William Dean

William Dean or Deane (died 28 August 1588) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He is one of the Catholic martyrs, beatified in 1929. He then became a minister. In 1581, he was reconciled to the Catholic faith by the seminary priest Thomas Alfield.

That same year he studied at the English College, Reims and was ordained priest at Soissons, 21 December 1581, together with the martyrs George Haydock and Robert Nutter. Their ordination coincided with the news of Edmund Campion's death reaching the college.

Dean said his first Mass on 9 January 1582 and left for England 25 January. He was arrested 21 February and sent to Newgate prison and subjected to torture. In April 1584 he was moved to The Clink. He was banished with a number of other priests in early 1585, put ashore on the coast of Normandy, and threatened with death if he returned to England.

Nevertheless, in November he returned to his mission work and was again arrested and confined to Gatehouse Prison. He was tried and condemned for his priesthood on 22 August 1588.

Aged 50 or 60, Shelley was already in The Clink for his religion in April, 1584. He was condemned for keeping a book called My Lord Leicester's Commonwealth and for having assisted William Dean. He was hanged at Tyburn 30 August 1588.