1583 Edition | Book 8 | Page 1231 
Close(d. 1571) [ODNB]
Roman Catholic priest; BCL Oxford 1511; BCnL, DCnL 1522; vicar-general to Longland 1537; prebendary in Lincoln Cathedral 1539; archdeacon of Stow 1543; archdeacon of Huntingdon (1543 - 60); chancellor to Ralph Baynes, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield; active in pursuit of heretics; deprived under Elizabeth
[Back to Top]Bishop Longland and Anthony Draycot were active in enforcing the Six Articles within the diocese of Lincoln. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Closeof Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire
Christopher Erle was charged under the Six Articles with working on a holy day. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
CloseFriend of Thomas Sommers
When Thomas Sommers was made to ride from the Tower into Cheapside with his books hanging about him, he was meant to ride on a collier's nag. His friend Copland brought him a fine gelding to ride instead. 1570, p. 1381; 1576, p. 1178; 1583, p. 1207.
Closeof Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire; charged at the time of the Six Articles for making fun of a very devout Catholic [Fines]
Thomas Collerd was mocked by Elinore Godfrey. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Close(1473 - 1547) [ODNB]
Scholar, preacher; BTh Oxford by 1509; DTh by 1511; dean of Salisbury 1514
Bishop of Lincoln (1521 - 1547); royal confessor 1524
Thomas Wolsey, William Warham, Cuthbert Tunstall, John Fisher, Nicholas West, John Veysey, John Longland, John Clerk and Henry Standish took part in the examination of Thomas Bilney and Thomas Arthur in 1527-28. 1563, pp. 461-78; 1570, pp. 1134-46; 1576, pp. 971-81; 1583, pp. 998-1008.
Thomas Harding was brought before Bishop Longland to be examined. Longland condemned him as a relapse, and he was sentenced to be burnt. 1570, p. 1117; 1576, p. 956; 1583, p. 983.
John Longland took part in the examination of John Tewkesbury. 1563, p. 491; 1570, pp. 1165-66; 1576, p. 997; 1583, p. 1025.
John Frith was examined in London by the bishops of London, Winchester and Lincoln. Stokesley pronounced the sentence of condemnation. 1563, pp. 501-04; 1570, pp. 1176-78; 1576, pp. 1006-08; 1583, pp. 1034-35.
Andrew Hewett was examined by Stokesley, Gardiner and Longland. 1563, p. 506; 1570, p. 1180; 1576, p. 1009; 1583, p. 1036.
Other Lollards were brought before Longland to be examined, confess and abjure. 1570, pp. 1118-20; 1576, pp. 957-59; 1583, pp. 984-86.
The archbishop of Canterbury (Cranmer), along with the bishops of London (Stokesley), Winchester (Gardiner), Bath and Wells (Clerk) and Lincoln (Longland) and other clergy went to see Queen Catherine. She failed to attend when summoned over 15 days, and they pronounced that she and the king were divorced. 1570, p. 1200; 1576, p. 1027; 1583, p. 1055.
[Back to Top]Longland was one of the subscribers to the Bishops' Book. 1570, p. 1211; 1576, p. 1037; 1583, p. 1064.
Longland attended a synod in 1537 with other bishops and learned men and with Thomas Cromwell as vicar-general. Longland favoured retaining the seven sacraments. 1563, p. 594; 1570, p. 1351; 1576, p. 1153; 1583, p. 1182.
Longland preached a sermon against the pope's supremacy in front of the king at Greenwich on Good Friday in 1538. 1570, pp. 1250-54; 1576, pp. 1071-74; 1583, pp. 1097-1100.
Mark Cowbridge went mad, was condemned by John Longland and burnt in Oxford. 1563, p. 574; 1570, p. 1292; 1576, p. 1105; 1583, p. 1131.
Longland and Anthony Draycot were active in enforcing the Six Articles within the diocese of Lincoln. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
CloseBA Christ's College, Cambridge 1524; MA 1527; brought to do penance as a sacramentary in Oxford in 1536; completed penance in St Frideswide's next day [Fines]
Richard Smyth preached a sermon when Mallory came into St Mary's church in Oxford to do his penance. During the sermon, cries of 'fire' produced panic in the congregation. 1563, p. 621; 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1208.
