JOHN HULLER
John Hullier came from a respectable family and was sent to Eron and King’s College, Cambridge, where he devoted himself to the study of theology, intending to become a minister. After he graduated, he became the curate of Babram, a village about three miles from Cambridge. He hadn’t been there long before he went to Lynn, where he had some dispute with the authorities. They reported Hullier’s sayings to Dr. Thurlby, bishop of the diocese, who sent for him and, after a short examination, committed him to the castle of Cambridge.
A short time after this, he was called to appear at St. Mary’s Church before several doctors of law and divinity, by whom he was reproved. His examination being finished, he was ordered to recant what they called his erroneous opinions. This he refused to do. Without any loss of time, he was degraded, condemned, and delivered over to the sheriff, who immediately seized all his books, papers, and writings.
On the day appointed for Hullier’s execution, he was led to the stake outside the town. He called on the spectators to pray for him and to bear witness that he died for the truth. One of the proctors of the university and some of the fellows of Trinity College were displeased at his addressing the people and reproved the mayor for allowing him to speak. Hullier took no notice of this, but being chained to the stake, he earnestly prayed to be strengthened to undergo the fiery trial. As soon as the fagots were lit, a number of his books were thrown into the midst of the flames, among them a communion book that Hullier caught joyfully and held in his hands and looked at as long as he could.
John Hullier’s death was greatly lamented by many of the people, who prayed for him and showed their sorrow by tears, he having been a kind and charitable man.
SIMON MILLER AND ELIZABETH COOPER
Simon Miller was a prosperous merchant of the town of Lynn-Regis. He was an earnest supporter of the reformers’ doctrines, and having occasion to go to Norwich on business, he inquired while there for a place of worshihp. This being reported to Chancellor Dunning, he ordered Miller to appear before him. When the chancellor asked him the usual questions, Miller answered without attempting to hide his thoughts on the subject of religion, so he was committed to the bishop’s palace as a prisoner.
After spending some time in prison, Miller was allowed to go home and settle his affairs. On his return he was again examined by the chancellor, who warned him to recant and return to the Catholic Church, but Miller remained firm in his faith and was condemned as a heretic.
Elizabeth Cooper, who was burned with Simon Miller, was the wife of a tradesman in Norwich. She had formerly been persecuted to recant, but her conscience bothered her so that one day she went to St. Andrew’s Church and withdrew her recantation in the presence of a large congregation. For this she was immediately arrested and sent to prison. The next day she was brought before the bishop and examined. This time she remained true to her faith and was condemned as a relapsed heretic.
On July 30, 1557, Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper were both led to the stake, which was set up in a field outside Norwich, near Bishopgate. When the fire was lit, Elizabeth Cooper was afraid and cried out. Miller put his hand out toward her, telling her to be strong and of good cheer, “for, good sister,” he said, “we shall have a joyful meeting hereafter.” Upon hearing Miller’s words, the woman seemed reassured and stood still and quiet until they both committed their souls to Almighty God and ended their lives.
A WOMAN AT NORWICH
Cicely Ormes, of the city of Norwich, wife of Edmund Ormes, was arrested on the day that Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper were executed. She drew attention of the officers to herself by speaking encouraging words to the two prisoners on the way to the stake. For this she was put in prison and soon after taken before the chancellor for examination.
The chancellor offered to release her “if she would go to church and keep her beliefs to herself” and told her “she could hold to any faith she would.”
But she answered, “I will not enter your church.”
Then the chancellor told her he had shown more favor to her than he ever did to any person, and he didn’t want to condemn her because she was only a foolish young woman.
Cicely replied that if she was only a foolish young woman, he shouldn’t be worried about her belief. Foolish or not, she was content to give up her life for a cause so good.
The chancellor then read the sentence of condemnation and delivered Cicely Ormes to the care of the sheiffs of the city. Cicely was a young woman in the prime of life, uneducated, but very earnest in her cause. She was born in East Dereham and was the daughter of Thomas Haund, a tailor. The first time she was brought before the magistrate, she recanted but was afterward so troubled by her conscience that she wrote a letter to the chancellor to let him know she repented of her action. But before the letter could be delivered, she was arrested, tried, and convicted.
