1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1882 
CloseThere is a brief statement in the Rerum (p. 503) that William Minge diedin prison in Maidstone. This was essentially all the information which Foxe ever obtained on Minge.
MarginaliaIuly. 2.MarginaliaWilliam Mynge dyed in prison.THe next day after M. Bradford and Iohn Leafe did suffer in Smithfield, William Mynge Priest dyed in prison at Maidstone, beyng there in bondes for Religion, & lyke to haue suffered also, if he had cōtinued the fury of his aduersaries, whose nature was to spare and fauour none that fauoured Christes pure Gospell: Which W. Mynge, with as great constancy and boldnes yelded vp hys life in the prison, as if it had pleased God to haue called him to suffer by the fire, as the other good and godly men had done at the stake, & as he him selfe was ready also so to do, if it had pleased God to haue called hym therunto.
CloseNote how the ending of this section was changed in the 1570 edition to emphasize Minge's readiness to die a martyr's death. This was a response to the attacks of Nicholas Harpsfield, Foxe's most important contemporary critic, on Foxe for listing people who were not truly martyrs in the Acts and Monuments.
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CloseThis narrative, which first appeared in the 1570 edition, was obviously derived from personal informants, probably friends or family of Trevisam.
MarginaliaThe story of Iames Treuisam, buried in the fields, and summoned after his death.VPon the thyrd day of Iuly. an. 1555. dyed one Iames Treuisam, in the Parish of S. Margaret in Lothbury vpon a Sonday: who being impotent
CloseWeak, infirm.
CloseInformant.
CloseThe martyrdom of John Bland is particularly interesting because it is so rooted in the history of the reformation in Kent. Bland was a Cambridge graduate who was a protégé of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and of Cranmer's commissary, Christopher Nevinson. (Bland's living of Adisham, which he had held from 1541, was in the gift of the archbishop of Canterbury). He was one of the most outspoken evangelists in Kent during the reign of Henry VIII, stripping the churches where he was pastor of images and furnishings as early as 1542, and preaching throughout eastern Kent, denouncing images, fast days, prayer to saints and other 'superstitious' practices. He also had associations with even more radical protestants in Kent; some of them rallied behind him in Mary's reign. His links to Cranmer, and his zealous evangelism made Bland a natural target for religious conservatives in Kent, and in the spring of 1543 his heresies were denounced to the king as part of the conspiracy against Cranmer which became known as the Prebendaries' Plot. Bland was indicted for heresy in September 1543, but the case against him collapsed when it became clear that Cranmer retained Henry VIII's support. Nevertheless, his Henrician adversaries would resurface in Mary's reign and play a key role in persecuting him.
[Back to Top]Bland's narrative of his persecution - the core of Foxe's narrative of his martyrdom - is a bewildering account of his being shifted from one form of custody to another, and more importantly, from clerical to secular jurisdiction and back again. The key problem for his enemies was that his arrest in December of 1553 came too soon. They were determined to try Bland for heresy, but the statute against heresy had been repealed under Edward VI and would not be revived until January 1555. So an elaboate game of cat and mouse followed, with Bland being arraigned in one jurisdiction, released on bond, then re-arraigned in another, all to keep Bland in some form of custody until the re-enactment of the heresy statute. In February 1555, with the statute now in force, Bland was transferred to spiritual jurisdiction for the final time and he was prosecuted for heresy.
[Back to Top]In the Rerum, Foxe only had a brief account of Bland's background, whichmay well have come from the protestant exile Edwin Sandys, who is rather prominently mentioned in it (Rerum, p. 503). This was reprinted in the 1563 edition, where it introduced a long letter by Bland to his father, relating the circumstances of his arrest, examinations, imprisonment down to the end of March 1555. Foxe also, in his first edition, added an account of Bland's examinations in June 1555 and his condemnation, all taken from a now lost Canterbury diocesan court book, as well as the prayer Bland was supposed to have given at his death. In the 1570 edition Foxe added a letter from Thomas Goldwell to Richard Thornden. There were no changes to this material in the 1576 or 1583 editions.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIuly. 12.MarginaliaIohn Bland, Ioh. Frankesh, Martyrs.THe xij. of Iuly Ioh. Bland, Iohn Frankesh, Nich. Sheterden, and Humfrey Myddleton were all foure burned at Canterbury together, for one cause, of the which nūber Frankesh and Blande were Ministers, and Preachers of the word of God. The one beyng person of Adesham: the other the Vicare of Roluynden. This M. Blande was a man so litle borne for his own cōmoditie,
CloseAdvantage, profit.