CloseMA Oxford; canon of Lincoln from 1526; called to Lambeth c. 1539 to defend his view of communion; eventually forced to recant [Fines]
Laurence Barber impressed Archbishop Cranmer and others at Lambeth, but was made to recant when he returned to Oxford. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Close(d. 1542) [Fines]
Martyr; burnt by Longland for having Epistle of St James in English
James Morton was burnt together with Thomas Bernard. 1563, p. 621; 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Close(d. 1542) [Fines]
Martyr; burnt by Longland for teaching the Lord's Prayer in English
Thomas Bernard was burnt together with James Morton. 1563, p. 621; 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
CloseVery devout Catholic of Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Thomas Collerd was mocked by Elinore Godfrey. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Close(1489 - 1556) [ODNB]
BA Cambridge 1511; MA 1515; archbishop of Canterbury (1533 - 56); burnt in 1556
Cranmer acknowledged the help he received from John Frith's book attacking the doctrine of Sir Thomas More. 1563, p. 500; 1570, p. 1176; 1576, p. 1006; 1583, p. 1033.
Thomas Cranmer, John Stokesley, Edward Carne, William Benet and the earl of Wiltshire were sent as ambassadors to the pope to dispute the matter of the king's marriage. 1570, p. 1280; 1576, p. 1095; 1583, p. 1121.
Cranmer's separation of the king and Queen Catherine was authorised by parliament. 1570, p. 1197; 1576, p. 1025; 1583, p. 1053.
Elizabeth Barton prophesied that if the king divorced Queen Catherine and married Anne Boleyn, he would not reign more than a month thereafter. Through the efforts of Cranmer, Cromwell and Latimer, she was condemned and executed with some of her supporters. 1570, p. 1199; 1576, p. 1026; 1583, pp. 1054-55.
[Back to Top]The archbishop of Canterbury (Cranmer), along with the bishops of London (Stokesley), Winchester (Gardiner), Bath and Wells (Clerk) and Lincoln (Longland) and other clergy went to see Queen Catherine. She failed to attend when summoned over 15 days, and they pronounced that she and the king were divorced. 1570, p. 1200; 1576, p. 1027; 1583, p. 1055.
[Back to Top]Cranmer was godfather to Princess Elizabeth. 1563, p. 510; 1570, p. 1199; 1576, p. 1026; 1583, p. 1054.
Cranmer was one of the subscribers to the Bishops' Book. 1570, p. 1211; 1576, p. 1037; 1583, p. 1064.
Cranmer attended a synod in 1537 with other bishops and learned men and with Thomas Cromwell as vicar-general. Cranmer opposed retaining the seven sacraments. He gave an oration to the bishops. 1563, p. 594; 1570, p. 1351; 1576, p. 1153; 1583, p. 1182.
On the second day of the synod, Thomas Cranmer sent his archdeacon to command Alexander Alesius to cease from disputation. 1570, p. 1353; 1576, p. 1155; 1583, p. 1184.
John Lambert attended a sermon preached by John Taylor at St Peter's in London in 1538. Lambert put ten articles to him questioning transubstantiation. Taylor conferred with Robert Barnes, who persuaded Taylor to put the matter to Archbishop Cranmer. Cranmer called Lambert into open court, where he was made to defend his cause. 1563, pp. 532-33; 1570, pp. 1280-81; 1576, p. 1095; 1583, p. 1121.
[Back to Top]Cranmer disputed with Lambert at his trial before the king. 1563, pp. 534-35; 1570, p. 1282; 1576, pp. 1096-97; 1583, p. 1122.
Thomas Cranmer alone disputed the Six Articles in parliament. 1570, p. 1298; 1576, p. 1110; 1583, p. 1136.
The king sent Thomas Cromwell and the dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk to dine with Cranmer to reassure him after his opposition to the Six Articles. 1570, p. 1298; 1576, p. 1111; 1583, p. 1136.
Henry asked for a summary of Cranmer's objections to the Six Articles. Cranmer asked his secretary to write up a copy of his arguments against the Six Articles to give to the king.1570, p. 1355; 1576, p. 1157; 1583, p. 1185.
