MarginaliaAnno. 1557. September.ligion, he thought he should dye a true Martyr. And moreouer finding himselfe agreued with the Byshops priuy and secret condemninges of Gods people, hee sayd vnto him in this sort: My Lord, because the people should not see and behold your doinges, ye cause me and others to bee brought to our examinations by night, beyng afrayd (belike) to doe it by day.

The Bishop not greatly caring for this talke, proceded to examine him of other matters, amōgest which this high and waighty thing was one, videlicet, how he did like the order and rites of the Church then vsed here in England.

To whom he said, that he euer had and yet then did abhorre the same with all his hart.

Then diuers of the Byshops complices entreated and perswaded hym to recant, and aske mercy of the Byshop.

No (quod Roth) I will not aske mercy of him that can not geue it. MarginaliaThe condemnation of Richard Roth.Whereupon he was (as the rest before mencioned) condemned, and deliuered vnto the

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This woodcut (Type 1), with its correct representation of three men and one woman praying and signalling with raised hands, was for martyrs who ended their lives 'most joyfully'. Its single subsequent reuse was inappropriately for four men burned two years later at 'S. Edmunds Bury' (Bury St Edmunds).

Shriffe. And the xvij. day of September they all most ioyfully ended their lyues in one fire at Islington, for the testimonie of Christ, as before is declared.

¶ Agnes Bongeor, and Margaret Thurston,  

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Agnes Bongeor and Margaret Thurston

Margaret Thurston was the wife of John Thurston, who died in prison (see 1563, p. 1611; 1570, p. 2202; 1576, p. 1900 and 1583, p. 2009.

two godly Christian women, burnt at Colchester for the sincere professing of Christes Gospell.  

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In 1563, Foxe printed an account of the martyrdoms of Bongeor and Thurston which was based on a letter to Bonner from the baliffs of Colchester and on testimony from individuals about Bongeor's readiness to die and about Thurston's temporary backsliding. In the 1570 edition, Foxe added Joan Cook's testimony about the postponement of Thurston's martyrdom. But in the same edition, Foxe deleted the letter to Bonner, which explained why Bongeor's execution was postponed; instead Foxe merely replaced it with a short explanation of Bongeor's temporary reprieve. The account remained unchanged in subsequent editions.

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MarginaliaSeptember. 17.MarginaliaMargaret Thurston, Agnes Bongeor, Martyrs.A Little before (gentle reader) was mention made of tenne that suffred Martyrdome at Colchester pag. 1897. at which tyme there were twoo other women also, one called Margaret Thurstō, and the other Agnes Bongeor, that should haue suffred with them, and were likewise condemned at the same time and place that the other aboue named tenne were, for the like cause, and aunswered also in their examinations the like in effect as the other did. But the one, namely Margaret Thurston, that morning she should suffer with those that went from the Castle, was for that time deferred. What þ^e cause was, the testimonie of Ioane Cooke shall declare vnto vs. Which Ioane Cooke, the wife now of Iohn Sparke beyng then in the Castell of Colchester for religion, did demaund of this widow Thurston,MarginaliaA note of Margaret Thurstō. whose husband dyed in the prison being imprisoned for religion, wherfore the sayd Margaret beyng a condemned woman,

should be reserued, whē the other suffered in the Castel Baily. She aunswered, that it was not for any feare of death, but beyng prepared as the rest were that suffered the same day, she felte in her self a great shiuering and trembling of the fleshe. Wherupon forsaking the company she went aside to pray. And whilest she was a praying, she thought that she was lifted vp with a mighty winde that came roūd about her. Euen at that instant came in the Iayler and company with him, and whilest she turned her selfe to fetch her Psalter, they tooke the other prisoners and left her alone. MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Margaret Turstō, and Agn. Bōgeor deferred, for what causes.Shortly after she was remoued out of the Castell and put into the towne prison: where she continued vntill Fridaye seuennight after her company were burnt. That day, not twoo howers before her death, she was brought to the Castell agayne, where she declared thus much to the aforesayd Ioane Cooke.

The other, named Agnes Bongeor, who should haue suffered in like maner with the vi. that went out of Motehall, was also kept backe at that time, but not in like sort, because her name was wrong writtē within the writ,  

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Foxe is referring to the writ from chancery authorizing the execution of a particular heretic. In Agnes Bongeor's case the writ was defective and her execution had to be postponed until the mistake in the writ was corrected. The privy council fined the sheriff of Essex £10 for this error (APC VI, p. 144).

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Word of this reprieve may have reached Foxe in exile. In the Rerum, Foxementioned an unnamed Essex woman who was providentially saved from burning because a court official was unable to pronounce her last name (Rerum, p. 636). If this is a garbled account of Agnes Bongeor, then, in 1559, Foxe does not seem to have realized that her reprieve was temporary.

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The same morning, the second of August, that the sayd sixe in Motehall were called out to goe to theyr Martyrdome, was Agnes Bongeor also called wyth them, by the name of Agnes Bowyer.MarginaliaThe name of Agnes Bōgeor mistaken. Wherefore the Bayliffes vnderstanding her (as I sayd) to be wrong named within the writ, commaunded the sayd Agnes Bongeor to prison againe, as ye haue heard in the letter before named, and so from Mote Hall that day sent her to the Castel, where she remayned vntill her death. But when she saw her selfe so separated from her sayd prison fellowes in that sort, Oh good Lord what pitious mone that good woman made, how bitterly she wept, what straunge thoughtes came into her mynde, how naked and desolate she estemed her selfe, and into what plunge of dispayre and care her poore soule was brought, it was pitious and wonderfull to see: which all came because she wēt not with them to geue her life in the defence of her Christ: For of all thinges in the world, life was least looked for at her hādes. For that morning in whiche she was kept backe from burning, had she put on a smocke that she had prepared only for that purpose: And also hauing a childe, a litle young infant sucking on her, whom she kept with her tenderly all the tyme she was in prison, agaynst that day likewise did she send it away to an other nurse, and prepared her selfe presently to geue her self for the testimony of þ^e glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ.MarginaliaAgnes Bōgeor troubled for not sufferyng with her companie. So litle did she looke for life, and so greatly did gods giftes worke in her aboue nature, that death seemed a great deale better welcome then life. But this tooke not effect at that time as she thought it would, and therfore (as I sayd) was she not a litle troubled.

Beyng in thys great perplexitie of mynde, a frend of hers came to her, and required to know whether Abrahams obediēce was accepted before God for that he did sacrifice his sonne Isaac, or in that hee would haue offered him. Vnto which she aunswered thus: I know (quod she) that Abrahams will before God was allowed for the deede, in that he would haue done it, if the Angell of the Lord had not stayed him: but I (sayd she) am vnhappy, the Lord thinketh me not wothy of this dignitie, and therefore Abrahams case and myne is not alike.

Why (quod her frend) would ye not willingly haue gone with your companie, if God should so haue suffered it?

Yes (sayd she) with all my hart, and because I did not, it is now my chiefe and greatest griefe.

Then said her frend: my deare sister, I pray thee cōsider Abraham and thy self well, & thou shalt see thou doost nothing differ with him in will at all.

Alas (quod she) there is a farre greater matter in Abraham then in me: For Abraham was tried with the offering of his owne child, but so am not I, and therfore our cases are not like.

Good sister (quod her frend) way the matter but indifferently. Abraham I graunt (sayd he) would haue offered his sonne: & haue not you done the like in your litle sucking babe? But consider further then this, my good sister (sayd he) where Abraham was commaunded but to offer his sonne, you are heauy & greued because you offer not your selfe: which goeth somewhat