John Foxe's Book of Martyrs

1583

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973	K. Henry. 8.

The eyght Booke, continuing the hystorie of English matters appertayning to both states, as well Ecclesiasticall, as Ciuill and Temporall.

Martyrs of Couentrye. Persecuters.	Martyrs.	The Causes.	Martyrs of Couentrye.
		Maistres Smith, Rob. Hatchets. Archer, Haukins, Tho. Bond. Wrigsham, Landsdale, Martyrs. THE princi-	Maistres Smith, Rob. Hatchets. Archer, Haukins, Tho. Bond. Wrigsham, Landsdale, Martyrs.
		pall cause of
		the apprehē-
	Maistres	sion of those
	Smyth wi-	persons, was
	dow.	for teaching their children
Symon		and familie, the Lordes
Mourton	Rob. Hat-	prayer, and tenne Com-
the bishops	chets a sho-	maundementes in Eng-
Somner.	maker.	lish: for which they were
		vpon Ashwednesday ta-
	Archer a	ken and put in prison,
	shomaker.	some in places vnder the
		grounde, some in cham-
The bishop	Hawkins a	bers and other places a-
of Couen-	shomaker.	bout, till Friday follo-
try.		wing. Then they were
	Tho Bond	sent to a Monasterye cal-
	a shomaker.	led to Mackestocke Abbey,
		sixe miles from Couen-
Frier Staf-	Wrigsham	try. During which time,
ford War-	a Glouer.	their children were sente
den.		for to the Gray friers in
	Landsdale	Couentry, before þ^e War-
	an Hosier.	den of the sayd friers, cal-
		led Frier Stafford: Who
		straitly examining them
		of their beliefe, and what
		heresie their fathers had
	At Couen-	taught them, charged thē
	try.	vppon payne of suffering
		suche deathe as their fa-
	An. 1519.	thers should, in no wyse
		to meddle any more with
		the Lords prayer, The Lordes prayer in Englishe, forbyddē of the Papists. the	The Lordes prayer in Englishe, forbyddē of the Papists.
		Creede, and Commaun-
		dements in English.

Which done, vpon Palmesonday, the fathers of these children were broughte backe agayne to Couentry, and there, the weeke next before Easter, were condemned for relapse (because most of them had borne fagots in the same Citie before) to be burned.

[ The eyght Booke, continuing the hystorie of English matters appertayning to both states, as well Ecclesiasticall, as Ciuill and Temporall. ]

7. godly Martyrs in Couentry, burned.

Persecutors.

Martyrs.

The causes.

7. godly Martyrs in Couentry, burned.

Onely Maistres Smith was dismissed for that present, and sent away. And because it was in the euenyng beyng somewhat darke, as she should go home, the foresayd Symon Mourton the Somner offered him selfe to goe home with her. Now as he was leadyng her by the arme, and heard the rattelyng of a scrole within her sleeue: yea (sayth he.) What haue ye here? And so tooke it from her, & espyed that it was the Lordes prayer,

Maistres Smith cōdēned for hauing the Lords prayer in Englishe.

the Articles of the fayth, & the x. Commaundementes in Englishe. Which when the wretched Somner vnderstood, ah serrha (sayd he) come, as good now as an other tyme, & so brought her backe agayne to the Byshop, where she was immediately condemned, and so burned with the vj. men before named, the fourth of Aprill in a place thereby called the litle parke. An. 1519.

Maistres Smith cōdēned for hauing the Lords prayer in Englishe.

Anno. 1521. Robert Silkeb Martyr. IN þ^e same nūber of these	Anno. 1521. Robert Silkeb Martyr.
		Couētry men aboue re-
		hearsed, was also Robert
	Robert	Silkeb, who at the appre-
	Silkeb.	hension of these, as is a-
		boue recited, fled away,
		and for that tyme escaped:
		But about two yeares af-
		ter, he was taken agayne,
		& brought to the sayd Ci-
		tie of Couentry, where he
		was also burned the mo-
	At Couen-	rowe after hee came the-
	try.	ther, whiche was about
		the xiij. day of Ianuary.
	An. 1521.	An. 1521.
		Thus, when these were
		dispatched, immediatly the
		Sheriffes went to theyr
		houses, and tooke all their
		goodes and cattell to theyr
		owne vse, not leauyng
		their wiues and children
		any parcell therof to helpe
		themselues with all. And
		for somuch as the people
		began to grudge some-

what, at the crueltie shewed, and at the vniust death of these innocent Martyrs, the Byshop, with his Officers and Priestes, caused it to bee noysed abroad by their Tenauntes, seruantes, and fermers, þ^t they were not burned for hauyng the Lordes prayer and commaundementes in English, but because they did eate fleshe on Fridayes and other fastyng dayes: Which neither could he proued, either before their death, or after, nor yet was any such matter greatly obiected to them in their examinations.

Testimony of this storye.

The witnesses of this history bee yet aliue, whiche both saw them and knew them. Of whom one is by name mother Halle, dwelling now in Bagington two myles from Couentry. By whom also this is testified of them,

Note how these Martirs holding with the popish sacramentes yet were burned of the papists, only for a few Scriptures in English.

that they aboue all other in Couentry pretended most shew of worshyp and deuotion, at the holdyng vp of the Sacrament, whether to colour the matter, or no, it is not knowen. This is certain that in godlinesse of life they differed from al the rest of the Citie: Neither in their occupying they would vse any oth: nor could abyde it in them that occupyed with them.

Testimony of this storye.

Note how these Martirs holding with the popish sacramentes yet were burned of the papists, only for a few Scriptures in English.

Anno. 1527. The story of M. Patricke Hamelton, in Scotland. PAtricke Hamelton a	Anno. 1527. The story of M. Patricke Hamelton, in Scotland.
Iames Be-		Scottish man borne, of
tō Archb.		an hygh and noble stocke,
of S. An-		and of the kynges bloud,
drew		young and of flourishyng
		age, and excellēt toward-
		nesse, of xxiij. yeares called
M. Hew		Abbot of Ferme first com-
Spēs, dean		myng out of his countrey
of diuinity		with 3. companiōs, to seek
in the vni-		godly learnyng, went to
uersitie of	Patricke	the Vniuersitie of Mar-
S. Andrew	Halmentō.	purge in Germany, which
		universitie was thē new-

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