Cicely Ormes was burned on September 23, 1557, between seven and eight in the morning. When she came to the stake, she kneeled down and made her prayers to God. That being done, she rose up and said, “Good people, I believe as I have been taught from the Bible. This I do, and I will never change my mind. My death is a witness of my faith to all present here. Good people, as many of you as believe the same as I do, pray for me.” When she had said this, she laid her hand on the stake and saw it was black — she was burned at the same stake as Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper — and wiped it on her dress. After she had been bound and the fire was lit, she clasped her hands together aginst her heart, turning her face upward, and raised her hands little by little, until they fell helpless at her side when she died.
WILLIAM MUNT, ALICE, ROSE ALLEN
William Munt, his wife, Alice, and his daughter, Rose Allen, lived near the town of Colchester, not far from London. They had become converted and thought it was wrong to attend the services held in the local Catholic Church, although they were warned this was a dangerous breaking of the queen’s laws. Still, their sense of duty was stronger than their fears, and they continued to worship in secret places in their own way, with a few men and women of like faith, until Sir Thomas Tye turned them in.
The family was forced to flee the area for several months but returned to their house when the issue died down locally. A few days later, Edmund Tyrrel, a bailiff, two constables, and a large number of people came to their door at two o’clock in the morning to arrest them. The sudden alarm unnerved Mrs. Munt, who was not in good health. Feeling faint, she asked Tyrrel to let her daughter, Rose, go fetch her some water before they all left for prison.
Tyrrel permitted Rose to go out with her pitcher to the well, saying to her as she passed him, “Persuade your father and mother, girl, to bear themselves more like good Christians and less like heretics. Then they may soon go free.”
“Sire,” Rose replied to Tyrrel, “they have a better instructor than I am — One who, I hope, will not allow them to err.”
“Well, it’s time to lock up such heretics as you!” Tyrrel replied. Tyrrel took the candle from the girl and, holding her wrist in a firm grip, put the lighted chandle under her hand, burning it across the back until the skin cracked. “Cry, wench!” Let me hear you cry!” he yelled. Rose refused to utter a sound until Tyrrel threw her back into the house before taking them all to jail.
The same morning they also arrested six others: William Bongeor, Thomas Benhote, William Purchase, Agnes Silverside, Helen Ewing, and Elizabeth Folk. After they had been confined a few days, they were all brought before several justices of the peace, priests, and officers.
The first person called was William Bongeor, who, being examined concerning his religion, declared he was of the reformed faith. Thomas Benhote was next, and he also denied the authority of the pope. William Purchase answered likewise. Agnes Silverside said she did not approve of the popish consecration or the pageantry and superstitions of the Catholic Church. Helen Ewring also renounced all the unscriptural doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. The other answerd with equal firmness, refusing to change their belief in any way. Finding them immovable, sentence was pronounced.
Bishop Bonner, as soon as he received an account of the talk to them for the last time. The whole night before her execution, she was cheerful, if a little sad.
About eight in the mornng, the sheriff came to the cell without warning. “Mistress Lewis, I am come to bring you tidings of the queen’s command. You have but one hour more to live in this world. Prepare yourself.”
“Master sheriff,” Mrs. Lewis replied after a minute, “your message is welcome to me, and I thank God that He has thought me worthy to venture my life in His cause.”
Mrs. Lewis was led through town, a great crowd of people surrounding her, accompanied by two friends who stayed with her all the way to the stake. She was fastened to the stake with a chain, showing such cheerfulness and lack of fear that everyone present was deeply moved. When the fire was lit, she neither struggled nor strained but only lifted up her hands toward heaven and was very soon dead, since the sheriff had seen to it that the wood was good and dry for her.
WILLIAM FETTY
John Ferry, William’s father, had been put in prison as a heretic because of information provided by his own wife. He was taken before Sir John Morduant, one of the queen’s commissioners. After examination, he was sent to Lollards’ Tower, where he was put in the stocks with a pitcher of water and a loaf of bread nearby to show him that was the only food he could expect to receive.
