MarginaliaAn. 1557. August.Then that cruell Tirrill taking the candell from her, MarginaliaTyrrell burneth Rose Allins hand.held her wriest, and the burning candell vnder her hand, burning crosse wise ouer the backe thereof, so long till the very sinnowes crackt asunder. Witnes hereof William Kandler then dwelling in Muchbentley, which was there present and sawe it. Also Mistres Bright of Romforde, with Anne Starky her mayde, to whom Rose Allin both declared the same,
These are clearly Foxe's informants for this story.
Rose. Mend it? nay, the Lord mend you, and giue you repentaunce, if it be his will. And now if ye thinke it good, begyn at the feete, and burne to the head also. MarginaliaThe deuill payeth the persecutors their wages.For he that set you a worke, shall pay you your wages one day I warrant you: and so she went and caried her mother drinke as she was cōmaunded. Furthermore, after the searching of the house for more company, at the last they found one Iohn Thurston and Margarete hys wife there also, whom they caried with the rest to Colchester Castell immediatly. And this sayd Rose Allin beyng prisoner, told a frend of hers this cruell act of the sayd Tirrell, and shewyng him the maner therof, she sayd: MarginaliaShe reuengeth not euill for euill.while my one hand (quoth she) was a burnyng, I hauing a pot in my other hand, might haue layd him on the face with it, if I had would: for no man held my hand to let me therin. But I thanke God (quoth she) with all my hart, I did it not.
[Back to Top]Also beyng asked of an other how she could abyde the paynefull burnyng of her hand, she sayd, at first it was some grief to her, but afterward, the longer she burned the lesse she felt, or well nere none at all.
And because M. Tyrrell shall not goe alone
This disgression into the story of Valentine Dingley was added in the 1570 edition.
We read in the story of Titus Liuius of King Porsenna: who after þe burning of þe right hand of M. Scæuola, which came purposely to kill him, being onely contented therwith, sent him home to Rome againe. But thus to burne the handes of poore men and women which neuer ment any harme vnto them, and yet not contented with that, but also to consume their whole bodies without any iust cause, we finde no example of such barbarous tyrannie, neither in Titus Liuius, neither in any other story amongest þe heathen.
[Back to Top]But to returne to our Colchester Martyrs againe, as touching William Munt and his wife, & burning of their daughter Rose Allins hand, sufficient hath bene declared.
This sentence, added in 1570, replaces Kingston's letter describing the martyrs and their depositions which were deleted in the 1570 edition.
The other vj. prisoners lay in Mote Hall in the sayd towne of Colchester, whose names were:
First, William Bongeor of the parishe of S. Nicholas in Colchester, Glasier, of the age of lx. yeares.
Bongeor had been one of the Colchester protestants taken to London who made a qualified submission to Bishop Bonner. The privy council ordered Bonner to proceed against him as a relapsed heretic (APC VI, pp. 18-19).
2. Tho. Benold of Colchester, Tallow Chaūdler.
3. W. Purcas of Bocking in the Countie of Essex, Fuller, a young man, of the age of xx. yeares.
4. Agnes Siluerside, aliâs Smith, dwelling in Colchester, widow, of the age of lx. yeares.
Ewring had been been indicted in 1556 for attending a protestant conventicle (Essex Record Office, Court Rolls, 122/4). Ewring had also been one of the Colchester protestants taken to London who made a qualified submission to Bishop Bonner. The privy council ordered Bonner to proceed against her as a relapsed heretic (APC VI, pp. 18-19).
[Back to Top]6. The sixt of this company was Elizabeth Folkes, a younge maide, and seruaunt in Colchester, of the age of xx. yeares.
These vj. were imprisoned in the towne prison of Colchester, called Mote Hall, as the other iiij. aboue specified, were in the Castle.
Diuers examinations these good men had at sondry times before diuers Iustices, priestes, and officers, as M. Roper, Iohn Kingstone Cōmissary, Iohn Boswell priest and Boners Scribe, and others moe, wherof the sayd Boswell made relation to B. Boner, certifying hym of their depositions, as is to be red in our former booke of Actes and Monumentes, pag. 1607. Last of all they were examined againe in Mote Hall the xxiij. day of Iune by Doct. Chadsey, Iohn Kingstone Cōmissary, with other priestes, and Boswell the Scribe, in the presence of the two Bailiffes of Colchester, Robert Browne and Robert Maynard, with diuers other Iustices both of the towne & countrey, and other gentlemen a great sort: at which time and place, and before the sayd persons, they had sentence of condemnation red against them, chiefly for not affirming the reall presence in the sacrament of their altar. The effect of their wordes therein, was this or such like, as here followeth.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaWilliam Bongeor.WIlliam Bongeor of the Parish of S. Nicholas in Colchester, Glasier, sayd: that the Sacrament of the altar was bread, is bread, and so remayneth bread, and for the consecration, it is not the holyer, but rather the worse. To this he did stand, as also agaynst all the rest of their Papisticall doctrine: and so had sentēce red against him.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThomas Benolde.Thomas Benold of Colchester, Tallow Chaundler, affirmed þe like in effect that the said William Bongeor did: and so had sentence also red against hym.