Crispin of Soissons

About Crispin of Soissons

Crispin and his brother Crispinian were Roman Christians who fled persecution to Gaul (France), settling in Soissons. They supported themselves as shoemakers, preaching Christianity while working. They reportedly made shoes free for the poor, buying leather with money earned from wealthy customers. When persecution reached Gaul under Emperor Maximian, the brothers were arrested, tortured, and martyred around 286 AD. Their feast day, October 25, became famous from Shakespeare's Henry V ("St. Crispin's Day" speech). They are patron saints of shoemakers and leatherworkers.