Marginalia1556. Iune.ry curteously and frendly, and not at that tyme onely, but alwayes when soeuer that shyp commeth thether (as she hath bene there twise since) he alwayes doth for them, so that they can lacke nothyng. I should haue noted that after our shyp had taken vp those iij. men out of the Sea, they had the wynd fayre presently, and came and ouertooke the other two shyps againe, and so they proceded in their viage together.
[Back to Top]¶ For the more credite of this story aboue recited, to satisfie eyther the doubtfull, or to preuent the quareller, I haue not only alleaged þe name of the partie which was þe doer therof, but also expressed þe matter in his own wordes, as I of him receaued it: the partie & reporter himself being yet aliue & dwelling at Lee, a mā so well knowen amongest the most Marchantes of London, that who so heareth þe name of Tho. Morse, will neither doubt therof. And againe, þe matter it self being so notoriously knowen to marchantes aswell here as at Antwarpe, þt though his name were not expressed, the story cā lacke no witnesses.
[Back to Top]This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was never changed in subsequent editions.
MarginaliaMay. 31. MarginaliaW. Slech dead in the Kinges Bench, a buryed in the fieldes.THe last day of the sayd moneth of May, in the yeare aforesayd, Iohn Slech beyng in prison for the sayd doctrine of the Lordes Gospell, and the confession of his truth, dyed in the Kyngs Bench, and was buryed on the backeside of the said prison, for that the Romish catholicke spiritualtie thought him not worthy to come with in their Popeholy Churchyardes, either in any other Christian buriall, as they call it.
[Back to Top]In the 1563 edition, Foxe gave a brief account of these four martyrs, simply stating their names and the date and place of their deaths. In the 1570 edition, Foxe added the replies of Harland and Oswald to their articles; he derived this from Bishop Bonner's official records.
It is interesting that Foxe did not mention the answers of Avington and Read to their articles. Avington and Read were prominent freewillers and opponents of John Philpot and John Careless (see Thomas S. Freeman, 'Dissenters from a Dissenting Church: The Challenge of the Freewillers' in The Beginings of English Protestantism, eds. Peter Marshall and Alec Ryrie [Cambridge: 2002], pp. 136, 141, 146 and 153-54). Harland, on the other hand, signed a confessionby Richard Woodman, which explicitly denounced the freewillers and other radical protestants (see Gonville and Caius MS 218, p. 30). Foxe was anxious to play down and minimize the martyrdom of freewillers (see Freeman, 'Dissenters,' pp. 153-54 for a discussion of this point).
[Back to Top]MarginaliaJune 6. MarginaliaFour Martyrs burnt at Lewes.IN Iune next folowyng, about the vj. day of the same moneth, iiij. Martyrs suffered together at Lewes, whose names were these.
Thomas Harland, of VVoodmancote, Carpenter.
Iohn Oswald, of VVoodmancote, husbandman.
Thomas Auyngton, of Ardyngly, Turner.
Thomas Read.
MarginaliaEx Regist. Answere of Thomas Harland.To Thomas Harland I finde in the Byshop of Lōdons Registers, to bee obiected for not commyng to Church. Whereunto he aunswered: that after the Masse was restored, he neuer had will to heare þe same, because (sayd he) it was in Latin, which he did not vnderstand: and therefore as good (quoth he) neuer a whitte, as neuer the better.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAnswere of Iohn Oswald.Iohn Oswald, denied to aunswere any thyng, vntill his accusers should be brought face to face before him: and neuertheles sayd, that fire and Fagots could not make him afrayde: but as the good preachers which were in kyng Edwardes tyme haue suffred, and gone before: so was he ready to suffer and come after, and would be glad therof.
[Back to Top]These iiij. after long imprisonment in the Kynges Bench, were burned together at Lewes in Sussex in one fire, the day of the moneth aforesayd.
This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions.
MarginaliaIune 20. 2 Martyrs burnt at Lewes.IN the same towne of Lewes, and in þe same moneth likewyse, were burned Thomas Whoode Minister, and Thomas Mylles, about the. xx. day of the same moneth, for resisting the erroneous and hereticall doctrine of the pretensed Catholicke Church of Rome.
This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions.
