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PrefaceBook 1Book 2Book 3Book 4Book 5Book 6Book 7Book 8Book 9Book 10Book 11Book 12
Thematic Divisions in Book 7
1. Henry VIII's reign2. Dissension among mendicant orders3. Persecution of Lollards4. Richard Hun5. Lollard martyrs6. Persecution in diocese of Lincoln7. Colet, Chaucer and Gower8. Prophecies preceeding Luther9. Martin Luther10. Adrian VI11. Final years of Luther12. Swiss Reformation13. German martyrs14. French martyrs15. Spanish martyrs16. Italian martyrs17. Merindol and Cabriers18. Angrogne
Critical Apparatus for this Page
Commentary on the Text
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801 [777]

K. Henry. 8. Persecution in Lond. Dioces. Examinations.

Anno. Ioanne Baker. Lewes Iohn.
1510. William Pottyer. Ioane Iohn.
Iohn Forge. Iohn Webbe, aliâs
Thomas Goodred. Baker.MarginaliaAnno. 1512.

Thomas Walker,		 Iohn Houshold.
aliâs Talbot. Robert Rascal.MarginaliaAnno. 1517.
Thomas Forge. Elizabeth Stāford.
Alyce Forge. George Browne.MarginaliaAnno. 1518.
Iohn Forge, their son. Iohn Wykes.
William Couper. Iohn Southake.
Iohn Caluerton. Richard Butler.MarginaliaAnno 1521.
Iohn Woodrofe. Iohn Samme.
Anno. Richard Woolman. William Kyng.MarginaliaAnno 1521.
1511. Roger Hyllyar. Robert Durdant.
Alyce Couper. Henry Woolman.
Thomas Austye. Edmond Spilman.MarginaliaAnno. 1523.
Ioanne Austye. Iohn Hygges, aliâs
Thomas Graunt. Noke, aliâs
Iohn Garter. Iohnsonne.MarginaliaAnno. 1526.
Christofer Rauins. Henry Chambers.
Dionise Rauins. Iohn Hynggyns.
Thomas Vincent. Thomas Egleston.MarginaliaAnno. 1527.

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Here foloweth the particular examination of al these here aboue named.

To these were diuers and sundry particular Articles, (besides the common and general sort accustomably vsed in such cases) priuately obiected, euen such as they were then accused of either by their curate, or other their neighbours. And because I thinke it somewhat superfluous to make any large recital of all & euery part of their seuerall processe: I mynd therfore briefly only to touch so many of their articles as may be sufficient to induce the Christian reader to iudge the sooner of the rest: being (I assure you) of no greater importance, then these that folowe: Except that sometyme they were charged most slaunderously with horrible and blasphemous lies, against the maiestie & truth of God. Which as they vtterly denyed, so do I now for this present kepe secret in silence, as wel for breuities sake,  

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Foxe never does anything for the sake of brevity and that this is, in effect, a warning that he has edited these accounts to remove materials he found un-desirable.

as also somewhat to colour and hide the shameles practises of that lying generation. But to our purpose.

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MarginaliaEx Regist. Rich. Fitziames.
Ioanne Baker. THe chiefest obiections against Ioanne Baker, was  

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Foxe abridges the articles against Joan Baker, although for the most part, he prints them accurately. Occasionally he refines Baker's language (sheactually said that she would do no more reverence to the crucifix in church than to a dog), but most importantly he supresses two of her replies. Interestingly, in bothcases where he did this, in was to conceal her anti-clericalism, not any doctrinaldeviance. Foxe omitted her statement that she could hear a better sermon at homethan any priest or doctor could give at Paul's Cross or anywhere else. Foxe alsodeleted her denunciation of clerical tithes (cf. Guildhall MS 9531/9, fo. 25r-v).Richard Hunne came to the attention of the auorities trying to defend Joan Baker(One of the articles charged against him at his posthumous heresy trial was that he had declared that Joan Baker - who was forced to do public pennance for her outspokenly heretical beliefs in 1511 - held correct views and that the bishop of London was more worthy of punishment than Baker.).

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that she would not only her self not reuerence the Crucifixe:MarginaliaAgainst worshiping of the crucifixe or crosse. but had also perswaded a frend of hers lying at the poynt of death, not to put any cōfidence or trust in the Crucifixe, but in God which is in heauen, who onely worketh all the myracles that be done, and not the dead Images, that be but stockes and stones: and therefore shee was sorye, that euer she had gone so often on Pilgrimage to S. Sauiour & other Idols. Also, that she dyd hold opinion that the Pope had no power to geue Pardons,MarginaliaTestimonie for the Lady yong Mart. & that the Lady Young (who was not long before that tyme burned) dyed a true martyr of God, and therfore e wished of God that shee her selfe might do no worse then the said Lady Young had done.  
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There is actually no evidence that Lady Jane Young, the wife of Sir John Young, a wealthy draper and Lord Mayor of London, was ever burned.Andrew Hope has argued that Joan Baker confused Jane Young with her motherJoan Boughton, who was burned at Smithfield on on 28 April 1494. It is true,however, that Jane Young was herself suspected of heresy. (See Andrew Hope,'The lady and the baliff: Lollardy among the gentry in Yorkist and early TudorEngland' in Lollardy and the Gentry in the Middle Ages, ed. Margaret Aston and Colin Richmond [Stroud, 1997], p. 260 and J. A. F. Thomson, The Later Lollards,1414-1520 [Oxford, 1965}, pp. 156-7).

