MarginaliaAnno. 1558. Iuly.earnestly vpon sir Henry Doyle to sende them both to prison. MarginaliaSyr Henry Doyle entreated for Gods Sainctes, but could not be heard.Syr Henry Doyle earnestly laboured and entreated the parson, to consider the age of the men, and their poore estate: they were persons of no reputation nor Preachers: wherefore hee would desire hym to let them be punished a day or two, and so to let them go, at the least Iohn Dale who was no Priest, and therefore seyng he had so long sitten in the cage, he thought it punishment inough for his tyme. When the parson heard this, he was exceding mad, and in a greate rage called them Pestilent Heretikes, vnfit to liue in the common wealth of Christians. Wherefore I beseech you Syr, (quoth he) accordyng to your office defend holy church, and helpe to suppresse these sectes of heresies. &c. which are false to God, and thus boldly set themselues, to the euill example of other, against the Queenes gracious proceedynges. Sir Henry Doyle seeing he could do no good in the matter, & fearing also his peril if he should to much medle in this matter, made out the writte, and caused the Cōstables to cary them forth to Bury gaile.
A rare portrayal in Foxe of Sir Henry Doyle as a reluctant persecutor; usually Doyle was described as a zealous persecutor of the godly.
Wherefore, whatsoeuer their consciences were yet (if they would escape daunger) they must needes be the popish Bishoppes slaues, and vassales. MarginaliaYeoman and Iohn Dale sent to Bury gaile.So they tooke Rich. Yeoman and Iohn Dale, pinioned and bound them like theeues, set them on horsebacke, and bound their legs vnder the horses bellies, and so caried them to the Gaile at Bury. Where they were tyed in irons, and for that they continuallye rebuked Popery, they were throwne into the lowest Dongeon, Where Iohn Dale through sicknes of the prison and euill keepyng, dyed in Prison, whose bodye when hee was dead, was throwen out and buried in the fieldes. Hee was a man of xlvi. yeares of age, a Weauer by his occupation, MarginaliaCommendatiō of Iohn Dale.wel learned in the holy Scriptures, faithful and honest in all his conuersation, stedfast in Confession of the true doctrine of Christ set forth in K. Edwards time: For the whiche he ioyfully suffered prison and chaines, 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. Yeomā was remoued to Norwiche prison, where after straite and
euill keeping, he was examined of his faith and religion. Then he boldly and constantly confessed himself to be of the faith & confession that was set forth by the late
king, of blessed memory, holy K. Edward the vi. & from þt he would in no wise vary. Beyng required to submit himselfe to þe holy father the Pope, I defy him (quod he) & all his detestable abominations: I will in no wise haue to do with him, nor any thing that appertaineth to him. MarginaliaThe chiefe matters obiected to Rich. Yeoman.The chief articles obiected to him were his mariage, & the Masse sacrifice. Wherfore when he continued stedfast in confession of the truth, he was condemned, disgraded, and not onely burnt, but most cruelly tormented in the fire. So ended hee his poore and miserable life, and entred into the blessed bosom of Abraham, enioiyng with Lazarus the comfortable quietnes that God hath prepared for his elect saintes.
[Back to Top]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 story of Iohn Alcocke.THere was also in Hadley, a yong man named Iohn Alcocke, whiche came to Hadley seekyng worke, for he was a shereman by his occupatiō. This yong man after the Martyrdom of Doct. Tailour, and taking of Rich. Yeoman, vsed first in the church of Hadley to read þe seruice in English, as partly is aboue touched, pa. 1447. At lēght after the cōmyng of Parson Newall, he being in Hadley church vpon a Sonday when the Parson came by with Procession, would not once moue his cap, nor shew any signe of reuerence, but stode behind the font. MarginaliaParson Newal in a rage against Iohn Alcocke, for not goyng on Procession.Parson Newal perceauing this, whē he was almost out of þe church dore, ran back again, & caught him, & called for the cōstable.
[Back to Top]Then came Robert Rolfe, with whom this young man wrought, and asked: Master Person, 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. Wherfore I commaund you in the Quenes name, haue hym to the stockes, and see he be forth commyng.
Well (quoth RolfeMarginaliaRobert Rolfe an honest Constable of Hadley.) he shall be forth comming: proceede you in your busines and bee quiet. Haue hym to the stockes (quoth the Parson.)
I am Constable quoth Rolfe, and maye bayle him, and will bayle him: he shall not come in the stockes, but he shall be forth comming. So went the good Parson foorth with his holy Procession, and so to Masse.
At after noone Rolfe said to this young man: I am sory for thee, for truly the person wil seke thy destruction, if þu take not good heede what thou answerest hym.
The young man answered: Syr, I am sory that it is my luck to be a trouble to you. As for my selfe I am not sory, but I doe commit my selfe into Gods hands, and I truste hee will geue me mouth and wisedome to aunswere accordyng to right.
Well (quoth Rolfe) yet beware of hym. For hee is malicious, and a bloudsucker, and beareth an old hatred against me, and he will handle you the more cruelly, because of displeasure against me.
I feare him not (quod the young man) He shall doe no more to me then God will geue him leaue: and happy shal I be if God wil cal me to dye for his truthes sake.
After this talke, they then went to the parson,MarginaliaAlcock brought to Parson Newall. who at the first asked hym: Fellow, what saiest thou to the Sacrament of the altar?
I say (quod he) as ye vse the matter, ye make a shameful idoll of it, and ye are false idolatrous Priestes all the sort of you.
I told you (quod the parson) he was a stout hereticke.
So, after long talke the Person committed hym to ward: and the next day rode he vp to London, MarginaliaParson Newal carieth vp Iohn Alcocke to London.and caried the young man with hym, and so came the young man no more again 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 gentleman, single & 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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