Thys sayd Ione Waste being brought to the place where she should suffer, by those that were appointed for þ^t purpose, made her praiers to the Lorde Iesus, to assist and strengthen here. And being bound to the stake, with the flames of fire about her, shee constantly for the glorious gospell of Christ, suffered the martirdome with such ioye, gladnes and triumphe, as though rather she had bene going to a banket then to yelde her life for anye maner of cause. The Lord graunt vs to imitate her steppes in all godlines. Amen.

Edward Sharp.  

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Edward Sharpe

This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions. There is some, not entirely reliable, corroboration of Foxe's brief account of Sharpe (see K. G. Powell, The Marian Martyrs and the Reformation in Bristol [Bristol: 1972], p. 12).

MarginaliaSeptēber. 8.MarginaliaEdwarde Sharp burned at Bristow.ABout the beginning of the nexte moneth folowing, which was Septēber, a certen godly, aged, deuout & zelous person of the Lordes glorye, borne in Wiltshire named Edward Sharp, of the age of. lx. yeares or there a boute, was condemned at Bristow to the lyke martirdom, wher he cōstantly & māfully persisting in the iust quarell of Christes Gospel, for misliking and renouncing the ordinaunces of the Romish church, was tried as pure golde, and made a lyuely sacrifice in the fyer, in whose death as in the death of al his other sainctes the Lord be glorified, and thanked for his great grace of constancy, to whom be prayse for euer. Amen.

Fowre suffered at Mayfeld.  

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Four Burned at Mayfield, Sussex

The account of these four martyrs and of the Bristol carpenter appeared in the 1563 edition and remained unchanged in subsequent editions. The fact that the Bristol carpenter and two of the Sussex martyrs were unnamed indicates Foxe's difficulties in obtaining information on martyrs in the dioceses of Chichester and Bristol.

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MarginaliaSeptēber. 24.NExte after the martirdome of Edward Sharpe aboue said, followed. iiii. which suffered at Mayfeld in Sussex the. xxiiii. daye of Septēber. Ano 1556. of whose names. ii we finde recorded, and the other. ii. we yet knowe not, and therfore according to our Register, here vnder they be specifyed.

MarginaliaMartyrs.
Ihon Harte.
Thomas Rauensdale.
A Shomaker.
And a Coriar.

WHich sayde. iiii. beinge at the place wher they should suffer, after they had made their praier, and were at the stake, redy to abyde the force of the fyer, they constantly and ioyfully yelded their liues, for the testimony of the gloriouse Gospell of Iesus Christ, vnto whom be praise for euer and euer. Amen.

MarginaliaSeptēber. 24.The daye after the martirdom of these foresayd at Mayfeld, which was the. xxiiii. of September. An. 1556. was a young man (which by Science was a Carpenter, whose name wee haue not)  

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There is no reliable confirmation of any carpenter being burned in Bristol.

Church of Christ haue iuste cause to prayse God for him.

MarginaliaMartyrs.
Ihon Horne.
And a woman.  

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John Horne

This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions. Probably it should have been changed; it is certain that someone named Horne was burned at Wotton-under-Edge, but when this happened and the other circumstances of the execution are far from clear. A letter, which was probably sent to one of Foxe's sons, survives among Foxe's papers, correcting Foxe'saccount of this incident. The letter states that an Edward Horne was burned at Wotton-under-Edge in 1558 (not 1556). The letter, drawing on the testimony of Edward's septuagenarian son Christopher, states that Edward Horne's wife was condemned with him but she recanted and her life was spared (BL, Harley MS 425, fo. 121r; printed in J. G. Nichols, Narratives of Days of the Reformation, Camden Society, original series 77 [1859], pp. 69-70). This letter was probably correct about the martyr's name but wrong about the date; the writ authorizing Edward Horne'sexecution is dated 10 August 1556 (PRO C/85/203/3).

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MarginaliaSeptēber. 25.NOwe not long after the death of the said yongman at Bristow, in the same moneth, wer. ii. mo godly martirs consumed by fire at Wuttō vnderhedge in Glocestershier whose names are aboue specified, which died very gloriously in a constant fayth, to the terror of the wicked, and comforte of the Godly. So graciously dyd the Lorde worke in them, that death vnto them was lyfe, and lyfe with a blotted conscience was death.

MarginaliaMartyr.A Shomaker suffering in Northampton.  

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Northampton Shoemaker and Chichester Martyrs

Two confused accounts here. This shoemaker was John Kurde (see 1563,p. 1618; 1570, pp. 2216-17; 1576, p. ; 1583, p. 2021); Foxe's date of his execution here is inaccurate. As for Hook, Foxe had earlier stated that Richard Hook had died in prison in Chichester at an unspecified date. If Richard Hook did die in prison, it was shortly before he was scheduled to die; a writ authorizing the execution of Richard Hook of Alfreton, Sussex, was issued on 14 October 1555 (PRO C/85/48/19).

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MarginaliaOctober. 12.JN the moneth of October following, was burned at the Towne of Northampton a Shomaker, a true wytnes and disciple of the Lord, who, according to the grace of God geuen vnto him cleuing fast to the soūd doctrin and preaching of. Gods word, renounced the the vntrue and false coloured religion of the Romish sea, wherein manye a good man hath bene drowned.

MarginaliaOctober 18.MarginaliaThree died in prysō at Cicester Confessors.After whom not long after in the same moneth of October dyed also in the Castel of Cicister three godly confessors, beinge there in bondes for the lyke cause of Christes Gospel who also should haue suffered the like martirdom, had not their naturall death, or rather (as it is to be suspected) the cruell handling of the papistes made them away before, and afterwarde buried them in the field.

Fyue famished in Caunterbury Castell by the vnmerciful tirranny of the papistes, about the beginning of Nouember.  

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Five Prisoners in Canterbury Castle

This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and remained unchanged in subsequent editions. It is based partly on the letter of these prisoners, which seems to have circulated in manuscript and apparently on official transcripts of the examinations of some of these prisoners.

AS among all the Bishops, Boner bishop of London was the greatest boucher against the poore members & saints of Christ: So of all Archdeacons Nicholas Harpesfield Archdeacon of Canterbury (as may by mans sight appeare) was the sorest, and of leste compassion, by whose vnmercifull nature and agrest dispositiō very many were put to death in that dioces of Canterbury, not only in the blody time of that Quene, but some also in the blessed beginning of our most renowned and most mercyfull Prince and Quene that now is, as by the grace of christ, hereafter shal appere. Of them that suffered in Quene Maryes tyme, within the forsayd dioces of Canterbury, some be recited al ready, with the order and forme set downe of such articles, as then were most commenly ministred to the Examinates by Thorndē, suffragane of Douer and this N. Harpesfield and other, as be-