Thomas Holford was an English Catholic priest born in Cheshire around 1541. Originally a Protestant schoolteacher, he converted to Catholicism through the influence of a priest named Richard Davis. After training at the English College in Rheims, he was ordained in 1583 and returned to England. His ministry during the reign of Elizabeth I was marked by several narrow escapes from authorities before his eventual arrest in London, leading to his execution for his religious convictions.