Adam Damplip was brought before Thomas Cranmer, Stephen Gardiner, Richard Sampson and others and examined. The next day, warned by Cranmer that he was likely to be imprisoned and burnt, he fled to the West Country. 1563, p. 657; 1570, p. 1401; 1576, p. 1194; 1583, p. 1224.
Thomas Broke, Ralph Hare, James Cocke and James Barber were sent from Calais with their accusers to England to be examined by Cranmer, Gardiner, Sampson and other bishops. 1563, p. 661; 1570, p. 1401; 1576, p. 1195; 1583, p. 1224.
King Henry wrote to Archbishop Cranmer, ordering that idolatrous images be removed from churches. 1563, p. 625; 1570, p. 1385; 1576, p. 1181; 1583, p. 1210.
For a long period, Henry VIII denied his daughter Mary the title of princess. Thomas Cranmer urged a reconciliation. 1570, p. 1565; 1576, p. 1335; 1583, p. 1396.
When Claude d'Annebault, the French ambassador, went to see Henry VIII at Hampton Court, lavish entertainment was laid on for him, but he was recalled before he had received half of it. During the course of the banquet, he had private conversation with the king and Archbishop Cranmer about the reform of religion in the two countries. 1570, p. 1426; 1576, p. 1215; 1583, p. 1245.
[Back to Top]Cranmer had sent letters for Henry VIII to sign relating to reform in the church. Gardiner convinced the king that these reforms would jeopardise a league with the king of France and the emperor, so the letters were never signed. 1570, p. 1426; 1576, p. 1215; 1583, p. 1245.
The young Prince Edward wrote letters in Latin to Thomas Cranmer, his godfather. 1570, p. 1564; 1576, p. 1334; 1583, p. 1395.
Cranmer praised the learning and wisdom of Prince Edward to his tutor, Richard Coxe. 1563, p. 884; 1570, p. 1484; 1576, p. 1258; 1583, p. 1295.
Richard Coxe wrote to Thomas Cranmer, praising the young Prince Edward. 1570, p. 1564; 1576, p. 1334; 1583, p. 1395.
When King Henry was on his deathbed, Anthony Denny asked him if he wished a spiritual adviser, and he asked for Thomas Cranmer. Before Cranmer could arrive, however, the king had lost the power of speech. He clasped Cranmer's hand, and shortly after died. 1570, p. 1477; 1576, p. 1253; 1583, p. 1290.
After the death of Henry VIII, the duke of Suffolk related to Thomas Cranmer how Stephen Gardiner had nearly been arrested at the time of the execution of Germaine Gardiner. 1570, p. 1477; 1576, p. 1253; 1583, p. 1290.
Cranmer had great difficulty in getting King Edward to sign Joan Bocher's death warrant. 1570, p. 1484; 1576, p. 1258; 1583, p. 1295.
Charles V requested of Edward VI that his cousin Mary Tudor be allowed to have the mass said in her house. The request was denied, in spite of the strong urgings of Thomas Cranmer and Nicholas Ridley. 1563, p. 884; 1570, p. 1484; 1576, p. 1258; 1583, p. 1295.
Thomas Dobbe was brought before Cranmer, who committed him to the Counter, where he died. 1563, p. 685; 1570, p. 1486; 1576, p. 1260; 1583, p. 1297.
Edward VI's councillors and Edward Seymour wrote to Thomas Cranmer, directing that candles no longer be carried on Candlemas, nor palms on Palm Sunday, nor should ashes be used on Ash Wednesday. Cranmer immediately wrote to all the other bishops to inform them of the new directive. 1563, pp. 685, 691; 1570, p. 1486; 1576, p. 1260; 1583, p. 1297.
[Back to Top]The council wrote further to Cranmer ordering the abolishing of images in all churches in the archdiocese. He wrote to Edmund Bonner, directing him to carry out the order in London. 1563, p. 692; 1570, p. 1490; 1576, p. 1263; 1583, p. 1300.
Cranmer, with other learned bishops and learned men, was appointed to draw up a uniform order of common prayer. 1570, p. 1491; 1576, p. 1264; 1583, p. 1301.