Lollards’ Tower was a large, detached room belonging to Bishop Bonner’s palace in London. It was used for the punishment and occasional torture of Protestants who were brought before the bishop and accused of heresy. The most common punishments inflicted here were scourging and setting in the stocks, where some were fastened by the hands and other by their feet. They were generally permitted to sit on a stool, but to increase their punishment, some were given no seat. Lying with their backs on the ground was exceedingly exhausting and painful. In this dungeon, some were kept for several days and others for weeks, without any food but bread and water. During all this time, they could have no visitors. Many of the prisoners died from their confinement in this tower.
After John Fetty had been in the Lollards’ Tower for fifteen days, most of the time in the stocks, William came to the bishop’s palace to obtain permission to see his father. When he arrived there, the bishop’s chaplain asked what he wanted. Crying and looking sorrowfully toward the tower, the boy replied that he wanted to see his father. The chaplain asked who the father was, and when the boy told him the name, the chaplain said his father was a heretic and was being taught a lesson in the stocks.
The boy quickly replied, “My father is no heretic. You are a pack of murderers!”
At this, the angry chaplain seized the boy by the hand and dragged him to another room in the palace. After stripping him, he had him scourged in a most unmerciful manner then taken to see his father with blood running down to his heels. As soon as the boy saw his father, he fell on his knees and showed him his wounds. The poor man exclaimed, “Who was this cruel to you?”
“I was looking for you,” the boy told him, “when a murdering chaplain took me into the bishop’s house and beat me.”
One of the keepers overheard this. He grabbed the boy and dragged him back to the room where he had been beaten, where he was kept for three days with scarcely any food and beaten again. The father was also beaten for protesting their cruelty. At last the poor young prisoner became very weak from this inhumane treatment, and Bonner gave orders to let him go. He also ordered the father be brought before him early the next morning.
At first the bishop abused the father for his religious beliefs, but considering the trouble that might result from having beaten the boy, both the father and son were set free. Unfortunately, the boy died a few days later from his wounds.
ALEXANDER GOUGH AND ALICE DRIVER
Having heard that two people accused of heresy were in hiding near his house, Justice Noone of Suffolk sent out his officers and took Alexander Gough of Woodbridge and Alice Driver Grosborough. They put their prisoners in Melton Jail, where, after remaining a good while, they were at last taken to the town of Bury for examination.
Both the prisoners acknowledged their faith and were sent back to jail, where they remained for several months and then were brought to Ipswich for their final hearing. It’s said that the prisoners repeated their confession of faith there and firmly refused to save their lives by changing their religion. They were both condemned to be burned and sent back to their prison to await their day of execution.
On November 4, 1557, very early in the morning, Alexander Gough and Alice Driver were taken from Melton Jail to Ipswich, led by the sheriff and his officers and accompanied by a great crowd of people. They arrived at Ipswich about seven in the morning and were immediately led to the place of execution. When they reached the stake, they sang a hymn and knelt down to pray for some time. Becoming impatient, the sheriff ordered the bailiffs to interrupt their prayers.
Gough stood up and said to the sheriff, “Let us pray a lilttle while longer, for we have a short time to lvie.”
But the bailiff said, “Be careful, Sheriff. If you forbid our prayers, the vengeance of God hangs over your head.”
As they were fastened to the stake and the iron chain was put around her neck, Alice Driver said, “Oh, here is a good handkerchief!”
Then some of their friends came and took the martyrs by the hands as they stood at the stake. seeing this, the sheriff cried to his men, “Seize them! Don’t let them escape.” When the people heard the order and saw the danger those by the stake were in, they all ran toward it and crowded around the stake, hiding the friends of the martyrs.
When the sheriff saw that, he let them alone and arrested no one. Then fire was put to the wood, and amid its flames these two heroic spirits passed beyond the reach of man’s cruelty.
(To be continued …)
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