Eyeball relic, Blessed Edward Oldcorne, executed 1606
On the evening of Monday 7 September 2026, join Dr Janet Graffius for History at The Hall – Precious Bodies: Enshrining forbidden Catholic relics in 16th and 17th century England.
Stonyhurst College is home to an extraordinary collection of once-forbidden treasures. Founded in 1593 in exile in the Spanish Netherlands, the College provided the only Catholic education available to English, Welsh and Irish boys. It rapidly developed as a sanctuary for pre and post Reformation salvaged material culture, marked for destruction in Elizabethan England and smuggled across the Channel – including the eye of the blessed Edward Oldcorne, a Catholic priest who was executed in 1606, encased in silver.
On the evening of Monday 7 September 2026, Dr Janet Graffius will share the story behind Oldcorne's eye and more at History at The Hall – Precious Bodies: Enshrining forbidden Catholic relics in 16th and 17th century England.
Her lecture will examine some superlative silver and gold reliquaries — including those linked to Mary, Queen of Scots, Thomas More and Hans Holbein — and the crucial need to shroud them in secrecy in a post-Reformation England, where such objects were costly, beautiful, and deeply incriminating!
Tickets for History at The Hall – Precious Bodies: Enshrining forbidden Catholic relics in 16th and 17th century England are priced at £15 per person and include light refreshments (wine, soft drinks and nibbles) after the talk.
Members of the Company (Freemen, Liverymen, Members of The Court) must log in to the Member’s Portal to book their tickets.
Doors will open at 17:45 for a prompt 18:00 start
About the speaker
Dr Janet Graffius FSA has worked for nearly 40 years in national and municipal museums in Scotland and England, and been Curator of Museum Collections and Historic Libraries at Stonyhurst since 2001. She has curated numerous exhibitions in Britain, as well as in France, Rome and the US, and lectures widely in British and international universities on a variety of cultural, ethnographic, artistic, and literary subjects relating to her education work at Stonyhurst College.
"Encountering the artefacts, books and archives at Stonyhurst is truly a life-changing experience, enabling new ways of looking at the world. Engaging with young, open minds is a deeply rewarding experience, from which everyone benefits." – Dr Jan Graffius FSA
Dr Janet Graffius FSA, Curator of Collections and Historic Libraries at Stonyhurst Museum at Stonyhurst College | Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Terms & Conditions
Tickets for Precious Bodies: Enshrining forbidden Catholic relics in 16th and 17th century England are priced at £15 per person, include a glass of wine or a soft drink, and are non refundable
Members of the Company (Freemen, Liverymen, Members of The Court) are able to book up to four (4) tickets at a 50% discount through the Member’s Portal.
Tickets must be booked in the name of the person who is attending - photo ID that matches the name on the booking will be required to gain entry.
Security & bag policy
Goldsmiths’ Hall operates Airport style enhanced security procedures for all public events - these include a bag scanner and a security arch. Suitcases and items larger than a laptop bag are not permitted inside the building. Unmanned cloakroom facilities will be provide free of charge for coats, bags and umbrellas.
Disabled access to Goldsmiths’ Hall
Due to building works currently being undertaken at Goldsmiths’ Hall, we currently do not have step-free access into the building.
If you have any concerns or questions about visiting the building, please email info@thegoldsmiths.co.uk
The public rooms of Goldsmiths’ Hall are located on the first floor, and can be accessed by lift from within the ground floor lobby.