MarginaliaAn. 1555. September.hended for hym, had small ioy of hys lyfe for the great sorow of hys hart, wherewyth he was sore oppressed, and would gladly haue put hym selfe in hys brothers steede, if friendes had not otherwyse perswaded wyth hym, shewing that in so doing he might intangle hymself, but should do his brother no good. He thus in great care and vexation endured: yet notwithstanding, rubbyng out as well as hee could, tyll at length about the latter ende of Queene Mary MarginaliaA new search made for Iohn Glouer.there was a new search made for the sayd Iohn Glouer. Wherupon the Sheriffes wyth their vnder officers and seruauntes beyng sent to seeke hym, came into hys house, where hee and hys wyfe were. It chaunced as he was in hys chamber by hym selfe, the Officers brusting into the house, and searching other roomes, came to the chamber doore where this Iohn Glouer was. Who being wythin, and holdyng the latch softly wyth hys hand, perceyued and heard the Officers buskelyng about the doore, amongest whom one of the sayd Officers hauyng the string in hys hand, was ready to draw and plucke at the same. MarginaliaThe prouidēce of God againe in sauing Iohn Glouer.In the meane tyme an other cōming by (whose voyce hee heard and knew) bad them come away, saying they had bene there before. Whereupon they departyng thence, went to search other corners of the house, where they found MarginaliaAgnes Glouer wife of Iohn Glouer apprehended.Agnes Glouer his wife, who being had to Lichfield, and there examined before the Bishop, at length after much ado, was constrayned to geue place to their tyrāny.
The original document of the articles alleged against Agnes Glover survives among Foxe's papers (BL, Harley 421, fos. 67r-68r), as does the original of her abjuration of these articles (BL, Harley 421, fos. 85r-86r).
A fever.
Thus by the mighty protectiō of the almighty Lord, how Iohn Glouer was deliuered and defended from the handes of the persecuting enemyes duryng all the tyme of his lyfe, ye haue heard. Now what befell after his death both to him, and to William his brother, it is not vnworthy to be remembred. Who after that hee was dead, and buryed in the Churchyard without Priest or Clarke, MarginaliaD. Dracot not suffering Iohn Glouer to be buried in the churchyarde.D. Dracot then Chauncellour. vj. weekes after sent for the parson of the Towne and demaunded how it chaunced that hee was there buried. The Parson aunswered that hee was then sicke, and knew not of it. Then the Chauncellour commaunded the parson to go home and to cause the body of the sayd Iohn Glouer to bee taken vp, and to be cast ouer the wall into the hye way. The Parson agayne aunswered, that he had bene sixe weekes in the earth and so smelled, that none was able to abide the sauour of him. Well quoth D. Dracot, then take this bill & pronounce him in the pulpit a damned soule,MarginaliaIohn Glouer after his death iudged of D. Dracot to be a damned soule. and a tweluemonth after take vp his bones (for then the flesh will be consumed) and cast them ouer the wal, that carts & horses may tread vppon them, and then will I come and hallow again that place in the churchyarde where he was buried. MarginaliaTestimony of this story.Recorded by the Parson of the towne who told the same to Hugh Burrowes dwelling at Fynden in Darbyshiere, and to M. Rob. Glouers wyfe, by whose credible information we receaued the same.
Mary Glover, the wife of the martyr Robert Glover, was Foxe's source for the excommunication and death of John Glover.
Not much vnlike vsage was practised also by these Catholicke children of the mother Church vpon the body of William the third brother. Whom, after it had pleased almightie God, about the same season to call out of this vale of miserie, MarginaliaThe maner of handling the body of William Glouer after his death.the good disposed people of the Towne of Weme in Shropshyre, where he dyed, brought the body vnto the Parish Church, entendyng there to haue it buried. But one MarginaliaBernard a Popish Curate of Weme.Bernard, beyng then Curate of the said Church (and is yet as I heare say to this day) to stoppe the burial therof, rode to the Bishop named Raufe Bayne, to certifie him of the matter, and to haue his aduise therin. In the meane time, the body lying there a whole day, in the night tyme one Rich. Morice a Taylour would haue enterred him. But thē came MarginaliaIohn Thorline agaynst the burying of W. Glouers brother.Iohn Thorlyne of Weme with other moe, and
[Back to Top]would not suffer the body to be buryed: expressing to vs the contrary example of good Toby, for as he was religious in burying the dead, so thys man putteth religion in not burying the dead: so that after it had layne there two dayes and one night, commeth the foresayd Bernard the Curate with the Bishops letter: the contentes of which letter beyng copied out worde for word here foloweth.
