1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1932 
CloseThe Rerum simply has a note stating that William Wolsey, weaver, and Robert Pygot, painter, were burned on 19 September 1555 (Rerum, p. 538). In the 1563 edition this note was repeated, mistakenly giving Wolsey's first name as 'Thomas' and correcting the date of their execution to 4 October 1555. (The actual date was 16 October 1555). Foxe provided his full account of Wolsey and Pygot in the 1570 edition. It appears to have been based on personal testimony for the background and examinations of Wolsey and Pygot; some of Foxe's informants were listed in his account. (Fortunately the official records for the trials of Wolsey and Pygot survive - Ely Diocesan Register G 1/8, fos. 81r-84r - and they confirm the accuracy of Foxe's account at several points. However, it is pretty evident that Foxe did not have access to these materials but to an independent source of information, as his account contains material not in the official records). Foxe also obtained a description of the execution of Wolsey and Pygot from the famous Cambridge puritan divine William Fulke. The account of Wolsey and Pygot was not altered in the 1576 and 1583 editions.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaWilliam Wolsey, Robert Pigot, Martyrs.AFter the sufferyng of M. Robert Glouer and Cornelius Bongey at Couentry, followeth next the condemnation of other two blessed Martyrs which were iudged and condemned at Eley by Iohn Fuller the Bishops Chauncellor of Eley, Doc. Shaxton hys Suffragane, Rob. Steward Deane of Eley, Ioh. Christopherson Deane of Norwich. &c. an. 1555 October. 9. the names of which Martyrs were Williā Wolsey and Robert Pigot, dwelling both in the town of Wisbich, which Will. Wolsey beyng a Constable, dwelling & inhabiting in þe towne of Well, was there brought to death by the meanes & procurement of one MarginaliaRichard Euerard extreame against William Wolsey.Rich. Euerard Gentlemā a Iustice appointed for those dayes, who extremely handled the same W. Wolsey, & bound hym to the good abearyng,
CloseI.e., good behaviour.
CloseWolsey had drawn attention to himself in Ely by denying the mass and by not attending church for six months before his arrest (Ely Diocesan Register G 1/8, fo. 81r).
In the Easter weeke following, there repayred to conferre wyth hym, Doct. Fuller the Chauncellour, wyth Christopherson, and one Doct. Younge:MarginaliaD. Fuller, Christopherson, D. Yonge, come to confer with Wolsey. who layd earnestly to hys charge that hee was out of the catholicke faith, wylling hym to medle no further wyth þe scriptures, then it dyd become such lay mē as he was, to do. The sayd W. Wolsey standing styll a great whyle, sufferyng them to saye their pleasures, at the last dyd aunswere in thys wyse: MarginaliaWolsey putteth a question to the Doctours.Good Master Doctour, what dyd our Sauiour CHRIST meane, when he spake these wordes written in the. xxiij. chapter of S. Mathewes Gospell: Wo be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis, ye hypocrites, for ye shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men: ye your selues go not in, neither suffer ye them that come to enter in.
[Back to Top]Yea sayth Doct. Fuller, you must vnderstand, that CHRIST spake to the Scribes and Phariseis.
Nay Master Doctor (sayth Wolsey) CHRIST spake euen to you, and your fellowes here present, and to all other such lyke as you be.
Away master Doctor (saith Christopherson) for you can do no good of thys man. Yet sayth Doctor Fuller, I wyll leaue thee a booke to read, I promyse thee, of a learned mās doing, that is to say of MarginaliaDoctour Watsons booke of Sermons or Homilies.Doct. Watsons doing, (who was then bishop of Lincolne.)
CloseThe book was Thomas Watson, Twoo [sic] notable sermons made'before the quenes highness, concernynge the reall presence (London, 1554), STC 25115. This was considered by contemporaries to have been a very effective defence of transubstantiation.
Wolsey receauing the same booke, dyd diligently read it ouer, which in many places dyd manifestly appeare contrary to the knowen truth of Gods word. At the length a fourtnight or three weekes following, MarginaliaD. Fuller agayne resorteth to William Wolsey.the sayd Doct. Fuller resortyng agayne to the prison house to conferre wyth the sayd Wolsey, dyd aske hym howe he lyked the sayd booke (thinking that he had woon him by the reading of þe same): who aunswered him & sayd: Syr, I lyke þe booke no otherwise then I thought before I should finde it. Wherupon þe Chauncellor takyng hys booke departed home. At night when Doct. Fuller came to hys chamber to looke on it, hee dyd finde in many places contrary to hys mynde, the booke raced wyth a pen by the sayd Wolsey. The which he seing, & beyng vexed therwith, sayd: Oh this is an obstinate hereticke and hath quyte marred my booke.