Stephen Gardiner wrote to Thomas Cranmer and Nicholas Ridley while imprisoned in the Fleet. 1563, pp. 732-54; 1570, p. 1522; 1576, p. 1297; 1583, p. 1340.
Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, Nicholas Ridley, bishop of Rochester, Sir William Petre, Sir Thomas Smith and William May, dean of St Paul's, were commissioned to examine Edmund Bonner. 1563, p. 697; 1570, p. 1504; 1576, p. 1275; 1583, p. 1312.
Bonner was summoned to appear before the commissioners. He behaved haughtily, ridiculing his accusers and the commissioners, and spoke in favour of the mass. He appeared first on 10 September 1549 before Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Sir William Petre and William May. Sir Thomas Smith was absent. 1563, pp. 698-99; 1570, pp. 1504-06; 1576, pp. 1275-77; 1583, pp. 1312-14.
[Back to Top]Bonner appeared for the second time on 13 September before Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Sir William Petre, Sir Thomas Smith and William May and was further examined. 1563, pp. 699-704; 1570, pp. 1506-08; 1576, pp. 1277-79; 1583, pp. 1314-17.
Bonner appeared for the third time on 16 September before Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Sir Thomas Smith and William May to answer the articles put to him at the previous session. John Hooper and William Latymer also appeared in order to purge themselves against the slanders of Bonner. 1563, pp. 704-709; 1570, pp. 1508-11; 1576, pp. 1279-80; 1583, pp. 1317-22.
[Back to Top]Bonner appeared before the commissioners for the fourth time on 18 September, at which session new articles were drawn up and new witnesses received. 1563, pp. 704-710; 1570, pp. 1508-12; 1576, pp. 1279-81; 1583, pp. 1317-22.
Bonner appeared for the fifth time before the commissioners on 20 September. During an interval, he instructed Gilbert Bourne, his chaplain, Robert Warnington, his commissary, and Robert Johnson, his registrar, to tell the mayor and aldermen of London to avoid reformed preachers. Bonner made his first appellation to the king. As a result of his behaviour during the proceedings, he was committed to the Marshalsea. 1563, pp. 713-717; 1570, pp. 1513-16; 1576, pp. 1282-85; 1583, pp. 1324-26.
[Back to Top]Bonner appeared for the sixth time before the commissioners on 23 September, when he presented a general recusation against all the commissioners and a second appellation to the king. A letter was read from Bonner to the mayor of London, Henry Amcottes, and aldermen. 1563, pp. 717-18; 1570, p. 1516; 1576, p. 1285; 1583, pp. 1326-27.
[Back to Top]Bonner' seventh appearance before the commissioners took place on 1 October. He presented a declaration, an appellation and a supplication to the king. The commissioners pronounced their sentence definitive. Bonner was imprisoned and deprived of his office. 1563, pp. 718-26; 1570, pp. 1516-19; 1576, pp. 1285-88; 1583, pp. 1327-30.
[Back to Top]Cranmer was a signatory to a letter from the king and privy council to Nicholas Ridley, directing him to remove and destroy all altars within the churches of his diocese and install communion tables. 1563, p. 727; 1570, pp. 1519-20; 1576, p. 1288; 1583, p. 1331.
After Stephen Gardiner's sequestration, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Thomas Goodrich, Henry Holbeach, Sir William Petre, Sir James Hales, Griffith Leyson, John Oliver and John Gosnold were commissioned to examine him. 1563, p. 776; 1570, p. 1535; 1576, p. 1309; 1583, p. 1358.
CloseWealthy merchant of London
Thomas Sommers was committed to the Tower for possessing Luther's books; his books were burnt, and he died in prison. 1570, p. 1381; 1576, p. 1178; 1583, p. 1207.
Close(1470/71 - 1530) [ODNB]
BA Oxford 1486; MA 1497; dean of divinity 1500
Dean of York 1513; bishop of Lincoln 1514
Lord chancellor (1515 - 29); archbishop of York (1514 - 30); cardinal (1515 - 30); arrested and died on his way to the Tower
Thomas Wolsey sent delegates to greet Cardinal Campeggi, the newly appointed legate to England, in Calais, hoping to get himself appointed fellow legate. Campeggi complied, and within 30 days a papal bull had arrived in Calais with Wolsey's commission. Wolsey set up a special legate's court in England, richly furnished. 1563, p. 418; 1570, pp. 1120-21; 1576, pp. 959-60; 1583, pp. 986-87.