MarginaliaIune 23. MarginaliaWilliam Adherall.JN the which moneth lykewyse William Adherall
William Adherall had signed the confession of faith written by Richard Woodman in 1555, which means that Adherall was in prison since that date (Gonville and Caius MS 218, p. 30).
John Clement wrote a confession of faith to a clandestine congregation which he led in the area of Redhill, Surrey (John Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials, III, 2, pp. 434-67).
vpon the dunghil was buried in the backside two daies after, videlicet, the. xxv. day of Iune.
This account was first printed in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions. This servant is actually Thomas Moore, whose martyrdom is described later on 1563, p. 1611; 1570, p. 2134; 1576, p. ; 1583, p. 1949. Foxe never realized that Moore and this servant were one and the same person.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIune. 26. A marchantes seruaunt.THe next day following of the sayd month of Iune, we read of a certayn yong man a Marchaunts seruaunt, who for the lyke godlynes suffered cruell persecution of the Papistes, and was burnt at Leicester, the. xxvj. of the month of Iune aboue named.
All of this account first appeared in the 1563 edition, although one section, on Elizabeth Pepper, was first printed in the appendix and therefore reached Foxe as the edition was being printed. This information was integrated into the account in the 1570 edition; beyond that no changes were made. (Although, confusingly, the note on Pepper in the appendix was also reprinted in the appendix to the 1583 edition (on p. 2145). Much of this account is drawn from official documents, although there is some information from personal sources, notably on Elizabeth Pepper and on the execution of these martyrs. And the apology of these martyrs was a manuscript which had been circulating among the Marian protestants.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIune. 27. Xiij. Martyrs suffering at Stratford the Bowe.NOt lōg after the death of the marchants seruaunt, before mencioned, there followed in this happy and blessed order of Martyrs burnt in one fyre at Stratford the Bow by London, a. xj. men and. ij. wemen, whose dwellinges were in sondry places in Essex, and whose names hereafter followeth.
[Back to Top]Vnto whom the. vj. of Iune, anno. 1556. D. Darbeshere Boners Chauncellour, in forme of law, ministred the same articles that were propounded vnto Tho. Whitle and hys company, mentioned before, pag. 2015.MarginaliaRead before pag. 2015. to the which they made their seuerall answers, in simplicity, and in a good conscience. The summe and effect whereof ensueth.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAunswere to their articles.1 To the first they all aunswered affirmatiuely: but Lion Cawch added further, that he beleued that the true fayth and religion of CHRIST is, where soeuer the word of God is truely preached
MarginaliaAunswere to the 2. article.2 To the second article, they all aunswered in effect, denying that there be. vij. Sacramentes: Some affirming that in the church of CHRST, there be but two Sacramentes, that is to say, Baptisme, and the Lords supper. Others referring them selues to beleue as the scripture teacheth them. And other some refused to make aunswere because of their simplicity.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAunswere to the 3. article.3 To the third article, they all aunswered affirmatyuely.
MarginaliaAunswere to the 4. article.4 To the fourth article, they all aunswered affirmatiuely: sauing Iohn Routh, who sayd he would make no aunswere therunto. But Lion Cawch added, that he beleued þe article to be true: but it was because he had no better knowledge. And Agnes George added, that in king Edward the sixt his tyme, she went from her old fayth and religion, and beleued in the fayth and religion that was then taught and set forth.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAunswere to the 5. article.5 To the fift they all aunswered in effect affirmatiuely: sauing Iohn Routh, whose aunswere was, that the Masse is such a thing, which cannot nor will not enter into his conscience: And Henry Adlington aunswered, that for. ix. or. x. yeares before, hee mislyked the Masse, and also the Sacrament of the aultar, because they cannot be proued by the scriptures. And as touching the autority of the Sea of Rome, hee being but xiiij. yeares of age, toke an othe against the same, which oth (he sayd) he intended to kepe, by the grace of God.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAunswere to the 6. article.6 To the sixt they all answered affirmatiuely: sauing Iohn Routh, & Will. Hallywell, who both refused to aunswere, because they knew not what they mente by thys article. But the two wemen added, that they refused to be reconciled to the fayth and religion that was then vsed in the realme of England. And Laurēce Pernam added, that he neuer refused to bee reconciled and brought to the vnity of the catholicke Church of CHRIST.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAunswere to the 7. article.7 To the seuenth article, they all aunswered affirma-