Thematic Divisions in Book 12
1. Exhumations of Bucer and Phagius along with Peter Martyr's Wife2. Pole's Visitation Articles for Kent3. Ten Martyrs Burnt at Canterbury4. The 'Bloody Commission'5. Twenty-two Prisoners from Colchester6. Five Burnt at Smithfield7. Stephen Gratwick and others8. Edmund Allen and other martyrs9. Alice Benden and other martyrs10. Examinations of Matthew Plaise11. Richard Woodman and nine other martyrs12. Ambrose13. Richard Lush14. Edmund Allen15. The Martyrdom of Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper16. Rose Allin and nine other Colchester Martyrs17. John Thurston18. George Eagles19. Richard Crashfield20. Fryer and George Eagles' sister21. Joyce Lewes22. Rafe Allerton and others23. Agnes Bongeor and Margaret Thurston24. John Kurde25. John Noyes26. Cicelye Ormes27. Persecution at Lichfield28. Persecution at Chichester29. Thomas Spurdance30. Hallingdale, Sparrow and Gibson31. John Rough and Margaret Mearing32. Cuthbert Simson33. William Nicholl34. Seaman, Carman and Hudson35. Three at Colchester36. A Royal Proclamation37. Roger Holland and other Islington martyrs38. Stephen Cotton and other martyrs39. Scourging of Thomas Hinshaw40. Scourging of John Milles41. Richard Yeoman42. John Alcocke43. Thomas Benbridge44. Four at St Edmondsbury45. Alexander Gouch and Alice Driver46. Three at Bury47. A Poor Woman of Exeter48. Priest's Wife of Exeter49. The Final Five Martyrs50. John Hunt and Richard White51. John Fetty52. Nicholas Burton53. John Fronton54. Another Martyrdom in Spain55. Baker and Burgate56. Burges and Hoker57. The Scourged: Introduction58. Richard Wilmot and Thomas Fairfax59. Thomas Greene60. Bartlett Greene and Cotton61. Steven Cotton's Letter62. James Harris63. Robert Williams64. Bonner's Beating of Boys65. A Beggar of Salisbury66. Providences: Introduction67. William Living68. The Miraculously Preserved69. Edward Grew70. William Browne71. Elizabeth Young72. Elizabeth Lawson73. Christenmas and Wattes74. John Glover75. Dabney76. Alexander Wimshurst77. Bosom's wife78. Lady Knevet79. John Davis80. Anne Lacy81. Crosman's wife82. Congregation at Stoke in Suffolk83. Congregation of London84. Englishmen at Calais85. Edward Benet86. Jeffrey Hurst87. William Wood88. Simon Grinaeus89. The Duchess of Suffolk90. Thomas Horton 91. Thomas Sprat92. John Cornet93. Thomas Bryce94. Gertrude Crockhey95. William Mauldon96. Robert Horneby97. Mistress Sandes98. Tome 6 Life and Preservation of the Lady Elizabeth99. The Unprosperous Queen Mary100. Punishments of Persecutors101. Foreign Examples102. A Letter to Henry II of France103. The Death of Henry II and others104. Admonition to the Reader
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2240 [2200]

Quene Mary. The burning of Rose Allins hand. X. Martyrs burnt at Colchester.

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,  

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These are clearly Foxe's informants for this story.

& the said Mistres Bright also ministred salue for þe curing therof, as she lay in her house at Romford going vp towardes London with other prisoners. In which tyme of his tyrāny, he said oftē to her: why whore, wilt thou not cry? Thou yoūg whore, wilt thou not cry? &c. Vnto which alwayes she aunswered, that she had no cause, she thāked God, but rather to reioyce. He had, she said, more cause to weepe then she, if he considered the matter well. In the end, when the sinnowes (as I sayd) brake that all the house heard them, he then thrust her from him violently, and sayd: ha strong whore, thou shamelesse beast, thou beastly whore. &c. with such lyke vile wordes. MarginaliaThe pacience of the faythfull.But she quietly sufferyng his rage for the tyme, at the last, sayd: Syr, haue ye done what ye will do? And he sayd, yea, and if thou thinke it be not well, then mend it.

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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.

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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  

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This disgression into the story of Valentine Dingley was added in the 1570 edition.

in this kinde of crueltie, you shall heare an other lyke example of a blinde Harpers hand burnt by B. Boner, as is testified by þe relation of Valentine Dyngley somtime gentleman to þe said Bishop: who declared before credible witnesse, as followeth: how þe sayd B. Boner hauing this blinde Harper before him, spake thus vnto him: that such blinde abiectes which followe a sort of hereticall preachers, when they come to the feeling of the fire, will be the first that will flie from it. To whom the blind man sayd: that if euery ioynt of him were burnt, yet he trusted in the Lorde not to flie. Then Boner signifying priuilie to certaine of his men about him what they should doe, they brought to hym a burning coale. Which coale being put into þe poore mans hand, they closed it fast againe, and so was hys hand pitiously burned. Amōgest the doers wherof was the sayd M. Valentine Dyngley, witnes and reporter hereof, as is afore declared.

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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.

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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.  

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This sentence, added in 1570, replaces Kingston's letter describing the martyrs and their depositions which were deleted in the 1570 edition.

With þe said W. Munt and his familie, was ioyned also in the same prison at Colchester, an other faythfull brother named Iohn Iohnson, aliâs Aliker, of Thorpe in the Countie of Essex, labourer, of the age of xxxiiij. yeares, hauing no wife aliue but three younge children, who also was with them indicted of heresie, and so all these iiij. lay together in Colchester Castle.

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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.  

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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.

5. Helene Ewring,  

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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).

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the wife of Iohn Ewring, Miller, dwelling in Colchester, of the age of xlv. yeares or theraboutes, MarginaliaHelene Ewring apprehended the second time.who was one of the xxij. prisoners mentioned before pag. 2158. sent vp in bandes from Colchester to London, and after being deliuered with the rest, repayred home to Colchester againe to her husband, where notwithstanding she enioyed her libertie not very long: for shortly after her returne met with her one MarginaliaRobert Maynard a great enemie to the Gospell.Rob. Maynard then Bailiffe of Colchester, a speciall enemie to Gods Gospell, who spying her, came to her, and kissed her, & bad her welcome home from London. Vnto whom she considerately aunswered againe, and sayd, that it was but a Iudas kisse. For in the end (quoth she) I know you will betray me: As in deede it came to passe, for immediately after that talke she was apprehended by him againe, and there lodged with the rest in þe towne prison (as is afore said) called the Mote Hall.

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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.

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First, the Lordes faithfull prisoners in Mote Hall.

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.

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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.

W. Purcas