Thematic Divisions in Book 11
1. The Martyrdom of Rogers 2. The Martyrdom of Saunders 3. Saunders' Letters 4. Hooper's Martyrdom 5. Hooper's Letters 6. Rowland Taylor's Martyrdom 7. Becket's Image and other events 8. Miles Coverdale and the Denmark Letters 9. Bonner and Reconciliation 10. Judge Hales 11. The Martyrdom of Thomas Tomkins 12. The Martyrdom of William Hunter 13. The Martyrdom of Higbed and Causton 14. The Martyrdom of Pigot, Knight and Laurence 15. Robert Farrar's Martyrdom 16. The Martyrdom of Rawlins/Rowland White17. The Restoration of Abbey Lands and other events in Spring 155518. The Providential Death of the Parson of Arundel 19. The Martyrdom of John Awcocke 20. The Martyrdom of George Marsh 21. The Letters of George Marsh 22. The Martyrdom of William Flower 23. The Martyrdom of Cardmaker and Warne 24. Letters of Warne and Cardmaker 25. The Martyrdom of Ardley and Simpson 26. John Tooly 27. The Examination of Robert Bromley [nb This is part of the Tooly affair]28. The Martyrdom of Thomas Haukes 29. Letters of Haukes 30. The Martyrdom of Thomas Watts 31. Mary's False Pregnancy32. Censorship Proclamation 33. Our Lady' Psalter 34. Martyrdom of Osmund, Bamford, Osborne and Chamberlain35. The Martyrdom of John Bradford 36. Bradford's Letters 37. William Minge 38. James Trevisam 39. The Martyrdom of John Bland 40. The Martyrdom of Frankesh, Middleton and Sheterden 41. Sheterden's Letters 42. Examinations of Hall, Wade and Polley 43. Martyrdom of Christopher Wade 44. Martyrdom of Carver and Launder 45. Martyrdom of Thomas Iveson 46. John Aleworth 47. Martyrdom of James Abbes 48. Martyrdom of Denley, Newman and Pacingham 49. Richard Hooke 50. Martyrdom of William Coker, et al 51. Martyrdom of George Tankerfield, et al 52. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Smith 53. Martyrdom of Harwood and Fust 54. Martyrdom of William Haile 55. George King, Thomas Leyes and John Wade 56. William Andrew 57. Martyrdom of Robert Samuel 58. Samuel's Letters 59. William Allen 60. Martyrdom of Roger Coo 61. Martyrdom of Thomas Cobb 62. Martyrdom of Catmer, Streater, Burwood, Brodbridge, Tutty 63. Martyrdom of Hayward and Goreway 64. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Glover 65. Cornelius Bungey 66. John and William Glover 67. Martyrdom of Wolsey and Pigot 68. Life and Character of Nicholas Ridley 69. Ridley's Letters 70. Life of Hugh Latimer 71. Latimer's Letters 72. Ridley and Latimer Re-examined and Executed73. More Letters of Ridley 74. Life and Death of Stephen Gardiner 75. Martyrdom of Webb, Roper and Park 76. William Wiseman 77. James Gore 78. Examinations and Martyrdom of John Philpot 79. Philpot's Letters 80. Martyrdom of Thomas Whittle, Barlett Green, et al 81. Letters of Thomas Wittle 82. Life of Bartlett Green 83. Letters of Bartlett Green 84. Thomas Browne 85. John Tudson 86. John Went 87. Isobel Foster 88. Joan Lashford 89. Five Canterbury Martyrs 90. Life and Martyrdom of Cranmer 91. Letters of Cranmer 92. Martyrdom of Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield 93. Persecution in Salisbury Maundrell, Coberly and Spicer 94. William Tyms, et al 95. Letters of Tyms 96. The Norfolk Supplication 97. Martyrdom of John Harpole and Joan Beach 98. John Hullier 99. Hullier's Letters 100. Christopher Lister and five other martyrs 101. Hugh Lauerocke and John Apprice 102. Katherine Hut, Elizabeth Thacknell, et al 103. Thomas Drury and Thomas Croker 104. Thomas Spicer, John Deny and Edmund Poole 105. Persecution of Winson and Mendlesam 106. Gregory Crow 107. William Slech 108. Avington Read, et al 109. Wood and Miles 110. Adherall and Clement 111. A Merchant's Servant Executed at Leicester 112. Thirteen Burnt at Stratford-le-Bow113. Persecution in Lichfield 114. Hunt, Norrice, Parret 115. Martyrdom of Bernard, Lawson and Foster 116. Examinations of John Fortune117. John Careless 118. Letters of John Careless 119. Martyrdom of Julius Palmer 120. Agnes Wardall 121. Peter Moone and his wife 122. Guernsey Martyrdoms 123. Dungate, Foreman and Tree 124. Martyrdom of Thomas More125. Examination of John Jackson126. Examination of John Newman 127. Martyrdom of Joan Waste 128. Martyrdom of Edward Sharpe 129. Four Burnt at Mayfield at Sussex 130. John Horne and a woman 131. William Dangerfield 132. Northampton Shoemaker 133. Prisoners Starved at Canterbury 134. More Persecution at Lichfield
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1773 [1734]

