MarginaliaAnno. 1558. Maie.Seaman answered, deniyng it to be a Sacrament, but said it was an Idoll, and therfore would not receiue it. After whiche wordes spoken, sir Iohn Tirrell shortly sent hym to Norwich to Hopton then bishop, MarginaliaSeaman brought to Bishop Hopton, and by hym condemned.and there after conference and examination had with hym, the bishop red his bloudy sentence of condemnation against hym, and afterward deliuered hym to the Secular power, who kept hym vnto the daie of Martyrdome.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaSeamans wife and his three yong children, were persecuted also by sir Ihon Tirrell.This saied William Seaman lefte behinde hym when he died, a wife, and three children very yong: and with the saied yonge children, his wife was persecuted out of the said toune also of Mendlesham, because that she would not go to heare Masse, and all her corne and goodes seased, and taken awaie by master Christopher Coles officers, he beyng lorde of the saied toune.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThomas Carman, Martyr.Thomas Carmā (who, as is said, pledged Richard Crashfield at his burnyng, and thereupon was apprehended)
See 1563, p. 1617; 1570, p. 2206; 1576, p. 1904 and 1583, p. 2012.
MarginaliaThomas Hudson, Martyr.Thomas Hudson was of Ailesham in Norfolk, by his occupation a Glouer, a very honest poore man, hauyng a wife, and iij. children, and laboured alwaies truly and diligentely in his vocation, beyng of. xxx. yeres of age, and bearyng so good a will to the Gospell, that he in the daies of kyng Edward the. vi, twoo yeres before Queene Maries raigne, MarginaliaHudson learneth to reade Englishe.learned to reade Englishe of Anthonie and Thomas Norgate of the same Toune, wherein he greatly profited about the tyme of alteratiō of religion. For when Queene Mary came to raigne, and had chaunged the seruice in the churche, puttyng in for wheate, draffe and darnill, and for good preachyng blasphemous criyng out against truthe, and godlines, MarginaliaHudson flieth frō Papistrie.he then auoidyng all their beggerly Ceremonies of superstition, absented hym self from his house, and wente into Suffolke a long tyme, and there remained, trauelyng from one place to an other, as occasion was offered. At the last, he returned backe again to Norfolke, to his house at Ailesham, to comforte his wife and his children, beyng heauie, and troubled with his absence.
[Back to Top]Now when he came home, and perceiued his continuaunce there would bee daungerous, he and his wife deuised to make hym a place among his fagots, to hide hym self in, where he remained all the daie (in steede of his chamber) readyng and praiyng continually, for the space of halfe a yere, and his wife like an honest womā beyng carefull for hym, vsed her self faithfully, and diligently towardes hym.
[Back to Top]In the meane tyme came the Vicare of the Toune, named BerryMarginaliaBerry the Cōmissarie, a persecutour. (who was one of the Bishoppes Commissaries, a verie euill man) and inquired of this saied Thomas Hudsons wife, for her houseband. Vnto whō she aunswered, as not knowyng were he was. Then the saied Berry rated her, and threatened to burne her, for that she would not bewraie her housebande where he was. MarginaliaHudsō waxeth bolde in the truthe.After that, whē Hudson vnderstoode it, he waxed euery daie more zealous then other, and continually read and sang Psalmes, to the wonder of many, the people openly resortyng to hym, to heare his exhortations, and vehement praiers.
[Back to Top]At the laste he walked abroad for certaine daies, openly in the Toune, criyng out continually against the Masse, and all their trumperie, and in the ende, commyng home in his house, he satte hym doune vpon his knees, hauyng his booke by hym, readyng and singing Psalmes continually without ceassyng, for three daies and three nightes together, refusyng meate and other talke, to the greate wonder of many.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIohn Crouch bewraieth Thomas Hudson to the Constables.Then one Ihō Crouch his next neighbor, went to the Constables Robert Marsham, and Robert Lawes in the night, to certifie thē therof: for Berry commaunded openly to watche for him: & the Constables vnderstādyng the same, went cruelly to catch him in þe breake of the daie, the. xxij. of the moneth of Aprill. Anno. 1558.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe takyng of Tho. Hudson.Nowe when Hudson sawe them come in, he saied: Now myne hower is come. Welcome frēdes welcome: You bee they that shall leade me to life in Christe, I thanke God therefore, and the Lorde enhable me therto for his mercies sake. For his desire was, and euer he praied (if it were the Lordes will) that he might suffer for the Gospell of Christe. Then they tooke hym, and
[Back to Top]leade hym to Berry the Commissarie, whiche was Vicare of the toune, MarginaliaTalke betwene Berry and Hudson.and the saied Berry asked hym first: where he kept his Churche for fower yeres before. To the whiche the saied Hudson aunswered thus: where so euer he was, there was the Churche.
Doest thou not beleue, saieth Berry, in the Sacrament of the altar? What is it?
Hudson. MarginaliaSacrament of the altar.It is wormes meate: my beliefe (saith he) is in Christ crucified.
Berry. Doest thou not beleeue the Masse to put away sinnes?
Hudson. MarginaliaThe Masse.No, God forbid: it is a patched monstre, and a disguised Puppet, more longer a pecing then euer was Salomons Tēple. At which wordes Berry stamped, fumed, and shewed hym selfe as a mad man, and sayde: well thou villayne, thou: I will write to the bishop my good Lord, and trust vnto it, thou shalt be handled accordyng to thy desertes. Oh syr, saide Hudson: there is no Lord but God, though there be many Lordes and many Gods. With that, Berry thrust hym backe with his hand. And one MarginaliaRichard Cliffar.Richard Cliffar standyng by, saide: I pray you syr, be good to the poore manne. At whiche woordes Berry was more mad then before, and would haue had Cliffar bound in a recognisance of 40. poundes for his good abearyng, both in woorde and deede: which his desire toke no effect. Then he asked the said Hudson whether he would recant or no. Vnto whiche wordes Hudson said: the Lord forbid: I had rather dye many deathes, then to doe so.
[Back to Top]Then after long talke, the said Berry seyng it booted not to perswade with him, tooke his pen and ynke, and wrote letters to the Byshop thereof, and sent this Hudson to Norwich bound like a theefe to hym, which was. viij. miles from thence, who with ioy and singing chere went thether, as mery as euer he was at any tyme before. In prison he was a moneth, where he did continually read and inuocate the name of God.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaSeaman, Carman, and Hudson, condemned at Norwiche.These thre christians and constant Martyrs, William Seaman, Thomas Carman, and Tho. Hudson, after they were (as ye haue heard) condemned, the xix. day of May. 1558. were caried out of prison to the place where they should suffer, which was without Bishops gate at Norwich, called Lollards Pit. And beeing all there, they made their humble praiers vnto the Lorde. That beyng done, they rose and went to the stake, and standyng all there with their chaines about them, MarginaliaThomas Hudson commeth from vnder the chaine to praie.immediatly this saied Thomas Hudson commeth forthe from them vnder the Chaine, to the greate wonder of manie: whereby diuers feared and greatly doubted of
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