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Leicester

Lecester, Leycester

NGR: SK 590 045

A borough, having separate jurisdiction, in the county of Leicester, of which it is the capital. 97 miles north-north-west from London. The borough comprises the parishes of All Saints, St Leonard, St Martin, St Nicholas, and parts of St Margaret and St Mary. St Margaret is within the peculiar jurisdiction of the prebend of that stall in Lincoln cathedral. The rest are in the Archdeaconry of Leicester, Diocese of Lincoln

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English information from Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of England (S. Lewis & Co: London, 1831)

Scottish information from Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (S. Lewis & Co: London, 1846)

Welsh information taken from Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales(Lewis & Co: London, 1840)

The reason for the use of these works of reference is that they present the jurisdictional and ecclesiastical position as it was before the major Victorian changes. The descriptions therefore approximate to those applying in the sixteenth century, after the major changes of 1535-42. Except for the physical locations, which have not changed, the reader should not therefore take these references as being accurate in the twenty-first century.

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country hauing so litle need, if this mā, bleding almost vnder the butchers axe, might not enioy so great an offer of so lucky deliueraunce?

Thus hitherto I trust, the cause of the Lord Cobham, standeth firme and strong agaynst all daūger of iust reprehension. Who being (as ye haue heard) so faythfull and obedient to God: so submisse to his king: so soūd in hys doctrine: so constant in his cause: so afflicted for the trueth: so ready & prepared to death: as we haue sufficiently declared not out of vncertayne & doubtful chronicles, but out of the true originals & instrumēts remaining in aūcient records: What lacketh now, or what should let to the contrary, but that he declaring himself such a martyr, that is a witnes to the verity (for the which also at last he suffred þ^e fire) may therfore worthily be exorned with þ^e title of a martir,MarginaliaThe L. Cobham worthy the name of a Martyr. which is in Greek as much as a MarginaliaThe name of a martyr what it signifieth.witnes bearer.

MarginaliaCalumnis.But here nowe steppeth in Dame η διαβολη, with her cosē scold Alecto. &c. who neither learning to hold her toūg not yet to speak wel, must needs find here a knot in a rush and beginning now to quarrell inferreth thus: But after (sayth he) that the Lord Cobham was escaped out of the tower, his felowes and confederates conuēted themselues together, seditiously agaynst þ^e king & against their coūtry: A great crime no doubt M. Cope, if it be true, so if it be not true, the greter blame returneth vnto your self, so to enter this action of such slaunder, vnles the ground wherupō ye stand, be sure. First what felowes of þ^e L. Cobhā were these you meane of? MarginaliaSyr Roger Actō knight M. Iohn Browne Esquire. Iohn Beuerley preacher.Sir Roger Acton ye say, maister Brown & Iohn Beuerley, with 36. other hanged and burned in the sayd field of S. Giles. A maruellous matter, þ^t such a great multitude of 20000. specitsied in story, shoulde rise against þ^e king, & yet but 3. persons only known and named. Thē to proceed further, I would aske of maister Cope what was the end of this conspiracy, to rebell against the king, to destroy their country, and to subuert the Christian fayth, for so purporteth the story. As like true the one as the other. For euen as it is like, that they being Turkes went about to destroy the fayth of Christ wherin they died, and to subuert their country wherin they were bred: euen so like it is that they went about to destroy the king, whom God and their conscience taught to obey.

Yet further proceedeth this fumish promoter in his accusation, & sayth moreouer: that these foresayd felowes and adherentes of the Lord Cobham, were in the field assēbled and there incamped in a great number agaynst the king & how is this proued? by MarginaliaRob. Fabian proued with an vntruth.Robert Fabian Which appeareth to be as true, as that which in the sayde Robert Fabian followeth, in the same place where in affirmeth that Io. Cledon, and Richard Turmin, were burnt in the same yere, being 1413. When in deede by the true Registers, they were not burnt before the yere of our lord, 1415. MarginaliaAn vntruth in Alanus Copus.But what wil maister Cope say, if the originall copy of the inditemēt of these pretensed conspirators doe testify, that they were not there assembled or present in the field as your accusation pretendeth? But they purposed (will you say) and intended to come. The purpose and intent of a mans mind is hard for you and me to iudge, where as not fact appereth. But geue their intēt was soto come: Yet might they not come to those thickets neare to the fielde of Saint Giles, hauing Beuerley their Preacher with them (as ye say, your self) as well to pray & to preach in that woody place, as wel as to fight? MarginaliaPraying and preaching in backe corners a common thyng in time of persecution.Is this such a straunge thing in þ^e church of Christ, in time of persecution, for christians to resort into desolate woods, and secrete thickets, from the sight of enemies, when they would assemble in praying and hearing the word of God? In Queene Maryes tyme was not the same coulour of treason obiected agaynst George Egle and other moe, for frequenting and vsing into backsides and fields, and suffered for that, whereof he was innocent & guiltlesse?MarginaliaIll will taketh all thinges to worst meaning. Did not Adam Damlipe dye in like case of treason, for hauing a French crowne geuen him, at his departure out of Rome, by Cardinal Poole? What can not cankred calumnia inuēt, when she is disposed to cauill? It was not the Cardinals crowne that made him a traytour, but it was the hatred of his preaching, that styrred vp the accuser.

