Marginalia1558. Iuly.Dale through sicknes of the prison and euill keeping, dyed in prison, whose body when he was deade, was throwne out and buryed in the fieldes. He was a man of xlvj. yeares of age, a Weauer by his occupation, MarginaliaCommendation of Ioh. Dale.wel learned in the holy scriptures, faithfull and honest in all his conuersation, stedfast in confession of the true doctrine of Christ set forth in K. Edwardes time: For the which he ioyfully suffred prison and chaynes, and frō this worldly dungeon he departed in Christ to eternall glory, & the blessed paradise of euerlasting felicitie.
[Back to Top]After that Iohn Dale was dead, MarginaliaYeoman remoued to Norwich.Rich. Yeoman was remoued to Norwich prison, where after straite and euill keeping, he was examined of his faith and religion. Then he boldly and constantly confessed himselfe to be of þe fayth and confession that was set forth by the late king, of blessed memory, holy king Edward þe sixt, and from that he would in no wise vary. Beyng required to submit himselfe to the holy father the Pope, I defy hym (quoth he) and all his detestable abominations: I will in no wise haue to do with hym, nor any thing that appertayneth to hym. MarginaliaThe chiefe matters obiected to Rich. Yeoman.The chiefe articles obiected to hym were hys mariage, and the Masse sacrifice. Wherefore when hee continued stedfast in confession of the truth, he was condemned, disgraded, and not onely burnt, but most cruelly tormented in the fire. So ended he his poore and miserable
[Back to Top]life, and entred into the blessed bosome of Abraham, enioying with Lazarus the comfortable quietnes that God hath prepared for his elect saintes.
In the 1563 edition Foxe printed a confused account of John Alcock's life, which clearly came from different sources which Foxe, probably due to haste, imperfectly reconciled. The account included Alcock's letters (1563, pp. 1663-67). In the 1570 edition, Foxe removed the inconcistencies in this account, but he also removed the letters. This account remained unchanged in subsequent editions, but the letters were added in an appendix to the 1583 edition (pp. 2146-49). This entire account rests on the testimony of individual informants; interestingly, Foxe had access to official documents on Alcock (a copy of Alcock's examination by the privy council is among Foxe's papers -see BL, Lansdowne 389, fo. 212v), but Foxe did not use them.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe storye of Iohn Alcocke.THere was also in Hadley, a yong mā named Iohn Alcocke, which came to Hadley seeking worke, for he was a shereman by his occupation. Thys yong mā after the Martyrdome of Doct. Taylour, and taking of Rich. Yeoman, vsed first in the Church of Hadley to read the seruice in Englishe, as partly is aboue touched, pag. 1694. At length after the commyng of Parson Newall, he beyng in Hadley Church vppon a Sonday when the Parson came by with procession, would not once moue his cap, nor shew any signe of reuerence, but stoode behind the font. MarginaliaParson Newall in a rage agaynst Iohn Alcocke, for not going on procession.Parson Newall perceauing this, when he was almost out of the church dore, ran backe agayne, and caught him, and called for the Constable.
[Back to Top]Then came Robert Rolfe, with whom this young man wrought, and asked: Master Parson, what hath
he done, that ye are in such a rage with hym?
He is an hereticke and a traytor (quoth the Parson) and despiseth the Queenes procedinges. Wherefore I commaund you in þe Queenes name, haue hym to the stockes, and see he be forth comming.
Well (quoth RolfeMarginaliaRob. Rolfe an honest Constable of Hadley.) he shall be foorth comming: procede in your busines and be quiet. Haue him to the stockes (quoth the parson.)
I am Constable quoth Rolfe, and may bayle him, and will bayle him: he shall not come in the stockes, but he shall be foorth comming. So went the good person foorth with his holy procession, and so to Masse.
At afternoone Rolfe sayd to this young man: I am sory for thee, for truely the person will seeke thy destruction, if thou take not good heede what thou answerest him.
The young mā answered: Syr, I am sory that it is my lucke to be a trouble to you. As for my selfe I am not sory, but I doo commit my selfe into Gods hands, and I trust he will geue me mouth and wisedome to answere according to right.
Well (quoth Rolfe) yet beware of him. For he is malicious, and a bloudsucker, and beareth an olde hatred agaynst me, and he will handle you the more cruelly, because of displeasure agaynst me.
I feare him not (quoth the young man). He shall doo no more to me then God will geue him leaue: & happy shall I be if God wil cal me to dye for his truthes sake.
After thys talke, they then went to the parson,MarginaliaAlcocke brought to parson Newall. who at the first asked him: Fellow, what sayest thou to the sacrament of the altar?
I say (quoth he) as ye vse the matter, ye make a shamefull idoll of it, and ye are false idolatrous priestes all the sort of you.
I tolde you (quoth the parson) he was a stoute hereticke.
So, after long talke the person committed him to warde: and the next day rode he vp to London, MarginaliaParson Newall caryeth vp Ioh. Alcocke to London.and caryed the young man with him, and so came the young man no more agayne to Hadley, but after long imprisonment in Newgate,
In the 1563 edition, Foxe correctly identified John Alcock with the 'John Awcock' whom he had mentioned earlier as dying in Newgate (1563, p. 1117; 1570, p. 1731; 1576, p. 1478 and 1583, p. 1651). But on this same page, he also states that Alcock was burned at Smithfield. Foxe corrected this error in subsequent editions.
[Back to Top]This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and it was unchanged in subsequent editions. This account was based on the articles alleged against Benbridge and his answers to them, which were probably copied from the Winchester diocesan records, and also on the testimony of individual informants.
MarginaliaIuly. 29.MarginaliaThe story of Thomas Benbrige, Martyr.THomas Benbrige a Gentlemā, single and vnmaried,
Note that a passage here, which only appears in the 1563 edition, states that Benbridge was 'half sure' (i.e., betrothed). On the gentry status of Benbridge and his family, see R. H. Fritze, '"A Rare Example of Godlyness Amongst Gentleman": The Role of the Kingsmill and Gifford Families in Promoting the Reformation in Hampshire' in Protestantism and the National Church, ed. Peter Lake and Maria Dowling (London, 1987), pp. 154-55.
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