Roger Cadwallador was born in Stretton Sugwas, the eldest son of a prosperous yeoman, Roger and his wife Margaret. Brought up in a learned, bi-lingual family, as a boy Roger was described as ‘unworldly’ and ‘assiduous in serving God and learning his books’. In 1590 he went to Rheims to train as a Priest, returning to Herefordshire in 1593. Soon after Roger senior left Stretton, and moved to Treville, leaving his lands in Stretton to his younger son John to manage. Treville had strong links to those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church, and the move could have been to provide a sanctuary for his son Roger when he returned.

But it seems Roger did not settle in Treville, instead he travelled about the county on foot saying mass at Country Houses. He also acted as a missioner in neighbouring counties; a dangerous occupation as Catholic missionaries had been declared traitors by a law passed in 1585. Roger was supported by many recusant families in the county, and he appears to have been arrested many times during his 17 year career as a missionary.

The death of Elizabeth I in 1603 brought a change to this situation, and in June 1605 a search was started for the priest. He was not arrested until 1610, and accounts vary as to where he was sheltering. Some have him at Stretton Court, or with the Berington family at Winsley House in Hope under Dinmore, while others say it was in the house of a Mrs Winifred Scrope eight miles from Hereford. Whatever the circumstances, the records show he was first brought to Hereford for imprisonment and examination. Due to an outbreak of plague in Hereford Roger was transferred to Leominster — forced to walk the whole way in chains.

In Leominster he was incarcerated in the goal in Church Street next to the Priory Gates. He was tried at the Summer Assizes for treason, and sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out on the 27th August 1610. At 10am he was given some broth and allowed confession. The visitors provided him with new clothes and at 4 o’clock in the afternoon he was brought out to be dragged backwards on a hurdle to Fiveways, where there was once an Iron cross, and hung from a gallows. A very full account is given by Richard Challoner. He is said to have hung for a long time, suffering great pain, owing to the unskilfulness of the hangman, before being taken down and quartered and beheaded. His head was placed on the Crosse House in Broad Street and his quarters set up on the Lugg Bridge, South Street, Bargates and Etnam Street.

Cadwallador was one of the English martyrs beatified by Pope John Paul in November 1987.

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