[Back to Top]Wolsey was sent as ambassador to the emperor at Brussels, taking with him the great seal of England, and behaved like a prince. He enriched himself at the expense of the religious houses and commons. 1570, p. 1121; 1576, p. 960; 1583, p. 987.
In England, Wolsey lived in great luxury. He leased Hampton Court, and then gave the lease to the king. He lodged at times at the king's manor at Richmond. 1570, pp. 1121-22; 1576, p. 960; 1583, p. 987.
Wolsey suspected that his failure to be selected pope after the death of Adrian VI was due to Richard Pace's lack of effort on his behalf. He turned the king against Pace, causing Pace to go mad. Pace recovered, but Wolsey brought charges against him and he was imprisoned in the Tower for nearly two years, leaving him in a worse mental state than before. 1570, pp. 1124-25; 1576, p. 963; 1583, pp. 989-90.
[Back to Top]Wolsey founded Cardinal College at Oxford, and began to build in sumptuous style. He invited the best scholars to join, many of them from Cambridge. He did not live long enough to see it completed. 1563, p. 497; 1570, p. 1174; 1576, p. 1004; 1583, p. 1032.
Thomas Wolsey, William Warham, Cuthbert Tunstall, John Fisher, Nicholas West, John Veysey, John Longland, John Clerk and Henry Standish took part in the examination of Thomas Bilney and Thomas Arthur in 1527-28. 1563, pp. 461-78; 1570, pp. 1134-46; 1576, pp. 971-81; 1583, pp. 998-1008.
Wolsey opposed the emperor because the emperor refused to support his desire to be made pope. 1563, p. 440; 1570, p. 1124; 1576, p. 962; 1583, p. 989.
Having fallen out with the emperor, Wolsey encouraged Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. 1570, p. 1192; 1576, p. 1021; 1583, p. 1049.
Wolsey attempted to confiscate all copies of Supplication for the Beggars and discovered that the king had a copy. He was determined to forbid the reading of English books, specifically this book and Tyndale's translation of scripture. 1563, p. 449; 1570, p. 1157; 1576, p. 990; 1583, p. 1017.
After Clement VII had been taken prisoner by imperial forces, Wolsey urged Henry VIII to go to the pope's assistance. The king refused to send troops, but allowed Wolsey to take money out of the treasury to help. Wolsey then went to the French court to contribute to the ransom of Clement VII, hiring soldiers and furnishing the French army.1563, p. 439; 1570, pp. 1123; 1576, pp. 961-62; 1583, p. 988.
[Back to Top]Stephen Gardiner was sent as ambassador to Rome by Henry VIII during the time of Clement VII to deal with the matter of the king's divorce and to promote Thomas Wolsey as pope. Both the king and Wolsey wrote letters to him. 1570, pp. 1125-29; 1576, pp. 963-67; 1583, pp. 990-93.
Wolsey and Cardinal Campeggi had a legatine commission to consider the matter of the king's divorce. Henry began to suspect that Wolsey was not fully supportive. 1570, p. 1129; 1576, p. 967; 1583, p. 994.
When Queen Catherine learned from the legates that they had been deputed to determine the matter of a divorce between the king and her, she composed an answer to them. She blamed Wolsey as the cause of the proposed divorce. 1563, pp. 456-57; 1570, pp. 1193-94; 1576, p. 1022; 1583, p. 1050.
Wolsey became aware that King Henry favoured Anne Boleyn. 1570, p. 1195; 1576, p. 1023; 1583, p. 1051.
Articles against Wolsey were introduced to the House of Commons from the Lords. He confessed to the charges. He departed for Southwell in his diocese of York, but many of his household left him to enter the king's service. 1570, p. 1132; 1576, p. 969; 1583, p. 996.