Quene Mary. The trouble and examinations of George Marsh, Martyr.

MarginaliaAn. 1555. Aprill.Then M. More questioned wt me of receauing þe Sacrament vnder the one kynd. I sayd Christes institutiō was playne that all mē should drinke of the cup. Then he told me of þe xxiiij. of Luke, & the xx. of þe Actes, MarginaliaChristes breaking of bread. Luke. 24. proueth not the receauing vnder one kynd.where was but mention of breakyng of bread onely: whereof he gathered, that they receiued the Sacrament but vnder one kynd.

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That I denyed, saying: those places either did not speake of the celebration of the Lordes Supper, or els vnder the name of breakyng bread, was signified and ment the receiuyng of the Sacrament, both of the body and bloud of Christ, accordyng to his institution. So after much communication of that matter, M. Shereburne sayd it was great pitie that I beyng a well fauoured young man, and one that might haue good liuyng and doe good, would so foolishly cast my selfe away stickyng so hard to such foolish opinions.

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I aunswered as afore I had done to my Lord and to his counsell, that MarginaliaG. Marsh forsaketh kindred and all together to stick to Christ.my life, mother, children, brethren, sisters, and frendes, with other delites of lyfe, were as deare and sweete vnto me as vnto any other man, and that I would be as loth to lose them, as an other would if I might hold them with good consciēce, and without the ignominy of Christ: and seyng I could not do that, my trust was that God would strengthen me with his holy spirite to lose them all for his sake: for I take my selfe (sayd I) for a shepe appointed to be slayne, patiently to suffer what Crosse so euer it shall please my mercifull father to lay on me. And so after I had desired them that if I were committed to prison my frendes might be suffered to relieue me, they departed.

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M. More afore this brought vnto me a booke of one AlphonsusMarginaliaAlphonsut booke brought to G. Marsh. a Spanish Frier, of all heresies wherwith the Church of Rome, which hee called Christes true Church, had bene troubled since Christes time, willing me to read and take counsell of that booke: and appointed me a place, where this authour did write agaynst thē that say, the lay people ought to receiue vnder both kyndes. This authour I perceiued did vehemently write against Luther, Melancthon, Pellican and other Germains of this our tyme, in all pointes defendyng the blasphemous abuses and enormities of þe Romishe Church, condemnyng as detestable heresies, what soeuer was writtē, taught, or beleued cōtrary to the same, vsing for his strongest and surest Argumentes, the consent, agreement, and determination of the Romishe Church. So within a few dayes M. More came to me agayne, asking me how I liked the booke. MarginaliaMarshes iudgement of Alphonsus booke.I sayd the authour of the booke did in all poyntes beyng a Papist, allowe the rites and abuses of the Romish Church, and shewed him further, that this authour without authoritie, and contrary both to the Scriptures and old Doctours, did condēne for heresie, the lay people receiuyng of this Sacrament vnder both kyndes, where as this authour witnesseth his owne selfe, that Christ Church nine hundred yeares after Christ vsed the contrary.

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So in conclusion he rebuked me, saying I was vnlearned, & erred from the catholicke fayth, stubburne, and stoode altogether in myne owne conceite. I aunswered, for my learning, I knowledge my self to know nothing but Iesus Christ, euē hym that was crucified, and that my fayth was groūded vpon Gods holy word onely, and such as I doubted not, pleased God, and as I would stand in vntyll the last day, God assisting me: and that I dyd not say or do any thing, eyther of stubburnnes, selfe wilfulnes, vayne glory, or any other worldly purpose, but with a good conscience, and in the feare of God: and desired hym to speake to my Lord and hys Counsell, that I might finde some gentlenes and mercy at their handes. He made me but short aunswer. Then I said, I commit my cause vnto God, who hath nombred the heares of my head, & appoynted the dayes of my lyfe, saying: I am sure God which is a righteous Iudge, would make inquisitiō for my bloud, according as hee hath promised. Then he tooke hys

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booke from me, and departed.

