Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

were executed in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

under

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

laws during the reigns of

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. ...

(1509–1547) and

Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous a ...

(1553–1558), and in smaller numbers during the reigns of

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

(1547–1553),

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

(1558–1603), and James I (1603–1625). Most were executed in the short reign of Mary I in what is called the Marian persecutions. Protestant

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and activist John Foxe described "the great persecutions & horrible troubles, the suffering of martyrs, and other such thinges" in his contemporaneously-published ''Book of Martyrs''. Protestants in England and Wales were executed under legislation that punished anyone judged guilty of heresy against

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Although the standard penalty for those convicted of treason in England at the time was execution by being

hanged, drawn and quartered To be hanged, drawn and quartered was a method of torture, torturous capital punishment used principally to execute men convicted of High treason in the United Kingdom, high treason in medieval and early modern Britain and Ireland. The convi ...

, this legislation adopted the punishment of burning the condemned. At least 280 people were recognised as burned over the five years of Mary I's reign by contemporary sources.

Historical context

English Reformation

The

English Reformation The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops Oath_of_Supremacy, over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church ...

had put a stop to

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

ecclesiastical governance in England, asserted royal supremacy over the English Church and dissolved some church institutions, such as monasteries and chantries. An important year in the English Reformation was 1547, when Protestantism became a new force under the child-king

, England's first Protestant ruler. Edward died at age 15 in 1553. His relative Lady Jane Grey claimed the throne but was deposed by Edward's Catholic half-sister,

Persecution of Protestants under Mary I (1553–1558)

The relationship between the English church and Rome was restored at the accession of Queen Mary I to the English throne in 1553. With her

repeal A repeal (O.F. ''rapel'', modern ''rappel'', from ''rapeler'', ''rappeler'', revoke, ''re'' and ''appeler'', appeal) is the removal or reversal of a law. There are two basic types of repeal; a repeal with a re-enactment is used to replace the law ...

of all religious legislation passed under Edward VI, Protestants faced a choice: exile, reconciliation/conversion, or punishment.Richards, Judith M. ''Mary Tudor'', Routledge 2009 Many people were exiled, and hundreds of dissenters were burned at the stake, earning her the nickname of "Bloody Mary". The number of people executed for their faith during the persecutions is thought to be at least 287, including 56 women. Thirty others died in prison. Duffy, Eamon ''Fires of Faith: Catholic England Under Mary Tudor,'' New Haven, Yale 2008 Although the so-called "Marian Persecutions" began with four clergymen, relics of Edwardian England's Protestantism, '' Foxe's Book of Martyrs'' offers an account of the executions, which extended well beyond the anticipated targets – high-level clergy. Tradesmen were also burned, as well as married men and women, sometimes in unison, "youths" and at least one couple was burned alive with their daughter. The figure of 300 victims of the Marian Persecutions was given by Foxe and later by Thomas Brice in his poem, "The Regester".

English Inquisition and the judicial process

However bloody the end, the trials of Protestant heretics were judicial affairs, presided by bishops (most notably Bishop Bonner) adhering to a strict legal protocol under the privy council, with Parliament's blessing. Mary had difficulty forming an efficient Privy Council, which eventually numbered over 40 and never worked as a source of political advice, though it effectively pursued police work and enforcement of religious uniformity. During the session that restored the realm to papal obedience Parliament reinstated the heresy laws. From 20 January 1555, England could legally punish those judged guilty of heresy against the Roman Catholic faith. Thus it became a matter of establishing the guilt or innocence of an accused heretic in open court – a process which the lay authorities employed to reclaim "straying sheep" and to set a precedent for authentic Catholic teaching. If found guilty, the accused were first excommunicated, then handed over to the secular authorities for execution. The official records of the trials are limited to formal accusations, sentences, and so forth; the documents to which historians look for context and detail are those written by the accused or their supporters.

John Rogers' execution

Before Mary's ascent to the throne, John Foxe, one of the few clerics of his day who was against the burning of even obstinate heretics, had approached the Royal Chaplain and Protestant preacher, John Rogers to intervene on behalf of Joan Bocher, a female

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

who was sentenced to death by burning in 1550. Rogers refused to help, as he supported the burning of heretics. Rogers claimed that the method of execution was "sufficiently mild" for a crime as grave as heresy. Later, after Mary I came to power and restored England to Catholicism, John Rogers spoke quite vehemently against the new order and was himself burnt as a heretic.

Legacy

Throughout the course of the persecutions, Foxe lists 312 individuals who were burnt or hanged for their faith, or died or sickened in prison. Three of these people are commemorated with a gothic memorial in Oxford, England, but there are many other memorials across England. They are known locally as the "Marian Martyrs". English saints and martyrs of the Reformation era are remembered in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

with a Lesser Festival on 4 May.

Martyrs executed

Also mentioned by Foxe

*John Fortune (or Cutler) (of Hintlesham, Suffolk, blacksmith, either burnt or died in prison)Foxe's Book of Martyrs: 346. John Fortune, otherwise Cutler.
Exclassics.com. Retrieved 26 May 2013. * John Warner of Bourne * Thomas Athoth, priest 'he may have died in prison, escaped or – less likely – been pardoned.' * John Ashedon of Catsfield

Posthumous proceedings

* William Tracy of Toddington, Gloucestershire, 'worshipful esquire', exhumed and burnt, 1532Foxe's Book of Martyrs: 180. Persons abjured in London
Exclassics.com. Retrieved 18 August 2013. * John Tooley, poulterer, exhumed and burnt, 4 June 1555
Exclassics.com. Retrieved 17 May 2013. * James Trevisam, died 3 July 1555 and summoned posthumously to appear before the bishop
Exclassics.com. Retrieved 17 May 2013. * Catherine, wife of Peter Martyr Vermigli, exhumed 1556, CambridgeFoxe's Book of Martyrs:352 The visitation at Cambridge; exhumations and burnings.
Exclassics.com. Retrieved 26 May 2013 * Martin Bucer, Professor of Divinity, exhumed and burnt 6 February 1557,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

* Paul Fagius, Lecturer in Hebrew, exhumed and burnt 6 February 1557,

* Joan Seaman, early 1558, refused burial at Mendlesham * John Glover, gentleman, 'about the latter end of Queen Mary', ordered to be exhumed * William Glover, September 1558, refused burial at Wem, Shropshire * Edward Burton, 15 January 1559, refused burial at

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

Those who sickened or died in prison

Notes

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

List of martyrs according to FoxeList of martyrs according to Summers
Lists of Christian martyrs English Reformation Marian martyr Mary I of England Religiously motivated violence in England Human rights abuses in England Political and cultural purges Anglican saints