The letter was probably copied by one of Foxe's informants and the copy sent to Foxe.
MarginaliaThe letter of Raufe Bayne B. of Chester, for the not burying of William Glouers body.VNderstandyng that one Glouer an hereticke is dead in the Parish of Weme, which Glouer hath for al the time of my beyng in this countrey bene knowen for a rebellion agaynst our holy faith and Religion, a contemner of the holy Sacraments and ceremonies vsed in holy Church, and hath separate him selfe from the holy Communion of all good Christiā men, nor neuer required to bee reconciled to our mother holy Church, nor in his last dayes did not call for his ghostly father, but dyed without all rightes belongyng to a Christian man: I thought it good not onely to commaunde the Curate of Weme that he should not be buried in Christian mans buriall, but also will and commaunde all the Parishe of Weme that no mā procure, helpe, nor speake to haue him buried in holy ground, but I do charge and commaund the Church Wardēs of Weme in speciall, and all the Parish of the same that they assiste the said Curate in defendyng and lettyng, and procuryng that he be not buryed neither in the Churche nor within the wanybles
Lands, precincts
By your Ordinary Radulph Couentry
and Lichfield.
Ralph Baynes, the bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.
By the vertue of this foresaid letter so it fell out, that they which brought þe corps thether, were fayne at their owne charges to cary it backe agayne. MarginaliaThe dead corpes of William Glouer dragged with horse into the field.But for so much as the body was corrupted, and smelt so strongly that vnneth any mā might come nere it, they were forced to draw it with horses vnto a broome field,
Broom is a wild shrub.
Witnesses of the godly ende of the sayd W. Glouer dying in the true fayth and confession of CHRIST, M. Nowell now Deane of Lichfield, George Wilestone and his wife, Tho. Constantine, Roger VVydouse, Iohn Prynne, George Torpelley. &c.
George Torpelly was Foxe's source for the refusal to bury both William Glover and Edward Burton.
The like example of charitable affection in these Catholicke Churchmē is also to be seene and noted in the burying of one MarginaliaMaster Edward Bourton not suffered to be buried in Christian buriall, the same day when Q. Elizabeth was crowned.M. Edward Bourton Esquier, who in þe same Dioces of Chester departing out of this world, þe very day before Q. Elizabeth was crowned, required of his frendes, as they would aunswere for it, that his body should be buried in his Parish church (which was S. Chaddes in Shrousbury) so that no Massemōger should be present therat. Which thing beyng declared to þe Curate of that Parish named Syr Iohn Marshall, and the body beyng withall brought to the buriall,
In the errata printed in the 1576 edition, Foxe printed a correction stating that Burton's body was not actually sent to the church but that a messenger, one John Torperly (probably a relative of George Torpelly), was sent to ask if Burton would be allowed a Christian burial and that permission was denied. Probably the curate of St Chad protested to Foxe or Day about the account of this which appeared in the 1570 edition. This correction was never added to the story of Burton in Foxe's text.
[Back to Top]This is 'Catherine Phinehas' in Rerum, p. 529 and 'Katherin Phines' in the1563 edition. In the Letters of the Martyrs, this is arbitrarily changed to 'Maister C. Phinehas', apparently because Bull felt that it was inappropriate for a woman to be advising Glover on what he should do. (For other examples of Bull rewriting letters so that female figures appeared as males see Thomas S. Freeman, '"The Good Ministrye of Godlye and Vertuouse Women": The Elizabethan Martyrologists and the Female Supporters of the Marian Martyrs,' Journal of British Studies 39 [2000], pp. 8-33). Foxe followed Bull's emendation: it was 'M. C. Phinehas' in the 1570 edition and all subsequent editions.
[Back to Top]Moreouer, in the sayd Countie of Salop, I find that one MarginaliaOliuer Richardine in Hartford West, Martyr.Olyuer Richardyne
This terse account is all the information known about the obscure Oliver Richardine.
This brief story must have been given to Foxe as the 1570 edition was being printed and he inserted it into the text (far out of chronological order) as soon as he could.