first settling in Hartland on the north Devon coast, before moving south to a waterfall at Trethevy in Cornwall.

According to legend, Nectan had a small silver bell which he would ring during stormy to save ships from the rocks.

Saint John of Bridlington

An English saint of the 14th century, John Twenge is claimed to have turned water into wine.

He is also credited with having saved fived seamen from Hartlepool who prayed for help while in danger of being shipwrecked, by appearing in his canonical habit and escorting them safely to shore in person.

Saint Cuthbert

His affinity with the eider duck remains part of folklore to this day.

The species is known by some in Northumberland as “Cuddy’s duck,” after he gave the birds sanctuary on the Farne Islands in the 7th century.

The birds still breed off the Northumbrian coast in vast numbers.

More importantly for his saintly status, he is credited with helping to spread Christianity in the north of England.

Saint Margaret Clitherow

Sometimes referred to as the “Pearl of York,” Margaret Clitherow grew up in Elizabeth I’s protestant England and risked her life by harbouring Catholic priests in a secret room at her home.

When she was caught, Margaret refused to be tried by a jury, meaning she was automatically sentenced to execution and, as a result, she was crushed to death in 1586.

A relic – supposedly her hand – is held at the Bar Convent in York.

Saint Thomas of Canterbury

One of the most famous British saints owes his reputation in no small part to his grisly death.

As Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket’s relationship with Henry II became strained and he eventually fled to France, where he remained in exile for several years.

He returned to England in 1170, the same year in which he was murdered by four knights in Canterbury Cathedral. He was made a saint three years later.