On this day in Tudor history, 16 October 1594, Cardinal William Allen died in exile in Rome.

To Catholics, he was the shepherd who kept the old faith alive.

To Elizabeth I’s government, he was a traitor who conspired with England’s enemies.

I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we’re exploring the life of the man who founded the English colleges at Douai, Reims, and Rome; who helped bring the Douai-Reims Bible into print; and who sent secret missionary priests back to England, knowing that discovery meant death.

But Allen’s story darkened when he threw his support behind Philip II of Spain and justified Elizabeth’s deposition as a heretic.

Was he a man of faith or a man of treason?

Judge for yourself as we trace the choices that made him both hero and villain in Tudor eyes.

Like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history, and tell me in the comments: Was William Allen a saintly reformer… or a danger to his queen?