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774 [750]

K. Henry. 7. Tho. Barnard. Iames Mordon. Thomas Chase. Martyrs..

MarginaliaAmersham men bearing fagots. All these bare fagots, and afterward were compelled to weare certaine badges, and went abroad to certayn townes to do penaunce, as to Buckingham, Aylesbury, and other townes moe: And also diuers of these men wer afterward burned in the cheeke, as William Page, which at this present is alyue, and likewyse did beare a fagot with the aforesayd. Furthermore the foresayd Agnes Wetherley testifieth that at the burnyng of this William Tylsworth, were lx. and aboue that were put to beare fagots for their penaunce, of whom diuers were enioyned to beare and to weare fagots at Lyncolne, the space of 7. yeres, some at one tyme, some at another. &c. In which number was also one Robert Bartlet a rich man, who for his profession sake was put out of hys ferme and goods, and was condemned to be kept in the monastery of Ashryge, where he ware on his right sleue a square peece of cloth, the space of vij. yeares together,

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It foloweth moreouer in the testimony of the forenamed, that about the same tyme of the burnyng of William Tilsworth (as the Amersham men do say) or the next day after as recordeth the foresayd Agnes)MarginaliaFather Roberts Martyr. was one father Roberts burned at Buckyngham.  

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This 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.

He was a Miller, and dwelled at Missenden: & at his burning there were aboue xx. persons þt were compelled to beare fagots, and to do such penaunce as the wicked Pharises did compell them. After that by the space of two or thre yeres,MarginaliaTho. Barnard. Iames Mordon Martyrs. was burned at Amershā, Thomas Barnard a husbandman, and Iames Mordon a la
¶ the burnyng of Thomas Barnard, and Iames Mordon.

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Barnard was a husbandman and Mordon a labourer, burned together at Amersham. Foxe only mentions them briefly. However, James Morden (a book owner) was a member of a family with a significant Lollard record (eight members of whom feature in Bishop Longland's investigations). CUL copy: detail provided in the faces with flushes to the cheeks and features detailed in black ink; otherwise this is rather clumsily executed, with some bleed through from the red paint of the flames as a result. There appears also to be some damage to the right-hand side of the image caused by metallic paint. Note that the man on the left, presumably Barnard, is depicted with a greying beard, with some brown and predominantly grey hair. The man on the left is depicted as looking much younger and fresher-faced, with brown hair and beard. The image in the WREN copy is in particularly bad condition. The metallic base paint occurs on many parts of the image, obscuring detail. In this copy there is less grey in Barnard's beard and hair.

bourer,  
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A James Marden was handed over to the secular arm for burning in1522 (TNA C 85/115/13).

they ij. were burned both at one fire: & there was William Litlepage (who is yet alyue) compelled to be burned in the right cheeke, and father Rogers,MarginaliaFather Reuer Martyr. and father Reuer aliâs Reiue, which after was burned. This father Rogers was in the bishops prison xiiij wekes together night and day, where he was so cruelly handled wyth colde, hunger, and yrones, that after hys commyng out of the sayde pryson, he was so lame in hys backe that he coulde neuer goe vpright as long as he lyued, as can testifie dyuers honest men that be now liuyng.MarginaliaMen of Amarsham burnt in the cheeke for Gods worde. Also there was xxx. mo burned in the right cheeke, and bare fagottes the same tyme. The cause was that they would talke agaynst superstition and Idolatry, and were desirous to heare and read the holy Scriptures. The maner of their burning in the cheeke was this: Their neckes were tyed fast to a poste or stay, with towels, and their handes holden that they might not stirre, and so the iron beyng hote, was put to their cheekes, and thus bare they the printes and markes of the lord Iesus about them.

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¶ The cruell handlyng of Thomas Chase of Amersham, wickedly strangled and martyred in the bishops prison at Wooborne, vnder Wil. Smith Bishop of Lincolne.

Marginalia1506.
Tho. Chase Martyr.
AMong these aforesayd, whiche were so cruelly persecuted for the Gospell and worde of Christe, one Thomas Chase of Amersham, was one of them that was thus cruelly handeled,  

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There is no surviving information on Thomas Chase apart from theaccount in Foxe. This account - as Foxe makes clear - is based on testimony from contemporaries to the events and the cruelty with which Chase was treated undoubtedly lost nothing in the telling. It seems reasonable to accept that Thomas Chase was arrested for heresy and committed suicide in prison. There is no way of telling what happened beyond that but claims that he was murdered seem far-fetched.