I continued styll in Ward vntyll Low Sonday,  

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Low Sunday is the first Sunday following Easter.

and after dynner my keeper Richard Scot came to me into my chamber, and told me that two young men were come to cary me to Lancaster,MarginaliaG. Marsh caryed to Lancaster Castell. and so deliuered me vnto them, a great company both of my Lords seruantes and others, accompanying and bringing me on þe way, vnto Richard Addertons and somewhat further, counselling and perswading lyke as is aforesayd.

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To whom I made plaine aunswer, that in matters of fayth, I would geue place to no earthly creature. So they comforted me, and sayd they were sory for me, saying: if I knew mine opinion to be good, I did wel, and so they departed, wylling my bringers to entreate me honestly.

My bringers by þe way shewed me they were willed & aduised to bynd me, and that they desired first to see me: and after they had looked on me, sitting at dynner, they aunswered they would take charge of me being loose, for they sayd I seemed to be an honest man. The fyrst night we were all night at Broughton, and the second day we came to Lancaster betimes at after noone, and so they kept me all night with thē of their gentlenes, & on the morow deliuered me to the Iaylor, who brought me into the hyghest pryson, where I do remayne.

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After that, the sayd George came to Lancaster Castell, and there being brought with other prisoners vnto the Sessions, MarginaliaG. Marsh caused to holde vp his handes at Lancaster amōgst other malefactors.was made to hold vp hys handes with other malefactours. The Earle of Darby had this communication wyth hym, as here followeth.

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¶ Cemmunication betwene George Marsh and the Earle of Darby.

MarginaliaTalke betwene G. Marsh and the Eearle of Darby.I Sayd vnto my Lord I had not dwelled in the country these three or foure yeares past, & came home but lately to visit my mother, children, & other my frendes, and to haue departed out of the coūtrey before Easter then next, and to haue gone out of the realme.  

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Given that the earl of Derby had heard of Marsh's activities in London and had determined to apprehend him, it is doubtful that Marsh's visit to Lancashire was as innocuous as he claims. Marsh was probably preaching and stiffening resistance to the religious policies of the Marian regime in the area.

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Wherfore I trusted, seyng nothing could be layd against me, wherin I had offēded against the lawes of this realme, hys Lordship would not with captious questions examine me to bring my body into daūger of death, to the great discomfort of my mother, but suffer me to auoyd peaceably, seing I might haue fled out of the countrey, and yet of myne own wyll came to hys Lordship.

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He sayd to hys Counsell, he had heard tell of me aboue at London,  

Commentary   *   Close

Given that the earl of Derby had heard of Marsh's activities in London and had determined to apprehend him, it is doubtful that Marsh's visit to Lancashire was as innocuous as he claims. Marsh was probably preaching and stiffening resistance to the religious policies of the Marian regime in the area.

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and intended to make search for me, and take me eyther in Lankeshiere or aboue at London, and asked me into what land I would haue gone.

I aunswered, I woulde haue gone eyther into Almayne,  

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I.e., Germany.

or els into Denmarke. Hee sayd to his Counsell: MarginaliaThe Earle of Darby chargeth the realme of Denmarke of heresy.in Denmarke they vsed such heresie as they had done in England: but as for Almaine  
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I.e., Germany.

he sayd the Emperour had destroyed them.

So after such like wordes I said vnto hym, my trust was that hys lordship being of the honorable Counsell of the late kyng Edward, consenting and agreeing to Actes concerning fayth toward God and religion vnder great payne, would not so soone after consent to put poore men to shamefull death, as he had threatned me, for embrasing the same with so good a conscience.

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He aūswered that MarginaliaThe Earle of Darby, L. Windsor, and L. Dacars, in King Edwardes tyme, agreed not to the Actes of religion.he, wyth the Lord Windsor, and Lord Dacars, with one moe, whose name I haue forgotten, did not consent to those Actes, and that the nay of them foure would be to be seene as long as the Parlament house stood. Then my Lord did rehearse the euyll lucke of the Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolke with others, because they fauored not the true religion, and agayne the good hap and prosperitie of the Queenes highnes, because she fauored the true religiō, thereby gatheryng the one to be good and of God, and the other to be wicked & of the deuill, and sayd that the Duke of Northumberland confessed so playnly.

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¶ George