CloseWolsey mentioned writing in Watson's book during his trial (Ely Diocesan Register G 1/8, fo. 81v).
vpon, so farre as I may, I promise thee I wyll not heare of it.
Master Doctor (quoth Wolsey) I was brought hether by a law, and by a law I wyll be deliuered.
Then beyng brought to the Sessions before named, MarginaliaWilliā Wolsey layd in the castle of Wisbich.Wolsey was layd in the Castell at Wysbych, thinking to him and all his friends, that he should haue suffered there at that present tyme, but it proued nothing so.
Then Robert Pigot the Paynter beyng at liberty, MarginaliaRob. Pigot paynter presented for not comming to the church.was there presented by some euyll dysposed parsons (sworne men as they called them) for not comming to the church.
ClosePygot confessed to not having attended church for three months before his arrest (Ely Diocesan Register G 1/8, fo. 83r).
Ah Syrha, sayd the Iudge, you are to hygh learned for me to talke wythall: wherfore I wyll send you to them that be better learned then I, MarginaliaRob. Pigot brought to the Iayle where W. Wolsey lay.strayght waies cōmaunding hym to the Iayle where Wolsey lay. So the Sessions being broken vp and ended, the sayd Wolsey and Pigot were caryed agayne to Eley into pryson,MarginaliaWolsey and Pigot remoued to Eley to prison. where they both dyd remayne til the day of their death.
[Back to Top]In the meane tyme certayne of their neyghbours of Wysbych aforesaid being at Eley, came to see how they dyd. There came thether also a Chaplayne of MarginaliaT. Goodricke Bishop of Eley.Bishop Gooderikes a Frenchmā borne, one Peter Valētius, who sayd vnto the sayd Wolsey & Pigot: My brethren, according to myne office I am come to talke with you, for I haue bene Amner here this. xx. yeares and aboue. MarginaliaThe Bishops chaplaine a frenchman confirmeth the prisoners in the truth.Wherefore I must desire you my brethren to take it in good part that I am come to talke wyth you, I promise you, not to pull you from your fayth. But I both requyre and desire you in the name of IESVS CHRIST that you stand to the truth of hys Gospell and woord, and I besech the almighty God for hys sonne IESVS CHRISTES sake, to preserue both you and mee in the same vnto the end. For I know not my selfe (my brethren) how soone I shall bee at the same poynt that you now are. Thus with many other lyke wordes he made an ende, causing all that were there present to water their cheekes,
CloseI.e., they wept.
Then wythin short tyme after, MarginaliaPigot and Wolsey called to iudgement in the Bishops Consistory.Pigot and Wolsey were called to iudgement about the. ix day of October, before Doct. Fuller then Chaūcellour, with old Doct. Shaxton, Christopherson, & others in Cōmissiō, who layd earnestly to their charge for their beliefe in diuers articles, but especially of þe sacramēt of þe aultar. Wherunto their aunswere was: that the Sacrament of the aultar was an Idole, and that the naturall body and bloud of CHRIST was not present really in the sayd sacrament, & to this opinion they sayd they would sticke, beleuing perfectly the same to be no heresy that they had affirmed, but the very truth whereupon they would stand.
CloseThis answer appears word-for-word in the trial register (Ely Diocesan Register G 1/8, fo. 82r).
CloseWolsey's exchange with Shaxton and Fuller's remark do not appear in the trial record.
CloseNicholas Shaxton had been a high-profile evangelical, and bishop of Salisbury, who had very publicly recanted his beliefs in 1546. Shaxton was villified by fellow evangelicals for his recantation; see Robert Crowley, The confutation of .xiii. articles, wherunto N. Shaxton, late byshop subscribed and caused to be set forth in print M.C.xlvi. when he recanted (STC 6083).
[Back to Top]MarginaliaWolseyes aunswere to Shaxton.Ah sayd Wolsey, are you become a new mā? Wo be to thee þu wicked new mā, for God shal iustly iudge thee.
Doctor Fuller then spake saying, this Wolsey is an obstinate felow, & one that I could neuer do good vpon.
CloseJohn Fuller, the chancellor of the diocese, had visited Wolsey numerous times in prison in the hope of making him recant (Ely Diocesan Register G 1/8, fo. 81r-v).