In Fraunce what assemblyes haue there beene in late yeares of good and innocent christiās, congregating together in backfieldes & couertes in great routes to heare the preaching of Gods holy word, & to pray: yea and not with out their weapon also, for their owne safegard, & yet neuer intēded nor minded any rebelliō against their king. Wherfore, in cases of Religion it may & doth happē many times that such congregations may meete without intent of any treason ment. But howsoeuer the intent and purpose was of these fore said cōfederats of the Lord Cobham, whether to come, or what to do (seing this is playne by recordes, as is aforesaid, that they were not yet come vnto þ^e place (howwill M. Cope now iustify his wordes,MarginaliaAn other vntruth in Alanus Copus. so confidently affirming, that they were there assembled seditiously together in the field of S. Giles agaynst the king? And marke here I besech thee (gentle Reader) how vnlikely and vntidely the poynts of this tale are tide and hang together (I will not say without all substaunce of truth, but without all fashion of a cleanly lye) wherin these accusers in this matter seeme to me, to lacke some part of Sinons Arte, in conueiing their narration so vnartificiallye. First (say they) the king was come first with his garrison, vnto the field of S. Giles. And then after the king was there incamped, cōsequently the fellowes of the Lord Cobham (the Captayne being away) came & were assembled in the said field where the king was, against the king: & yet not knowing of the king, to the number of xx. thousand: and yet neuer a stroak in that field geuen. MarginaliaAn vnlikely tale.And furthermore of all this xx. thousād aforesayd, neuer a mans name knowne, but onely three, to witte, sir Roger Acton, sir Iohn Browne, and Iohn Beuerley, a preacher. How this gear is clamperd together let the reader iudge, and beleue as he seeth cause.

But geue all this to be true, although by no demōstration it can be proued, yet by the Popes dispensation (which in this earth is almost ominipotent) be in graunted: that after the king had take S. Giles field before, the cōpanions of the Lord Cobham afterward comming and assembling in the thickets neare to the sayd field, to fight seditiously agaynst the king, agaynst their country, & agaynst the fayth of Christ, to the nūber of xx. thousand, where no stroke being geuen, so many were takē, that al þ^e prisons of London were full, and yet neuer a mans name knowen of all thys multitude, but onely three:MarginaliaThe L. Cobham no traytor. All this I say, being imagined to be true, thē foloweth to be demaūded of M. Cope, whether the Lord Cobham was here present with this company in the field, or not? Not, in person (saith CopeMarginaliaAlanus Copus pag. 833. lin. 11.) but with his mind and with his counsell he was present, and addeth this reason, saying: And therfore he being brought agayn, after his escape, was conuict both of treason and heresye, & therfore susteining a double punishmēt was both hanged and burnt for the same. &c. And how is al this proued? By Robert Fabian, he sayth, Whereunto briefly I aunswere, that Rob. Fabian in that place maketh no such mention of the Lord Cobham assisting or consenting to them either in mind or in counsell. His wordes be these: That certaine adherentes of Sir Iohn Oldcastle assembled in the fielde neare to S. Giles, in great number: of whom was sir Roger Acton, sir Iohn Browne, and Iohn Beuerley. The which with 36. mo in number were after conuict of heresy and treason and for the same were hanged and burnt w^tin the sayd field of S. Gyles. &c. Thus much in Fabian touching the commotion & condemnation of these mē: but that the Lorde Cobham, was there present with thē in-any parte, either of consent or counsell, as Alanus Copus Anglus pretendeth,MarginaliaAlanus Copus taken with an other vntruth. that is not found in Fabian, but is added of his liberall cornu copiæ, wherof he is so copious and plentifull, that he may keep an open shop of such vnwrittē vntruethes, whiche he maye aforde verye good cheape I thinke, being such a plentifull artificer.

But there will be obiected agaynst mee the wordes of the statuteMarginaliaEx statuto. Reg. Hen. 5. an. 1. cap. 7. made the seconde yeare of king Henry the fifte wherupon this aduersary triumphing with no litle glory ωςπερ τισ ολυμπιαδα ανελομενος, thinketh himselfe to haue double vauntage against me: first in prouinge these foresayd complices & adherents of the Lord Cobham, to haue made insurrection agaynst the king, and so to be traytors. Secondly, in conuicting that to be vntrue, where as in my former booke of Actes and MonumentesMarginaliaThe former edition of Acts and Mon. pag. 175. I doe reporte: how that after the death of sir Roger Acton of Browne, & Beuerley, a Parliament was holden at Leicester, where a statute was made to this effect: that all and singular, suche as wer of Wickliffes learning, if they would not geue ouer (as in case of felony and other trespasses, loosing all theyr goodes to the king) shoulde suffer death in two manner of kinds, that is, they should first be hanged for treasō against the king, and then be burned for heresy agaynst God. &c.

Wherupon, remaineth now in examining this obectiō and aunswering to the same, that I purge both them of treason, and my selfe of vntruth, so farre as truth and fidelity in Gods cause shal assist me herin. Albeit in beginning first my history of Ecclesiastical matters, wherin I hauing nothing to do with abatement of causes iudiciall, but onely folowing the simple narration of things done and executed: neuer suspected that euer any would be so captious with me, or so nise nosed, as to presse me with such narrow points of the law, in trying and discussing euery cause and matter so exactly, & straining (as ye woulde say) the bowels of the statute lawe so rigorously agaynst me. Yet for so much as I am therunto constrained now by the aduersa-