Wolsey planned a grand enthronement at York without informing the king. The earl of Northumberland was given a commission by the king to arrest Thomas Wolsey at Cawood Castle and turn him over to the earl of Shrewsbury. Although Wolsey protested, he submitted to the arrest. He was taken to Sheffield Castle and placed in the keeping of Shrewsbury. 1570, pp. 1132-33; 1576, p. 970; 1583, p. 996.
[Back to Top]Sir William Kingston was sent to Sheffield Castle to take Wolsey to the Tower. Wolsey was ill, and Sir William treated him gently and made the journey in easy stages. Wolsey died at Leicester Abbey. 1570, p. 1133; 1576, p. 970; 1583, p. 996.
Closeof Wooburn, Buckinghamshire
Fastendiche was charged under the Six Articles for speaking against transubstantiation. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Closeof West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire [Fines]
William Garland was charged under the Six Articles for denying that extreme unction was a sacrament. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Closeof Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire; charged in 1530 for making insulting remarks about a priest [Fines]
William Hart was charged under the Six Articles for failing to attend at the elevation of the host. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
Closeof West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire [Fines]
William Webb was charged under the Six Articles for setting the image of a headless bear in the tabernacle of St Rock. 1570, p. 1382; 1576, p. 1179; 1583, p. 1207.
CloseBorough and parish in the Hundred of Burnham, Buckinghamshire. 26.75 miles west-north-west of London. A rectory in the archdeaconry of Buckingham, diocese of Lincoln.
Lewis, Samuel,A Topographical Dictionary of England (S. Lewis & Co: London, 1831
CloseOS grid ref: SP 695 335
Historic county town of Buckinghamshire
CloseBuckinghamshire
OS grid ref: SP 905 305
Close[Merlow]
Buckinghamshire
OS grid ref: SU 855 865
CloseOS grid ref: SP 515 065
County town of Oxfordshire; university town
Close[Roshborough; Ryssebrowe]
Buckinghamshire
OS grid ref: SP 805 035
Close[Westwicam; Westwicomb]
Buckinghamshire
OS grid ref: SU 825 945
CloseBuckinghamshire
OS grid ref: SU 905 875
lers) sent for the sayd Porter, and rebuked him very sharpely, for his reading.MarginaliaBoner and his Chapleynes greeued with the Bybles whiche he before caused to be set vp himselfe. But Porter answered hym that he trusted he had done nothing contrary to the law, neither contrary to his aduertisementes which he had fixed in print ouer euery Bible.
[Back to Top]Boner thē layd vnto his charge, that he had made expositions vpon the text, and gathered great multitudes about him to make tumultes. He answered: he trusted that should not be proued by him. But in fine Boner sent him to Newgate,MarginaliaI. Porter sent to Newgate by Boner. where he was miserably fettred in irōs both legges and armes, with a collor of iron about his necke fastened to the wall in the dungeon, being there so cruellye handled, that he was compelled to send for a kinsmā of his whose name is also Porter, and yet aliue MarginaliaThis Porter was alyue at the wryting hereof.and canne testify that is true, & dwelleth yet without Newgate. Who seing his kinsman in this miserable case entreated Iewet, then keeper of Newgate, that he might be released out of those cruel yrons, and so through frendship and mony, had him vp among other prisoners, which lay there for felony and murther: where Porter being amongst them, hearing and seing their wickednes and blasphemy exhorted thē to amendmēt of life, and gaue vnto them such instructiōs as he had learned of the Scriptures: MarginaliaThe cruell handling of I. Porter in Newgate.for which his so doyng he was complayned on and so caryed downe, and layd in the lower dungeon of al, oppressed with boltes and yrons, where within 6. or 8. dayes after, he was found dead.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe death & martirdome of I. Porter.It is signified vnto vs by credible information, that the same night before he was found dead, they that dwelt nere to the same place of the prison where Porter lay, did heare him pitiously to grone and make a lamētable noise, where some suppose þt he was put in certayne strayt yrons which be there in the house, called The deuill on the necke, being after an horrible sort deuised, strayning & wrinching the necke of a man with his legges together, in such sort as þe more he styrreth in it, the strayter it presseth him, so that within 3. or 4. houres, it breaketh & crussheth a mans backe and body in pieces. In which Deuilish torment, whether Iohn Porter was slayne or no, it is not certaine. But how so euer it was, this is knowne, that he was found dead (as is aforesayd) in the dungeon, with such groning and piteous noyse heard the night before in the sayd dungeō, as is declared.