ployed to the bringyng vp of children in learnyng and vertue. Vnder whom were trayned diuers towardly young men, which euen at this present do handsomly florish. MarginaliaM. Bland scholemaster to D. Sandes Bishop of Worchester.In the number of whom is D. Sandes,
CloseBland either taught Sandys at Furness Abbey in Yorkshire or, more likely, at St John's, Cambridge, where they were contemporaries.
After this he cōmyng to the ministery in the Church of God, or rather beyng called thereto, was inflamed with incredible desire to profite þe congregation, which may appeare by this: that where as he was cast into Canterbury prison for the preachyng of þe Gospell, and deliuered once or twise from thence at the sute of hys frendes: yet would he nedes preach the Gospel again, as soone as he was deliuered. Wherupon, he beyng the the thyrd time apprehended, MarginaliaM. Bland offred by his frendes to be deliuered, refused.when his frendes yet once agayne would haue found the meanes to haue deliuered hym, if he would haue promised to abstayne from preachyng:
CloseThe description of Bland's career is reprinted from the Rerum (p. 503) andreflects what Foxe learned about Bland in exile. It is also somewhat garbled. The mention of Bland's earlier arrest, or arrests, appears to be based on his indictment for heresy in 1543. As far as we know, he was not imprisoned then and there was no second imprisonment. (It is worth noting how Foxe moves from stating that Bland was imprisoned once or twice to affirming that there was a 'third' arrest). After this 'third' arrest (in 1553), Bland was not, by his own account, promised release if he abstained from preaching.
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CloseWhat follows is a very long letter, written by Bland to his father sometime between March 1555 and June 1555, describing his arrest and its causes, and what happened to him after that, down to the beginnings of proceedings against him for heresy in 1555.
DEarely beloued father in Christ Iesu, I thanke you for your gentle letters. And to satisfy your mynd, as concerning the troubles whereof ye haue heard, these shall both declare vnto you all my vexations that haue chaunced me since ye were with me, and also since I receyued your last letters. God kepe you euer.
[Back to Top]Your sonne Iohn Blande.
MarginaliaDeclaration of the troubles of M. Bland how and by whom he was apprehended and brought to his condemnation.FIrst, the thyrd day of September, being Sonday, after seruice ended, ere I had put of my surplise, MarginaliaIohn Austen persecutour.Iohn Austen came to the Table (cōmonly called the Lordes table)
CloseI.e., the communion table. Bland had torn down the altar in the church and, in conformity with advanced protestant practice in Edward VI's reign, had erected a communion table in the nave.
CloseIn Mary's reign, the table was taken down, but someone apparently re-erected it in the nave. Bland is being blamed for this and is saying that he did not know anything about it.
CloseLaurence Ramsey, the parish clerk, was an outspoken protestant and a natural suspect.
CloseApparently the table was simply a board set upon a pair of trestles.
CloseA parish officer with functions identical to that of a petty constable [OED].
CloseRound one to Bland; with the support of Edward Issacs, a JP and a staunch protestant, he had got a writ that directed that the communion table be restored. At this point, early in Mary's reign with the old Edwardian laws still on the books, the law was still on Bland's side.
The xxvj. day of Nouember, beyng Sōday MarginaliaRichar Austē Tho. Austen persecutors.Richard Austen, and his brother Thomas came to the foresayd table after the Communion was done, and as I was goyng by, then Richard sayd vnto me: Master Parsō, we haue to speake to you. And I said, what is your wil?