William Baldwin

William Baldwin or Bawden (1563–1632), was an English Jesuit implicated in the Gunpowder plot. Biography Baldwin was a native of Cornwall. He entered Exeter College, Oxford, on 20 December 1577, studied in that university for five years, and passed over to the English College of Douay, then temporarily removed to Rheims, where he arrived on 31 December 1582. The following year he proceeded to Rome, and entered the Venerable English College there. He was ordained a priest in 1588, and served one year as English penitentiary at St. Peter's Basilica. His health failing in Rome, he was sent to Belgium, where he entered the Society of Jesus in 1590, and was advanced to the dignity of a professed father in February 1602. He was professor of moral theology at Louvain for some time. Having been summoned to Spain at the close of the year 1594 or early in 1595, he was captured by the English fleet, then besieging Dunkirk, and sent as a prisoner to England; but the privy council, being unable to discover anything against him, set him at liberty. He remained for six months in England, living with Mr. Richard Cotton at Warblington, Hampshire, where he rendered great assistance to the catholic cause. Called thence to Rome, he was for some time minister at the English college, under Father Vitelleschi, the rector. His health failing again he next went to Brussels (about 1599 or 1600), where he succeeded Father William Holt as vice-prefect of the English mission. This important post he held for ten years. His zeal gave such offence to the privy council, that, although he had never left Belgium, they proclaimed him a traitor, and an accessory in the Gunpowder plot with Fathers Garnett and John Gerard, and further accused him of having formerly treated with Frederick Spinola about the Spanish invasion.