George Bland (priest)

George Bland (dates of birth and death unknown) was an English Roman Catholic priest, known for his role in the Babington Plot, a conspiracy to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.

Bland was a seminary priest trained at the English College, Douai, a key institution for educating Catholic priests who would secretly return to England to minister to the Catholic population despite the Elizabethan religious settlement. He was sent to England as a missionary priest.

Bland became involved in the Babington Plot primarily through his association with John Ballard, another priest deeply involved in the conspiracy. Bland was tasked with offering absolution to the assassins should they succeed in their mission to kill Queen Elizabeth. The involvement of priests in such a violent plot further fueled anti-Catholic sentiment in England and contributed to the persecution of Catholics during Elizabeth's reign.

Following the discovery of the Babington Plot in 1586, George Bland was arrested, interrogated, and ultimately convicted of treason. He was executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering in the same year. His death marked a significant episode in the ongoing religious tensions and political machinations of Elizabethan England. The details surrounding Bland's life and motivations remain limited, primarily gleaned from the confessions and testimonies of those involved in the Babington Plot.