Oswald Tesimond

Oswald Tesimond, SJ (1563 – 23 August 1636) was an English Jesuit born in either Northumberland or York[1] who, while not a direct conspirator, had some knowledge of the Gunpowder Plot beforehand.

He was educated in York, in the Royal School of William and Mary in the Horse Fayre,[1] which cost no money to attend.

Guy Fawkes, Edward Oldcorne and brothers Christopher and John Wright were among Tesimond's classmates, all of whom would become involved in the Gunpowder Plot.

After three years of philosophy, Tesimond, with permission from the Jesuits' cardinal protector, Giovanni Morone joined the Society of Jesus in April 1584.

Tesimond worked for eight years as a missioner with Edward Oldcorne in Worcestershire and Warwickshire under the name "Father Greenway", primarily out of Hindlip Hall.

Garnet judged that he had received this information under the seal of the confessional, and that canon law forbade him to repeat it,[5] but urged Tesimond to dissuade Catesby.

[1] Sir Edward Coke conducted the prosecution for the government – an easy one, since the conspirators had no legal representation – and through his speeches, presented the plot as a Jesuit conspiracy.

[8] Thomas Wintour, at his later execution, cleared all Jesuits (Tesimond specifically and most especially), from any involvement, counseling or advising regarding the plot.