1570 Edition | Book 6 | Page 938 
Marginalia1500. IN this long digression
CloseThese accounts of Lollards executed or disciplined during the reign ofHenry VII were important to Foxe, as they helped him to demonstrate (to Foxe'ssatisfaction at least) that there was a True Church before Luther. (Foxe makes thispoint explicitly later). Yet Foxe had to rely on the co-operation ofothers to obtain this information. On one level, there were reports by individualinformants, some of whom were eyewitnesses to the events described, and some ofwhom were repeating what they had heard from others. Foxe based his account ofthe Lollards tried at Coventry in 1486 and 1488 on a transcription (possibly atranslation) of extracts in the register of John Hales, the bishop of Coventry and Lichfield; this was almost certainly sent to Foxe. And for information about other Lollards, Foxe also relied on chronicles and documents supplied tohim by antiquaries such as William Bowyer and William Cary.
[Back to Top]Thomas S. Freeman
University of Sheffield
CloseThese accounts of Lollards executed or disciplined during the reign ofHenry VII were important to Foxe, as they helped him to demonstrate (to Foxe'ssatisfaction at least) that there was a True Church before Luther. (Foxe makes thispoint explicitly later). Yet Foxe had to rely on the co-operation ofothers to obtain this information. On one level, there were reports by individualinformants, some of whom were eyewitnesses to the events described, and some ofwhom were repeating what they had heard from others. Foxe based his account ofthe Lollards tried at Coventry in 1486 and 1488 on a transcription (possibly atranslation) of extracts in the register of John Hales, the bishop of Coventry and Lichfield; this was almost certainly sent to Foxe. And for information about other Lollards, Foxe also relied on chronicles and documents supplied tohim by antiquaries such as William Bowyer and William Cary.
[Back to Top]Thomas S. Freeman
University of Sheffield
CloseThis is yet another example of Foxe considering the 'persecution'of Christians as a basis for identifying them with Antichrist.
Vid. supra. pag. 866.after the burnyng of Babram in Northfolke aboue declared. pag. 866. I signified also of an other certaine aged man mentioned in an old written Chronicle borowed of one in the tower,
CloseFoxe obtained a manuscript copy of Ranulf Higden's Polychroniconfrom William Bowyer, the keeper of the Tower records from 1563-1570. Thismanuscript, with Foxe's annotations, is now College of Arms, Arundel MS 7.
This aged father, I suppose, be hee of whom I finde mention made in certeine olde papers and recordes of William Carye
CloseThis is one of a number of occasions when Foxe acknowledged hisdebt to William Cary, a London clothworker and antiquary. (On Cary and his manuscript collection, see Andrew G. Watson, 'Christopher and William Carye, Collectors of Monastic Manuscripts, and "John Carye"', The Library Fifth series,20 (1965), pp. 135-42). Foxe's purpose in stating his sources was to demonstrateto potential critics of his work that he had evidence to support his narrative.
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CloseThe execution of an unnamed old man at Smithfield is recorded in anumber of sources (e.g., The Great Chronicle of London, ed. A. H. Thomas andI. D. Thornley [London, 1938], p. 294 and Fabyan's Chronicle, ed. H. Ellis [London,1911], p. 687). None of the surviving sources supply the details of the man's attempted escape and injury, so it must be assumed that whatever the source that Cary supplied to Foxe was, it was subsequently lost.
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CloseNo record of these trials survives, but the Milanese ambassador and aa number of contemporary chronicles mention the abjurations (J. A. F. Thomson, TheLater Lollards, 1412-1520 [Oxford, 1965], pp. 158-9).
MarginaliaWilliam Tylseley, Martyr.FOr so much as the world is come now to such a morositie and peuishe insensibilitie in these cōtentious and cauillyng dayes of ours, that nothyng can be so circumspectlye written and storied, but shall lye in daunger of one Sycophant or an other, whiche neuer will credite there, where they liste not to lyke: neither will they euer lyke that, whiche seemeth preiudiciall to their faction, or not to serue the humor wherewith their phantasies be infected: therefore to stoppe the mouthes of suche carpyng cauillers with as much possiblitie as I may, bee it knowen to all and singular such persons, who by euidence of truth and witnes will be satisfied, that in the towne of Amersham, be yet alyue both men and wemen, whiche can and do beare wytnes of this that I shall declare. Also there is of the sayd companye one named William Page, an aged father and yet alyue, witnes to the same. Also an other named Agnes Wetherley wydowe, beyng about the age of an hundreth yeares, yet lyuing and wytnes hereof: That in the dayes of kyng Henry vij. an. 1506.
CloseThe date is incorrect; the signification of Tilesworth's excommunica-tion and commitment to the secular authority survives and is dated 10 August 1511(TNA C 85/115/10). But this document - which lists Robert Cosin, William Scrivener, Nicholas Collins and Thomas Man as also being condemned - shows that,in this case, apart from the date, the information from Foxe's aged informants was essentially accurate.
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CloseActually William Tilesworth.
CloseThe family names of many of those listed below (Chase, Harding,Phipp and Scrivener) will recur in Foxe's account of the 1521investigations into heresy in the Chilterns. TNA C 85/ 115/10 lists a William Scrivener condemned todeath as a relapsed heretic on 10 August 1511; he may be the William Scrivener included in this list.
[Back to Top]| Robert Bartlet. | Iohn Mumbe, |
| Richard Bartlet. | and his wife. |
| Iohn Bartlet. | Richard Bennet. |
| Thomas Hardyng, | Roger Bennet. |
| and his wife. | Iohn Fip. |
| Henry Hardyng. | William Grinder. |
| Richard Hardyng. | Thomas Homes. |
| Robert Hardyng. | Yomand Dorman. |
| Iohn Milsent, | William Scriuener. |
| and his wife. | Iohn Scriuener. |
| William Whyte. | Thomas Chase. |
| Iohn Cracher. |
MarginaliaAmersham men bearing fagottes.All these bare fagottes, and afterwarde were compelled to weare certaine badges, and went abroad to certayne townes to doo penaunce, as to Buckyngham, Aylesbury, and other townes moe: And also diuers of these men were afterwarde burned in the cheeke, as William Page, whiche at this present is alyue, and lykewise did beare a fagot with the aforesayd. Farthermore the foresayd Agnes Wetherley testifieth, that at the burnyng of this William Tylseley, were lx. and aboue that were put to beare fagottes for their penaunce, of whom diuers were enioyned to beare and to weare fagottes at Lyncolne, the space of vij. yeares, some at one tyme, some at an other. &c. In which number was also one Robert Bartlet a rich mā, who for his professiō sake was put out of his ferme and goodes, and was condemned to be kept in þe monasterye of Ashryge, where he ware on his right sleue a square peece of cloth the space of vij. yeares together.
[Back to Top]It foloweth moreouer in the testimonie of the forenamed, that about the same tyme of the burnyng of William Tilseley (as the Amersham men do say) or the next day after (as recordeth the foresayd Agnes) MarginaliaFather Robertes, Martyr.was one father Robertes burned at Buckyngham.
CloseThis must be Robert Cosin, of Little Missenden, who is recorded on TNA C 85/115/10 as being condemned to death for heresy. Foxe will laterdescribe the execution of Thomas Man, but he says nothing about the executionsof William Scrivener or Nicholas Collins.
Close3. yeres, MarginaliaThomas Barnard. Iames Mordon, Martyrs.was burned at Amershā, Thomas Barnard a husbandmā, and Iames Mordō a labourer:
CloseA James Marden was handed over to the secular arm for burning in1522 (TNA C 85/115/13).