MarginaliaAn. 1556. July.tion of certaine honest men, past before vs in maner of an inquiry: in the which inquiry Katherine Cawches and her two daughters haue submitted them selues in a certeine matter criminall. Wherein we be informed that they haue bene disobedient to the commaundementes, and ordinaunces of the Church, in contemnyng and forsaking the Masse and the ordinaunces of þe same, agaynst the will and commaundement of our soueraigne Lord the Kyng and the Queene. Wherof we send you the sayd matter for asmuch as the matter is spirituall, to the ende you may procede therin after your good discretions, and as briefly as you can possible, and also that it perteyned to your office, recommendyng you to God, the which geue you grace to doe that pertaineth to right and iustice. Writtē the first day of the moneth of Iuly, the yeare of our Lord. 1556.
[Back to Top]After these letters, and information thus addressed to Iaques Amy Deane, and to other of the Clergy, the sayd women were agayne commēsed before the Iustice aforesaid with his assistances. In the presence of whom they beyng examined of their faith, concernyng the ordinances of the Romish Church, made their answere that they would obey and keepe the ordinances of the Kyng & Queene, & the cōmaundemētes of the Church, notwithstandyng that they had sayd & done þe contrary in the tyme of kyng Edward the vj. in shewyng obedience to his ordinances and cōmaundementes before. After which aūswere taken, they were returned agayn to prison, vntill the other had an annswere of their letter from the Deane and his complices. MarginaliaRash information geuen, before the cause was heard.Duryng which tyme, the Deane & Curates gaue their informatiō touchyng the sayd women, & deliuered þe same to the Bailife & Iurates, condemnyng & reputyng them for heretickes, the women neither hearing of any informatiō, neither yet beyng euer examined at any tyme before of their fayth and Religion. Whereupon when the sayd Bailife and Iurates vnderstode that the sayd Deane and Curates had not examined the women of their fayth, would not sit in iudgement on that day, but ordayned the women to come first before the Deane and Curates to be examined of their faith. MarginaliaKatherine Cawches, Perrotine Maßey, Guillemine Guilbert, examined before the Deane and hys fellowes.And so the officers at the commaundement of the Iustices, did fetch and present them before the sayd Deane and Curates. The which beyng accomplished and done, they were examined a part seuerally one from an other. After which examination they incontinently were returned agayne into prison.
[Back to Top]Then the xiiij. day of the sayd moneth of Iuly, in the yeare aforesayd, after the examination aboue specified before MarginaliaThe names of the persecutors which satte vpon the death of the three women.Elyer Gosselin Bailyfe, in the presence of Thomas Deuicke, Pierres Martine, Nicolas Cary, Iohn Blondel, Nicolas de Lisle, Iohn Leuerchaunt, Iohn le Feuer, Pierres Bonnamy, Nicolas Martine, Iohn de le March Iurates,
Technically Foxe was incorrect: Martin, de Lisle, le Fevre and de la March were not jurats.
MarginaliaThe vniust sentence of the Deane against the 3. Martyrs.AN. dom. millesimo, quingētisimo, quinquagesimo sexto, die vero. xiij. mēsis Iulij apud Ecclesiā diui Petri in portu maris insula promotor. per nos Dominū Decanū inquisitio facta fuit de fide Catholica, & super Sacramenta Ecclesiastica, videlicet super Sacramentum Baptismi, cōfirmationis, pœnitentiæ, ordinis, Matrimonij, Eucharistiæ, & extremæ vnctionis, nec non super ceremonias Ecclesiæ, ac de veneratione & honoratione beatæ Mariæ & sanctorū, de Missa & eius efficacia, & de ceremonijs Ecclesiæ, videlicet Katherinæ Cawches eiusdemq; durarum filiarum Guilleminæ & Parotinæ nuncupatarum, & harum tam coniunctim quam separatim & via iuris. Et quamuis pluries ad veniam petendam, & ad delicta sua cognoscenda †Marginalia† Soloicismus catholicus. hortauimus & inuitauimus, quæ quidem prædicta omnino negauerunt & negant, quod locutæ fuerunt aliquod verbum inane, inhonestum, ociosum,
[Back to Top]& vanum contra fidem Catholicam, Sacramenta Ecclesiæ, & alias ceremonias Ecclesiæ. Quapropter auditis negationibus prædictarum, & attestationibus & depositionibus testium per nos visis, consideratis, & bene ponderatis, & per opiniones Curatorum & Vicariorum ibidem assistentium super easdem Katherinam & Parotinam, nec non & Guilleminam crimine hæreticas inuenimus & reputamus. Quapropter coram vobis Domino Balliuo omnino remittimus vt antea remisimus. Thomas le Coll de mandato, Iohn Alles, Guillielmus Panquet, Perus Tardise, & Iohannes Manatiel.
[Back to Top]When this was cone, commaundement was geuē to the kynges officers, to go to the castle to fetche the sayd woman, to heare the sentence agaynst them in the presence aforesayd. And they appearyng before them, sayd in the eares of all the auditory, that they would see their accusers, and know them that had deposed against them, because they might make aūsweres to their sayinges and personages and to haue their libell accordyngly: for they knew not to haue offended the maiesties of the kyng and Queene, nor of the Church, MarginaliaThe three women willing to be conformed to the Queenes ordinaunces, were notwithstanding condēned.but intierly would obey, obserue and keepe the ordinaunces of the Kyng and Queene, and of Church, as all good and true subiectes are boūd to do. And for any breach of the Kyng and Queenes lawes that they had done, they required iustice. All which their reasons & allegations notwithstandyng, the sayd poore women were condemned, and adiudged to be burnt, vntill they were consumed into ashes, accordyng to a sentence geuen by Elyer Goslyne Bailife: of the which sentence the tenour hereafter foloweth.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe wilfull sentence and murther of Ellyer Gosseline Bailiffe, agaynst the three innocent women in Garnesey.THe xvij. (or as some other thinke the xxvij. day) of the moneth of Iuly. 1556. Elier Gosselin Bailife in the presence of Thomas Deuicke, Pierres Martine, Nicholas Cary Iohn Bloundell, Nicholas Deuise, Iohn le Marchaunt, Iohn le Feauer, Pierres Bonamy, Nicholas Martin and Iohn de la March Iurates: Katherine Cawches, Perotine Massey, & Guillemyne Guilbert, the sayd Perotine and Guillemyne daughters to the sayd Katherine, are all condemned and iudged this day to be burned, vntill they be consumed to ashes in the place accustomed, with the confiscation of all their goodes, moueables, & heritages, to be in the hands of the Kyng and Queenes Maiesties, accordyng and after the effect of a sentence deliuered in Iustice, by master Deane and the Curates the xiij. day of the moneth of Iuly, in the yeare aforesayd, in the which they haue bene approued heretickes.
[Back to Top]After which sentence pronounced, MarginaliaThe mother with her two daughters made their appeale to the kinge & Quene but could not be admitted.the sayd women did appeale vnto the King and Queene, and theyr honorable Counsell, saying that agaynst reason and right they were cōdemned, and for that cause they made their appeale: notwithstandyng they could not be heard, but were deliuered by the sayd Bailiffe, to the Kyng and Queenes officers, to see the execution done on them, accordyng to the sayd sentence.
[Back to Top]The detailed account of the executions and the premature birth of Massy's infant son was added in the 1570 edition; all that Foxe related in the 1563 edition was that Massy was pregnant, that she gave birth in the fire to a boy and that he was thrown into fire.
Then was the child had to the Prouost, and from him to the Bailife, who gaue censure, that it should be caried backe agayne and cast into the fire. And so the in-