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MarginaliaWilliam Pottier.
False slaunder of the aduersaries. VNto William Pottyer, besides diuers other false and slaunderous articles  

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The charges against William Pottier, and his replies to them, are obscure and clearly baffled Foxe, who was unusually candid in printing as much of them as he did. Pottier did, in essence, deny the benefit of Christ's passion, bystating that a person who committed a mortal sin was damned. (Perhaps this wasan attempt to deny the power of pennance or confession to absolve mortal sin). PaceFoxe, Pottier did not confess that the Trinity was only one God (Guildhall MS9531/9, fo.26v). Andrew Hope has persuasively argued that Pottier's confusing belief in six gods was a distortion of views commonly found in Lollard treatises(Andrew Hope, 'Lollardy: the Stone the Bulders Rejected?' in Protestantismand the National Church in Sixteenth Century England, ed. Peter Lake and MariaDowling [London, 1987], p. 18).

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(as that he should deny the benefite and effect of Christes Passion) it was also alleged that he should affirme, that there were sixe Gods. The firste three was the holy Trinitie, the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost. The fourth was a priestes concubine being kept in his chamber. The fift was the deuyll. And the sixt that thing that a man setteth him mynd most vpon.

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MarginaliaAnswere. The first part of this Article he vtterly denyed, confessing most firmely and truely the blessed Trinitie to be only one God in one vnitie of Deitie: as to the other three he answeared, that a priest delightyng in his concubine, made her as his God. Likewise a wicked person persisting in his sinne without repentaunce, made the deuyl his God. And lastly he graunted, that he once hearyng of certaine men, which by the singing and chatteryng of byrdes, would seke to knowe what thinges were to come, eyther to themselues or others,  

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Pottier is referring to divination by listening to the sounds birds made.

said that those men estemed their byrdes as Gods: and otherwise he spake not.

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MarginaliaTho. Godred.
Tho. Walker.
Tho. Forge. &c. AMongest the manifold and seuerall articles obieceed  

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From here until his discussion of Sweeting and Brewster, Foxe is clearly drawing on court books that are now lost (Foxe's knowledge of the ends of these two men came from a court book of Bishop Fitzjames, which is now lost). There is corroboration for the existence and heretical views of the heretics that Foxe discusses, including Sweeting and Brewster, in notes made by James Ussher (Trinity College, Dublin, MS 775, fos. 122r-125r). There is additional corroboration in the fact that many of the people named here would later be in trouble again with the authorities for their religious beliefs (such as Thomas Austy, Thomas Vincent, Lewis John, Elizabeth Stamford and John Household).

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The close family relationships of of many of these accused is also worth observing (For instance, Thomas Austy was the son-in-law of Thomas Vincent and Vincent may have been the father-in-law of Richard Hunne as well as of Austy).

against Thomas Goodred, Thomas Walker, Thomas Forge, Alyce Forge his wife, Iohn Forge their sonne, Iohn Caluerton, Iohn Woodrofe, Richard Woolman, and Roger Hilliar (As that they should speake against Pilgrimages, praying vnto Saintes, and such like, this principally was propounded,MarginaliaAgainst transubstantiation and corporall presence. that they all denyed the carnal and corporal presence of Christes body and bloud in the Sacramēt of the altar:  
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Foxe would say this, but his asertion is corroborated by Trinity College, Dublin, MS 775, fo. 123r.

and further had concealed, and consented vnto their teachers and instructers of that doctrine, and had not according vnto the lawes of the church, accused and presented them vnto the Bishop or Ordinary. Also great and heinous displeasure was conceyued against Richard Woolman, for that he termed the Churche of Paules, a house of theeues: affirmyng that the priests and other ecclesiastical persons there, were not liberall geuers vnto the poore (as they ought but rather takers away from them, what they could get.

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MarginaliaTho. Austy. Iohn. Austy. &c. Likewise, as Thomas Austye,  

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Thomas Austy was the son-in-law of Thomas Vincent (BL, Harley MS421, fo. 12r). In 1527, Austy would would be condemned to perpetual imprisonmentas an obdurate heretic, but he escaped.

Ioanne Austye his wife Thomas Graunt, Iohn Garters, Christofer Rauyns, Dionise Rauins his sister, Thomas Vincent,  
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Thomas Vincent was the father-in-law of Thomas Austy and possibly also the father-in-law of Richard Hunne.

