Edward Bocking (died 1534) was a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk executed in 1534. He was the confessor and spiritual adviser of

Elizabeth Barton Elizabeth Barton (1506 – 20 April 1534), known as "The Nun of Kent", "The Holy Maid of London", "The Holy Maid of Kent" and later "The Mad Maid of Kent", was an English Catholic nun. She was executed as a result of her prophecies against the ...

, "The Holy Maid of Kent", a popular seer who spoke out against the marriage of King

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

. The extent to which he may have influenced Barton's prophecies and pronouncements is unclear.

Life

Edward Bocking attended

Canterbury College, Oxford Canterbury College was a University of Oxford college, owned and run by Christ Church Priory, Canterbury. Shortly after the dissolution of the monasteries, the college's hall, chapel and other buildings were surrendered on 10 April 1540 and ac ...

where he received a B.D. in 1513 and a D.D. in 1518. He served as the Warden there for a period of time. Alston, George Cyprian. "Edward Bocking." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 15 August 2018 Bocking became a monk in 1526. He was serving as the

cellarer A cellarium (from the Latin language, Latin ''cella'', "pantry"), also known as an ''undercroft'', was a storehouse or storeroom, usually in a medieval monastery or castle. In English monasteries, it was usually located in or under the buildings o ...

Christ Church Priory Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christian struct ...

, in Canterbury, when at the request of Archbishop

William Warham William Warham ( – 22 August 1532) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1503 to his death in 1532. Early life and education Warham was the son of Robert Warham of Malshanger in Hampshire. He was educated at Winchester College and New Colleg ...

, the prior sent him with others to access the credibility of

, "The Holy Maid of Kent", and her alleged divine revelations. Initially, she urged people to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to undertake pilgrimages. After one of her usual trances she declared that the Blessed Virgin had directed her to enter some convent, and Archbishop

arranged for her to enter the Benedictine convent of St. Selpulchre's near Canterbury. Bocking became her confessor. According to George C Alston, writing in the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', Bocking is said to have induced her to declare herself an inspired emissary for the overthrow of Protestantism and the prevention of the divorce of Queen Catherine. When the King began the process of obtaining an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and seizing control of the Church in England from Rome, Barton began to prophesy against the royal policies. Bocking caused a collection of her oracles compiled under his direction to be widely circulated in manuscript. After the divorce of Queen Catherine and Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn in 1533, Cromwell had Elizabeth Barton arrested. Bocking was arrested in August 1533. In November, 1533 Bocking, Barton and others were made to mount a scaffold at

St Paul's Cross Paul's Cross (alternatively "Powles Crosse") was a preaching cross and open-air pulpit in St Paul's Churchyard, the grounds of Old St Paul's Cathedral, City of London. It was the most important public pulpit in Tudor and early Stuart Englan ...

to do public penance for promoting "superstition" and "disloyalty".Gasquet, Francis Aidan. ''Henry VIII and the English Monasteries'', G. Bell, 1906, p. 40
/ref> They were then led through the streets to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

Eustace Chapuys Eustace Chapuys (; c. 1489/90/92 – 21 January 1556) was a Savoyard diplomat who served as Imperial ambassador to England from 1529 until 1545 under Charles V. He is best known for his extensive and detailed correspondence. Early life and edu ...

, Imperial ambassador for

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...

, nephew of Queen

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

, noted that there was some difficulty in obtaining a conviction for treason, and the trial ended without a sentence. In January 1534, indictments were drawn for a second trial, but

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

decided instead to seek a bill of attainder. According to

Francis Aidan Gasquet Francis Aidan Cardinal Gasquet (born Francis Neil Gasquet; 5 October 1846 – 5 April 1929) was an English Benedictine monk and historical scholar. He controversially challenged what he regarded as the anti-Catholic narrative of the English h ...

, since the names of those attainted was not immediately released, those who early had supported Barton, did not offer any objection, and some offered Cromwell money in exchange for pardons. Bocking and the others were not given an opportunity to address the charges; Parliament based its ruling on documentation supplied by the King's council. Bocking, together with Barton and six others, was hanged and beheaded for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

Tyburn Tyburn was a Manorialism, manor (estate) in London, Middlesex, England, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. Tyburn took its name from the Tyburn Brook, a tributary of the River Westbourne. The name Tyburn, from Teo Bourne ...

on 20 April 1534. His body was buried in the London cemetery of the

Dominican Friars The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilian priest named Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius I ...

but his head was mounted above one of the city gates. Alston indicates that Barton's purported visions of declaiming against the King's marriage to

were instigated and promoted by Bocking for his own purposes.

Sidney Lee Sir Sidney Lee (5 December 1859 – 3 March 1926) was an English biographer, writer, and critic. Biography Lee was born Solomon Lazarus Lee in 1859 at 12 Keppel Street, Bloomsbury, London. He was educated at the City of London School and ...

characterizes Barton's pronouncements as the result of an "hysterical disorder" and the undue influence of Bocking, who took advantage of it.Lee, Sidney. "Bocking", ''The Dictionary of National Biography'', Vol. 2, (Leslie Stephen/George Smith, eds.), Oxford University Press, 1959, p. 750
/ref> Gasquet allows that she may herself have believed them, and that at a time when there was widespread opposition to the marriage, it was necessary for the Crown to discredit a visionary who had attracted a following. Alston says that Barton had retracted her statements, but Gasquet says that is based on information under the control of the government.

Life

References

Further reading