The Shocking Fate of William Carter

Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

What if printing a book could cost you your life? In Tudor England, it could—and it did.

On 11th January 1584, William Carter, a Catholic printer, was brutally executed for treason after publishing a book that allegedly encouraged the assassination of Queen Elizabeth I. But was he really a traitor—or simply a man of faith in the wrong place at the wrong time?

From secret printing presses to interrogation by one of Elizabeth’s most notorious torturers, Carter’s story shines a light on the harsh reality of religious persecution in the Elizabethan era. He faced imprisonment, torture, and unimaginable loss—all for his Catholic beliefs.

So, what did this forbidden book say that led to Carter’s horrific execution? And why was his death part of a wider crackdown on Catholics under Elizabeth I's rule?

Discover the tragic story of William Carter—his courage, his faith, and the brutal price he paid.

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