Lewes Iohn,  
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Lewis John is almost certainly the same Lewis John who in 1508denied the presence of Christ's body in the sacramenrt of the altar and who would,be named as an associate of a Lollard burned in Buckinghamshire (J. A. F. Thomson, The Later Lollards, 1414-1520 [)xford, 1965], p. 88).

Ioan Iohn his wife, & Iohn Webbe, were of one felowwip and profession of fayth, with diuers of the last before recited:MarginaliaAgaynst transubstantiation, and corporall presence. so were they also almost all apprehended about one tyme, and chiefly burdened with one opinion of the Sacrament. Which declareth euidently, that notwithstandyng the darke ignoraunce of those corrupted tymes, yet God dyd euer in mercy open the eyes of some, to behold the manifest truth, euen in those thinges, wherof the Papistes make now greatest vaunt and bragge of longest continuance. Furthermore many of them were charged to haue spoken against pilgrimages: and to haue read and vsed certaine English bookes, repugnyng the fayth of the Romish Church: as the foure Euangelistes, Wickleffes wicket, a booke of the ten cōmaundementes of almighty God, the Reuelation of S. Iohn, þe Epistles of Paul and Iames, with other like, which those holy ones coulde neuer abide, & good cause why: for as darkenes could neuer agree with light, no more can ignoraunce, the mainteyner of that kingdome, with the true knowledge of Christ and his Gospell. It was further particularly obiected against Ioanne Iohn, the wyfe of Lewes Iohn,MarginaliaAgaynst haly dayes that (besides the premisses) shee learned and mainteyned, that God commaunded no holye dayes to be kept, but onely the Sabboth day, and that therfore she would keepe none but it, nor no fastyng dayes, affirmyng that to fast from sinne was the true fast. Moreouer, that shee had despised the Pope, his Pardons, and pilgrimages:MarginaliaAgaynst pilgrimage, and adoration of images. Insomuch that when any poore body asked his almes of her in the worship of the lady of Walsingham, she would straight answeare in contempt of the pilgrimage: the Lady of Walsingham helpe thee. And if she gaue any thing vnto hym, shee would then say: Take this in the worshyp of our Lady in heauen, and let the other go. Which declareth that for lacke of better instruction and knowledge, shee yet ignorauntly attributed too much honor to the true Saintes of God departed: though otherwise she dyd abhorre the idolatrous worshipping of the dead Images. By which example, as also by many others (for shortnes sake, at this present omitted) I haue iust occasion to condemne the wilfull subtiltie of those, that in this bryght shynyng light of Gods truth, would yet vnder colour of godly remembraunce, styll mainteyne the hauing of Images in the church, craftily excusing their idolatrous kneelyng and praying vnto them, by affirmyng that they nener worshipped the dead Images, but the thinges that the Images dyd represent. But if that were their onely doctrine and cause of hauyng them, why then would their predecessours so cruelly compel these poore simple people openly in their recantations to abiure and reuoke their speaking against the grosse adoration of the outwarde Images onely, and not agaynst the thyng represented? Whiche many of them (as appeareth partly by this example) in their ignoraunt simplicitie, confessed might be worshipped. Howbeit, God be thanked (who euer in hys mercy continue it) their colourable and hypocritical excuses can not nowe take suche place in the hartes of the elect of God as they haue done heretofore, especially seyng the word of God doth so manifestly forbyd as well the worshipping of them, as also the making or hauing of them, for order of religion.

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MarginaliaWilliam Couper and his wyfe. IT was alleaged agaynst William Couper & Alyce Couper his wyfe, that they had spoken against Pilgrimages, and worshippyng of Images: but chiefly the woman, who hauyng her childe on a tyme hurte by fallyng into a pit or ditche, and earnestly perswaded by some of her ignoraunt neighbours, to go on Pilgrimage vnto S. Laurence, for helpe for her childe,MarginaliaAgainst inuocation of dead Images. sayd that neither S. Laurence, nor any other Saint could helpe her childe, and therefore none ought to go on pilgrimage to any Image made with mans hand, but only vnto almighty God: for Pilgrimages were nothing worth, sauyng to make the priestes rich. Vid. plura inferius.

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MarginaliaIohn Houshould. &c. VNto Iohn Houshold, Robert Rascall, and Elizabeth Stamford,  

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Elizabeth Stamford and John Household would be examined again in 1517 and would then both abjure.

as welMarginaliaAgaynst transubtantiation and authoritie of the Pope the Article agaynst the Sacrament of the Altar was obiected, as also that they had spoken agaynst praying to Saintes, and had despised the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome, and others of his clergie. But especially Iohn Houshold was charged to haue called them Antichristes and whooremongers, and the Pope himselfe a strong strumpet, and a cōmon baude vnto the world, who with his Pardons had drowned in blindnes al Christian Realmes and that for money.

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ALso among diuers other ordinarye Articles propoun-

ded
A.iij.
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