Marginalia1557. Aprill. Maye.maundemēt beyng obeyed, þ^e Byshop first called for Loseby, and after his accustomed maner wylled his Articles and aunsweres to be read: and in readyng therof, when mention was made of the Sacrament of the aulter, the Byshoppe with his Colleagues put of their cappes. Whereat Loseby sayd: MarginaliaLosebyes wordes to the Byshop.my Lord, seyng you put of your cappe, I will put on my cappe, and there withall did put on his cappe. And after, the Byshop continuyng in his accustomable perswasions, Loseby agayne sayd vnto him: my Lord, I trust I haue the spirite of truth, which you detest and abhorre, for the wisedome of God is foolishnes vnto you. MarginaliaSentence geuen against Loseby.Wherupon the Byshop pronounced the sentence of condemnation agaynst him. And deliueryng him vnto the Sheriffe, called for Margaret Hide, with whom he vsed the like order of exhortations.

To whom notwithstandyng she sayd: MarginaliaThe wordes of Margaret Hyde to the Byshop.I will not departe from my sayinges till I bee burned: and my Lorde (quoth she) I would see you instruct me wyth some parte of Gods woorde, and not to geue me instructions of holy bread and holy water, for it is no part of the Scripture. But he beyng neither him selfe, nor any of his, able rightly to accomplishe her request, to make short worke, vsed his finall reason of conuincement, whiche was the Sentence of condemnation.MarginaliaSentence geuen against Margaret Hyde. And therefore leauyng her of, called for an other, videl. Agnes Stanley, who vppon the Byshops lyke perswasions made this aunswere.

MarginaliaThe wordes of Agnes Stantley to the Byshop.My Lord, where you say I am an hereticke, I am none: neither yet will I beleue you, nor any man that is wise will beleue as you do. And as for these that ye say be burnt for heresie, I beleue are true Martyrs before God: therfore I will not go from my opinion and fayth, as long as I lyue.

Her talke thus ended, she receiued the like reward that the other had. And the Byshop then turnyng his tale and maner of inticement vnto Thomas Thyrtell, receiued of him likewise this finall aunswere: MarginaliaThe wordes of Thomas Thirtell to the Byshop.My Lord, I will not hold with your Idolatrous wayes, as you do: for I say the Masse is Idolatry, and will sticke to my fayth and belief so long as the breath is in my body. MarginaliaThomas Thirtell condemned.Vpon whiche wordes he was also condemned as an hereticke.

MarginaliaThe answere and condemnation of Henry Ramsey.Last of all, was Henry Ramsey demaūded if hee would (as the rest) stand vnto his aunsweres, or els recantyng the same, come home agayne, and be a member of their Church. Whereunto he aunswered: I will not go from my Religion and beliefe as long as I lyue: and my Lord (quoth he) your doctrine is naught, for it is not agreable to Gods word.

After these wordes, the Bishop (to conclude) pronoūcyng the sentence of condemnation agaynst him and the rest (as ye haue heard) charged the Sheriffe of Lōdō with thē: who beyng thereunto commaunded, the xij. day of the same

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Having been used for the five martyrs of Canterbury (which it fitted) the block was here reused inappropriately for the martyrdom of three men and two women, whose names are given in the margin.

moneth of Aprill, brought thē into Smithfield, where altogether in one fire, most ioyfully & constantly they ended their temporall liues, receiuyng therfore the lyfe eternall.

¶ Three burned in Saint Georges field in Southwarke.  

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Stephen Gratwick and Two Other Martyrs

There is only a note about these martyrs in the 1563 edition; this complete account first appears in the 1570 edition. The entire account is based on Gratwick's account of his examinations.

MarginaliaMay.
W. Morant, Steuen Gratwicke, One King, Martyrs.AFter these, moreouer in the moneth of May, folowed 3. other that suffered in S. Georges field in Southwarke, William Morant, Steuen Gratwicke, with one Kyng.  

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The mentions of King in this account - and it is significant that Foxe does not know his first name - is all that we know of King.

MarginaliaThe straunge dealing of the Bishops with Steuen Gratwicke, Martyr.Among other histories of the persecuted and condemned saintes of God, I finde the condemnation of none more straunge nor vnlawfull, then of this Steuen Gratwicke. Who first was condemned by the Byshop of Winchester, and the Byshop of Rochester, whiche were not hys Ordinaries.  