[Back to Top]
CloseThere is no indication of Foxe's sources for this narrative, although it is possible that its placement here - out of chronological order, as Foxe states - is due to its being found in the same London diocesan records which furnished so much additional detail in the previous few pages.
MarginaliaThe penaunce of Th. Sommers, Marchaunt.AMongst these Londiners thus troubled by the clergye we will adde also (although a little out of place)
CloseSommers' recantation was on 29 November 1530. British Library, Harleian MS 540, fo. 7v.
In the meane time, by the way as they should come it was appoynted, that one should go before them with a bason. At the noyse whereof, M. Sommers horse beyng a lofty gelding and fierce, was in such a rage, that he which ronge the bason beynge afeard of himselfe, was fayne to go alone a great space before that any horseman did folow after. At length when they came to the fire, euery of them hauing a booke in his hand, they were commaunded to caste their bookes into the fire. But when M. Sommers saw that his new Testament should be burned,MarginaliaThe papistes burnt the new testament. he threw it ouer the fire: which was seene by some of Gods enemies, and brought to him agayne, commaunding him to cast it into the fire: which he would not do, but cast it thorow the fire. Which thing was done iij. times. But at last a stander by tooke it vp, and saued it from burning. But not long af-ter, the sayd M. Sommers was cast agayne into the Tower by the Cardinall, through the cruelty of the Bishops and theyr adherentes, MarginaliaTho. Sommers dyed in the Tower.who soone after dyed in the sayd prison for the testimouy of his fayth.
[Back to Top]What trouble & vexatiō happened amongst the godly brethren in London, for the 6. Articles, hitherto we haue discoursed. Albeit neither haue I cōprehended all, which were molested through all the Parishes of London: neyther agayne did this rigorous Inquisition so cease within the precinctes of this Citty onely, but also extended further to Salisbury, Northfolke, Lincolne, and through all other Shyres and quarters of the realme: so that whereas any popish Prelate most bare stroke, there most persecution encreased. The Bishop of Lincolne the same time was Iohn Longland, and Doct. Dracotte his Chauncellour. Of whose rigorous doyinges ye haue heard enough and to much before. His ready diligence in all popish quarels as it neuer lacked before: so now in the execution of these 6 Articles, it was not farre behinde in whose dioces diuers good men and women, namely about Buckingham and Amersham, and quarters there aboutes, were grieuously disquieted, appearing yet in the same Register
CloseThe six individuals following are not known from other sources, with one exception, but their offences have a distinctively Lollard flavour to them, and seem out of place here. Blunt denials of the Mass, couched in crude language and accompanied by mockery of the clergy, are far more characteristic of Lollardy than of mainstream Protestantism. Foxe's source can be presumed to be, as he says, Lincoln diocesan records. The suspicion that these cases are misplaced in Foxe is apparently confirmed by one trace of these individuals in other records. A William Hart was charged with heresy in Lincoln diocese on 4 October 1530: Lincoln Record Office, vj.11, fo. 144v, cited in John Fines, A biographical register of early English Protestants and others opposed to the Roman Catholic Church 1525-58, part II (unpublished typescript).
