MarginaliaAn. 1556. October. Nouember.doctrine and preaching of Gods word, renounced the vntrue and false coloured Religion of the Romish sea, wherin many a good man hath ben drowned.

MarginaliaOctob. 18.MarginaliaThree dyed in the Castell of Chicister, Cõfessors.After whom, not long after in the same moneth of October dyed also in the Castle of Chicister three godly confessors, being there in bondes for the like cause of Christes Gospel, who also should haue suffered the like Martyrdome, had not theyr naturall death, or rather (as it is to be suspected) the cruell handling of the papistes made them away before, and afterward buried them in the field.

MarginaliaIohn Hoke, Martyr.I reade moreouer that in this present yeare, to wit an. 1556. was burnt one called Hooke a true witnes of the Lordes truth, at Chester.  

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I.e., Chichester. Foxe and other contemporary writers call the recently created diocese of Chester, West Chester.

Fiue famished in Canterbury Castell by the vnmercifull tiranny of the papistes, about the bginning of Nouember.  

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Five Prisoners in Canterbury Castle

This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and remained unchanged in subsequent editions. It is based partly on the letter of these prisoners, which seems to have circulated in manuscript and apparently on official transcripts of the examinations of some of these prisoners.

MarginaliaB. Boner, Nicholas Harpsfield, D. Dunning, three sore persecutors.AS among all the Bishops, Boner Byshop of London principally excelled in perscutyng the poore members and saintes of Christ: so of all Archdeacons Nicholas Harpesfield Archdeacon of Canterbury (as may by mans sight appeare) was the sorest, and of lest cõpassion (onely Dunning of Norwich excepted) by whose vnmercifull nature and agrest dispositiõ very many were put to death in that dioces of Canterbury, not only in the bloudy time of that Queene, but some also in the blessed beginning of this our most renowmed Queene that now is, as by the grace of Christ, hereafter shall appeare.

MarginaliaPersecution in Kent.Of those that suffered in Queene Maries time within the forsayd dioces of Canterbury, some be recited al ready, with the order and forme set downe of such articles as then were most commonly ministred to the Examinates by Thornton, suffragne of Douer, and þ^e said N. Harpsfield and other, as before in the volume of this history may appeare pag. 1852.MarginaliaRead before pag. 1852. Now to procede in the order and course of time where we left, next followeth the moneth of Nouember.

MarginaliaXv. Martyrs & Confessors together prisoned in Canterbury.In the beginnyng wherof were together in the Castell of Cant. xv. godly & innocent Martyrs, of which nūber, not one escaped with theyr life, but either were burned, or els were famished in prison. Of þ^e which ij. sortes, which is þ^e easier death God knoweth: it is hard to iudge. Notwithstandyng, þ^e truth is, that of these. xv. x. were burned and suffered in the fire, of whom in the next booke more shal folow hereafter, the Lord willing. The other v. were pined & famished most vnmercifully in the straite prison, of whom we haue here presently to entreate. Whose names were these.MarginaliaV. Confessors and Martyrs famished in prison.

1.	Iohn Clerke.	Which ij. were yet vncondemned.
2.	Dunston Chittenden.   Commentary     Close This probably is the 'Chidderton' of Ashford who attended the conventicle of radical protestants held at Bocking, Essex, in December 1550 (APC III, p. 199). Foxe relates that a 'goodwife Chittendon' was driven out of her home in Kent during Mary's reign (1563, p. 1679).
3.	W. Foster of Stone.
4.	Alice Potkins wife, of Stapleherst.   Commentary     Close Later Foxe would print a letter describing how Alice Potkin and a fellow prisoner, Alice Benden, subsisted in prison on a diet which cost two and a half pence for both of them (1570, p. 2168; 1576, p. ; 1583, p. 1981).	These were condemned to be brent.
5.	Iohn Archer of Cran- broke, Weuer.

Of these fiue prisoners, the first two were vncondēned, MarginaliaW. Foster, Alice Potkins, Ioh. Archer, dyed after their condemnation.the other three last were condēned & should haue bene burned, but suffered no lesse tormentes the if they had abid the fire, being macerat & pined to death by famine. What their articles and answers were, it nedeth not here to recite, seing all they, in that time of Queene Mary, commonly suffered for one maner & sorte of cause, that is, for holding against the. vij. sacraments,  

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Phrases like this often indicate that Foxe was trying to conceal unorthodox (at least by his standards) opinions uttered by the Marian martyrs. Because the records of these trials have not survived, it is impossible to be sure, but it is suspicious that Foxe says nothing about the opinions of Clark and Chittenden.