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As a resident of the diocese of Chichester, Gratwick's ordinary - who alone had jurisdiction over him for spiritual offences - was the bishop of Chichester. The problem for the Marian authorities was that George Day, the bishop of Chichester, died on 2 August 1555, while the proceedings against Gratwick were underway. Day's successer, John Christopherson, would not be installed until 25 November 1557. The attempt to trick Gratwick by pretending that a servant was the bishop wasshabby, but in defence of those responsible, the effort was made in an attempt to intimidate Gratwick into recanting and thus saving his life.

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Secondly when he dyd appeale from those incompotent Iudges to his right Ordinary, his appeale could not be addmitted.

Thirdly, when they had no other shift to colour theyr inordinate procedynges with all, they suborned one of the priestes to come in for a counterfeate and a false Ordinary, and to sit vpon hym.

Fourthly beyng openly conuinced and ouerturned in his own argumentes, yet the sayd Byshop of Winchester D. White, neyther would yeld to the force of truth, nor suffer any of the audience assistant, once to say, God strengthen hym.

Fiftly, as they brought in a false Ordinary to sit vppon hym: so they pretended false Articles agaynst him, whiche were no part of his examinatiōs, but of theyr own diuising, to haue his bloud.

Sixtly and lastly, hauyng no other ground nor iust matter agaynst hym, but onely for saying these woordes: that which I sayd, I haue sayd, they red the Sentence of death vpon hym.

And this was the dealyng of these men, whiche needes will be reputed for catholicke fathers of þ^e spiritualitie succeders of the Apostles, disciples of Christ, pillers of the holy Church, and leaders of the people. Of whose doynges and procedynges, how agreable they are to þ^e example of Christ & his Apostles, I leaue to discusse, referryng the iudgement hereof to them, which know the institution of Christes religion and doctrine.

MarginaliaThe vnordinate handlyng of Steuen Gratwicke, written and testified by his owne record.Nowe, lest peraduenture the disordered misrule of these Christmas Lordes, wil not be credited vpon the simple narration of the story, ye shall heare the whole discourse of this proces registred by the hand of the Martyr him selfe, who as he could tell best what was done: so I am sure woulde not testifie otherwise, thē truth was, accordyng as you shal heare by his owne declaration here following.

MarginaliaThe story and examination of Steuen Gratwicke Martyr, vnder the B. of Winchester and Rochester. &c.VPon the xxv. day of May, in the yeare of our Lord, 1557. I Steuen Gratwyke came before the Byshop of Winchester, D. White, into S. Georges church in Southwarke at eyght of the clocke in the mornyng, and then he called me before hym, and sayd vnto me.

B. Winchester. Steuen Gratwyke how standeth the matter with thee now? Art thou contented to reuoke thy heresies, the whiche thou hast maynteyned and defended here within my Dioces, often tymes before me, and also vppon Sunday last, ye stoode vp in the face of the whole Church  

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St Mary Overy's in Southwark.

And so when he had ended, he bad me aūswere vnto thē.

Gratw. My Lorde, these articles whiche you haue here obiected agaynst me, are not mine but of your owne makyng. For I neuer had any of myne examinations written at any tyme, and therfore these be obiections that you lay agaynst me as a snare to get my bloud.

MarginaliaSteuen Gratwicke appealeth from the Bishop of Winchester to his owne Ordinary.Wherefore I desire your lawfull fauour, to allowe my lawfull appeale vnto myne Ordinary, for I haue nothyng to do with you. And wheras you doe burden men, that I haue offended within your dioces, it is nothyng so, for I haue not interprised neyther to preach nor teach within your dioces, but was apprehēded by mine own byshop, & sent prisoner into your dioces, by the consent of the Counsell and myne own Ordinary, and therfore I so beyng in your dioces, you haue no cause to let my lawfull appeale.

MarginaliaThe Byshop of Rochester commeth in.And with that there came the Byshop of Rochester, & was receaued at the B. of Winchesters handes with much gladnes, accordyng to their determinate purpose, before inuented. And so followed the Archdeacon of Canterbury.