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Which Thomas Chase by the reporte of such as did know him, was a man of a godly, sober and honest behauiour (whose vertuous doynges do yet remayne in memory) and could not abyde Idolatrie and superstition, but many tymes woulde speake agaynst it: Wherefore the vngodly and wicked did the more hate & despise him, and tooke him,MarginaliaTho. Chase brought before the Byshop. and brought him before the blynde Byshop, beyng at that time at Wooburne, in thee countie of Buckyngham, and as it is written. Act. 12.  
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Acts 12:1-3.

that wicked Herode did vexe certaine of the congregation and kylled Iames the brother of Iohn with the sworde, and because he saw that it pleased the Iewes. &c. he proceded farther and had this same Thomas Chase before him, askyng him many questiōs touchyng the Romishe Religion, with many tauntes, checkes, and rebukes, but what aunswere this godlye man Thomas Chase made thē, it is vnknowne. Howbeit it is to be supposed, that his aunswere was most zelous and godly in professyng Christes true religion and Gospell, and to the extirpation of Idolatry and superstition and hipocrisie,MarginaliaTho. Chase cōdemned to the byshops prison at Wooburne called Little ease. for that the sayd Thomas Chase was commaunded to bee put in thee bishops prison called Litleease, in the bishops house at Wooburne, which prison had not bene ministred vnto him, had not his aunswers bene sound and vpright. There Thomas Chase lay bound most paynefully with cheynes, gyues, manacles and yrons oft tymes sore pined with hunger, where the Byshops almes was dayly brought vnto him by his chapleines:MarginaliaA worthy almes of a byshop. Whiche almes was nothing els but checkes, tauntes, rebukes and threatninges, floutyngs and mockynges. All which crueltye the godly martyr tooke most quietly and paciently, remembryng and hauing respect too Christes promises. Math. 5.  
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Matthew 5:7.

Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake: for theirs is the kingedome of heauen, and as foloweth: Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you. &c.MarginaliaThe perfect patience and constancie of Tho. Chase. When the Byshop with his bonde of shauelynges perceaued that by their dayly practises of crueltye they could not preuayle agaynst him, but rather that he was the moreferuent & earnest in professing christes true Religion: and that he did tolerate and beare most paciently al their wickednes and crueltie ministred vnto him: they Imagined how and whiche way they might put hym to death, lest there should be a tumulte or an vprore among the people.MarginaliaTho. Chase cruelly murthered in the byshops prison. And as Richard Hunne shortly after was hanged or strangled in Lolardes tower, about the yeare of Lorde. 1514. euen so these bloudsuppers most cruellye strāgle and preste to death this sayd Thomas Chase in prison, which most hartely called vpon God to receiue his spirite: as witnesseth a certaine woman, that kepte hym in prison.

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After that these styngyng vipers beyng of the wicked broode of Antichrist, had thus most cruellye and impiouslye murthered this faythful Christiā, they were at their wittes ende, and could not tell what shift to make, to cloke their shamefull murther withall. At last to blynd the ignoraunt sely people,MarginaliaTho. Chase falsely slaundered to hange himselfe. these bloudy butchers most slaunderously caused by their ministers, to be bruted abroade, that the foresaid Thomas Chase had hanged him selfe in prison: which was a most shamefull and abhominable lye, for the prison was such, that a man coulde not stand vpright nor lye at ease but stopyng, as they do reporte that did know it. And besides that, this mā had so many manacles and yrons vpon him that he could not well moue neither hand nor foote, as the women did declare that sawe him dead, in somuch that they confessed that his bloudbolke was broken by reason they had so vilye beaten hym and brused hym: And yet these holy catholiques had not made an ende of their wicked acte in this both killyng and slaunderyng of this godly martyr, but to put out the remembraunce of hym, they caused hym to be buried in the woode called Norlandwoode, in the hye way betwixt Wooburne and litle Marlow, to the entent he should not be taken vp agayne to be seene: And thus commonlye are innocent men layd vp by these clerklye clergye men. But he that is effectuallye true of hym selfe, hath promised at one tyme or at an other, to cleare hys true seruauntes, not with lyes and fables, but by hys owne true word.MarginaliaGod bringeth to light the secret murthers of the papistes.
Math. 10.
Luk. 12.
No secret  

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Matthew 10:26; Luke 12:2.

sayth he, is so close but once shalbe opened, neither is any thing so hid, that shall not at þe last be known clearely. Such a sweete Lord is God alwayes to those that are his true seruauntes. Blessed be hys holy name therfore, for euer and euer. Amen.

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Tho-