[Back to Top]| For laughing & speaking certayne words | |
| agaynst one Tho. Collerd, who like a pope- | |
| holy hipocrite in the Church of Merlow, v- | |
| Elinore | sed at Masse tyme to crouch behinde the chil- |
| Godfrey.MarginaliaOf great Marlow. | dren, and whē the priest crossed his head with |
| the saucer (as she termed it) he would crosse | |
| his head likewise. And for these wordes shee | |
| was conuented before the bishop, and misera- | |
| bly vexed. | |
| For saying these wordes: Thinkest thou | |
| W. Hart.MarginaliaOf great Brickhill. | that God almighty will abide ouer a knaue |
| priestes head. | |
| Because he did no reuerence vnto the sa- | |
| crament comming to the church, and for loo- | |
| king vpon his book at time of eleuation, and | |
| that he would not come to see the eleuation. | |
| Christoph. | &c. Item, as he was working vpon a piece |
| Etle.MarginaliaOf Risborough. | of Fustian on an holy day, and being asked |
| why he kept not the holy day, he aunswered, | |
| that was no worke, and that it was better to | |
| do that, then to sitte at the Alehouse drinkyng | |
| dronke. | |
| For speaking certayne wordes agaynst þe | |
| W. Fasten- | sacrament of the aulter, and beleued not, that |
| diche.MarginaliaOf Woodborne. | it was the very body of Christ. |
| W. Garland, talking of extreme vnction, | |
| W. Garland. | sayd that those thinges were Godly signes, |
| but there were but two sacramentes. &c. | |
| W. Webbe.MarginaliaOf Westwycombe. | Because hee set the Image of a headlesse |
| Beare in the Tabernacle of S. Roke. |
CloseA particularly egregious example of Foxe's chronological confusion. This misplacing of this case is obvious - English texts of the Lord's Prayer and of the Bible were entirely legal in the latter part of Henry VIII's reign. To compound the confusion, in 1570 and subsequent editions, Thomas Barnard, husbandman, and James Mordon, labourer, are described (and, in 1576 and 1583, depicted) as being burned in one fire at Amersham, 'two or thre yeres' after the burning of William Tilsworth (aka Tylseley) in 1506 (1570, p. 117 recte 917). Yet a few pages later, they are described (1570 pp. 949-54) as Lollards arrested in 1521, with some details given of their offences and networks, and it is said that both were burned in the same year as relapsed heretics (1570, p. 964). In any event, they did not survive to be burned in the 1540s.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaTho. Bernard, Iames Morton, Martyrs.ABout the same time Iohn Longland Byshop of Lincolne, burned two vpon one day, the one named Tho. Bernard, and the other Iames Morton: The one for teaching the Lordes prayer in English, and the other for keeping the Epistle of S. Iames translated into English.
MarginaliaThe recantation of M. Barber in Oxford.In Oxford
CloseThis detail, one of many provided for Foxe by Cranmer's former secretary Ralph Morice during the 1560s, likely refers to a scholar named Laurence Barber, who died in or shortly before July 1539. A. B. Emden, A Biographical Register of the University of Oxford A.D. 1501 to 1540 (Oxford 1974), p. 24.
CloseFoxe based his initial version of the panic - due to a false alarm of fire - at the penance of John Mallory, on his memory. (Foxe states in the Rerum that he witnessed the incident). There is, however, independent corroboration of Foxe's account, in a poem by John White, written in honour of John Claymund, who played a conspicuous - and according to White, heroic - role in the affair. (See John White, Diacosio-Martyrion {Louvain, 1553], STC 25388, fos 82r-83r). White also supplies a detail that Foxe omits, the date of the incident: the third Sunday of Advent, 1536. Foxe's first account of the panic appeared in the Rerum (pp. 139-44). This section was translated word-for-word in 1563. In 1570, Foxe added new details (the name of the person doing penance and the name of the person who started calling 'fire') which must have come, directly or indirectly, from others present at the incident. In the second edition, Foxe also deleted passages - originally in the Rerum - that explained to non-English readers how the English dealt with fires and that they roofed their churches with lead (this interesting passage, comparing methods of dealing with fire alarms in England and Germany first appears in the Rerum (p. 140) and was directly translated from that into the 1563 edition. It was dropped thereafter as Foxe no longer expected a large non-English audience for his martyrology). The version of the incident printed in 1570 was unchanged in subsequent editions. Foxe's purpose in printing this anecdote is not obvious. The story involves neither a martyrdom nor an important episode in the history of the Reformation. Foxe probably included the story precisely because it was not a martyrdom. As he descibes it, it is a 'merry and pleasant Interlude'which breaks up a grim narrative of persecutions following the Act of Six Articles. At the same time, it allowed Foxe to expostulate on the horror of burning people to death for heresy.
[Back to Top]Thomas S. Freeman.
THis recantatiō of M. Barbar aforesayd in the Vniuersitie of Oxford, bringeth me in remembrance of an o-