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MarginaliaW. Foster, Martyr. His aunswere to þ^e articles.First, William Foster aunswering to these and like articles, sayd, that he beleued well in all the articles of the Crede: but to beleue to be mo sacramentes then two, & to pray to sainctes eyther to profite vs, or to pray

for soules in purgatory to profit them, that faith and works do iustify, or to allow the popish ceremonies in the Church, that hee denied. Moreouer he sayd, to cary candels vppon Candelmas day were as good for him as to cary a dungforke, MarginaliaCarying about the Crosse.and þ^t it is as necessary to cary the gallowes about, if his father were hanged, as the crosse. To come to the church he cannot, sayd he, with a safe consicence. Concerning fish dayes and flesh dayes, he graūted it good to put difference therin, MarginaliaNecessitie alwaies excused in matters indifferent.except where necessitie required the contrary.

This William Foster was a laboring, man of the age of. xl. yeares. MarginaliaW. Foster apprehended by Sir Thomas Moyle.He was apprehended and imprisoned by Syr Thomas Moyle Knight.

MarginaliaMother Potkins, Martyr, troubled by M. Robertes.

Alice Potkins also for the like confession, was condemned to be burned, for that she was not neither would be confessed to the Priest, for that she receaued not the sacrament of the aultar, because she would not pray to sainctes, nor creepe to the crosse. &c. Being demaunded of her age, she sayd that she was xlix. yeares old according to her old age, MarginaliaAlice Potkins in Christ but one yeare old.and accordyng to her yong age, since she learned Christ, she was of one yeares age, and was committed by mayster Robertes to prison.

MarginaliaThe aunswere of Iohn Archer, Martyr.The aunswere and confession of Iohn Archer of Crambrocke, was much in like sort. And although certein of these vpon ignoraunt simplicitie swarued a litle in the number of Sacramentes, some grauntyng one Sacrament, that is, the body of Christ hangyng vppon the crosse, some mo, some lesse. &c. yet in the principall matters touchyng the doctrine of saulation for faith to stay vpon, and in disagreeing frõ the dremyng determinatiõs of the Popish Church, they most agreed. Concernyng the not praying to Saintes, and for the dead in Purgatory, for not creeping to þ^e crosse, for faith onely to iustifie, for takyng of an othe and such other like, he graunted as the other had done. This father Archer by his occupation a Weuer of þ^e town of Crãbroke, of the age of l. yeares, MarginaliaSyr Iohn Gilford cõmitted father Archer to prison.was attached & imprisoned by Syr Iohn Gilford Knight. And thus haue ye the cause and imprisonment of these fiue godly prisoners. Now as touchyng the crueltie of their death, for that ye shall not surmise the suspicion or relation therof to procede of my selfe, ye shall heare their own testimony and certification by their owne letter throwen out of the prison concernyng the vnmerciful dealyng of the Catholicke tyrauntes in famishyng them, as is afore sayd. The wordes and copy of their letter is this.

¶ The copy of a letter  

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This letter was reprinted in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 681-82.

writtē & cast out of the Castle of Cant. by the prisoners, there in bandes for Gods word, declaryng how the Papistes went about to famish them to death: of the which company v. were famished amongest them already.

MarginaliaThe prisoners letter, declaring how they were handled and famished in prison.BE it knowen to all men that shall read or here red these our letters, that we the poore prisoners of the Castell of Canterbury for Gods truth, are kept and lye in cold yrons, and our keper will not suffer any meate to be brought to vs to comfort vs. And if any mã do bring anything, as bread, butter, cheese, or any other foode, the sayd keper will charge them that so bring vs any thyng, except money or rayment, to cary it with them agayne, or els if he do receaue any foode of any for vs, he doth kepe it for him selfe, and he and his seruauntes do spend it, so that we haue nothing therof: and thus the keper kepeth away our vittals frõ vs. In so much þ^t there are iiij. of vs prisoners there for Gods truth, famished already and thus is it his minde to famish vs all: and we thinke he is appointed therunto of the Byshops and Priestes, & also of the Iustices, so to famish vs, & not onely vs of the sayd Castell, but also all other prisoners in other prisons for the like cause to be also famished; notwithstandyng we write not these our letters to that entent we mought not aforde to bee famished for the Lorde Iesus sake, but for this cause and entent, that they hauyng no law so to famish vs in prison, should not do it priuely, but that the murtherers hartes should be openly knowē to all the world, that all men may know of what Church they are, and who is their father.

Out of the Castle of Canterbury.