Joseph Creswell (1557 of Yorkshire stock in London – c. 1623) was an English Jesuit controversialist.

Life

Creswell joined the Society of Jesus at Rome, 11 October 1583, having previously studied at Reims

Reims

Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....

 and at the Roman College. Having been rector (1589–1592) after Robert Persons at the English College, Rome, he also succeeded Persons as vice-prefect for the English Jesuit interests in Spain.

Creswell's character and conduct in connection with his difficulties over the seminaries in Seville

Seville

Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

 and Valladolid, and his controversies about the Benedictine vocations have been criticized. Father Creswell had considerable intercourse with Sir Charles Cornwallis, the English resident at Madrid, till the Gunpowder Plot

Gunpowder Plot

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...

, when Creswell was summoned to Rome.

Sent to Belgium in 1614, he was at St-Omer in 1630, and in 1621 was made rector of Ghent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

.

Works

His chief works are:

• A Latin treatise, "De Vitâ Beatâ";
• "Exemplar Literarun ad Cecilium (sive Burleigh)", 1592, under the pseudonym "John Perne", against Elizabeth's proclamation of 29 Nov., 1591;
• "Vida y Martyrio del P. Henrique Valpolo" (Madrid, 1596);
• A treatise against James I's (1610) proclamation (4to, St-Omer, 1611);
• "Meditations upon the Rosary" (St-Omer, 1620);
• A translation into Spanish, under the name "Peter Manrique" of Father William Bathe
  William Bathe
  William Bathe was a Jesuit priest, born in Dublin, Ireland.Bathe was a native of Drumcondra Castle, County Dublin, and a brother of John Bathe, an Irish representative at the Royal Court in Madrid in the early 1600's.....
  
  's "Preparation for Administering Penance and the Eucharist" (Milan, 1614);
• A translation into English and Spanish, under initials N. T., of Salvian
  Salvian
  Salvian, was a Christian writer of the fifth century, born probably at Cologne, some time between 400 and 405.-Personal life:Salvian was educated at the school of Treves and seems to have been brought up as a Christian...
  
  's "Quis dives salvus?" (St-Omer, 1618);
• "Relacion de Inglaterra", Ms X, 14, National Library, Madrid;
• Memoir for Philip III of Spain
  Philip III of Spain
  Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
  
   on affairs of the Society;
• Responsio ad Calumnias. Stonyhurst Library, Letters, Vatican archives (Lettere di particolari, I, 1).

Family

His widowed mother married William Lacey

William Lacey

William Lacey is a British conductor. He studied at King's College, Cambridge and privately with Alfred Brendel and György Kurtág. He began his career in 1995, conducting modern operas in London, at Almeida Opera and elsewhere...

, who, after her death, was ordained priest and martyred (22 August 1582) at York.