His mother's family, the Whitgreaves, later gave asylum to Charles II in 1651 at Mosley Hall near Wolverhampton.

In 1625 he entered the Franciscan Order at Douai, receiving in religion the name of Christopher of St. Clare, by which he is more generally known.

[2] Having completed his year of novitiate, he returned to England at the call of provincial superior Father John Jennings, but was immediately imprisoned because he refused to take the Oath of Allegiance.

Released through the efforts of his friends, Colman went to London, where he was employed in the duties of the ministry and where, during his leisure moments, he composed La dance machabre, or, Death's Duel (London, 1632 or 1633), an elegant metrical treatise on death, which he dedicated to Queen Henrietta Maria, consort of Charles I.

They were all condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered on 13 December, but through the interposition of the French ambassador the execution was stayed indefinitely.