1733 [1632]
Actes and Monumentes of the church.
Commentary
These depositions were deleted from the 1570 edition.
The information of Roger Sergeant, geuen to the B. of London, & his officers, where he accuseth diuers persons, and in thend betrayed the Congregation into the handes of the bloudy butcher, as here in this information he promised to do, wherby many were apprehended also, & brought in trouble, and examined whose informations here after followeth.
ROger Sergeant, borne in Buckingham shiere Tailour, of the age of. xl. yeares or aboue, nowe of the parish of S. Edmonds in Lombard strete, saith that at the Swanne at Lymehouse, or els at S. Katherins at one Frogges, or at the Kynges heade, at Ratcliffe, the assemblie shalbe Dominica tertia Aduētus
Latin/Greek Translations
Foxe text narrative
Foxe text Latin
Dominica tertia Aduentus
Foxe text translation
Not translated. Cf. 1570, etc.
Translation (Wade 2004)
On the third Sunday of Advent
[The phrase is repeated below at Line 72]
betwene. ix. and xi. afore noone, and from one tyll foure at after noone. And sometyme the meetyng is at Horsey downe, beyonde battil bridge. Commonlye the vsage is to haue al the English seruice without any diminishing, wholy as it was in the tyme of kynge Edwarde the sixte, neither prayinge for the kynge nor the Queene, despising the sacrament of the aulter, and the comming to churche, saying that a man can not come to the church, except he be partaker of all the euyls there. They haue reading and preachinge, and the Minister is a Scotishman, whose name he knoweth not: & they haue two Deacons that gather moneye, which is distributed to the prysoners in the Marshalsey, Kynges bench, Lollardes tower, Newgate, & to the poore that come to the assemble, some women be chyld bearyng, and some women aboue. lx. yeares of age, and dyuers cōming more for money then ought els. This informer hath bene there twyse and no more: but he wyl go thyther agayne, that such as shalbe sent to apprehende the malefactors may know the places and persons. Frog a Dutchman, dwelling at S. Katherins, is one of the assemble. Item, one Hammerton a Smyth, late dwellyng in s. Katherins. Item, one Iames
Commentary
James Mearing, the husband of the martyr Margaret Mearing.
a Cobler, dwellyng in Boudgerow in Wel alley, hauing also a shop at S. Austines gate in Paules churche yarde. Item, a yonge fellow a butcher, dwelling in Shordyche, whose name he knoweth not. Item, one Wylliam Ellerbye, taylour, dwellinge in s. Clementes lane, by Lombarde strete in s. Edmondes parishe. Item, one Iohn Osborne dwellinge at Lambeth towne, a sylke dyer. All these dyd thys wycked man the said Roger Sergeant accuse to be of the congregation. Who wretchedly (according to his promise in thys information) went lyke Iudas with Herodes souldiours to Islyngton, and there most falsely betrayed maister Roughe, and Cutbert Sympson, with fyue other, into the hands of their enemies, the day mencioned in their stories. for there it was sene of some good people that be yet alyue.
[Back to Top]The information of Iames Mering.
CVtbert is an officer of Deacon in the assemblye, a riche man dwelling in London. Cluny doth know him. He is paymaister to the prysoners in the Marshalsey, Ludgate, Lollardes tower, and in other places of pryson as the Counters. &c. and executor to the prysoners that dye, and Collectour of the assemblye, when the reading is done, and had the goodes of Iames and his wife that was brent at Islyngton. And lykewyse one Broke at quene Hythe, salter and seller of earthen pots a rych man not comming to church, a collector also and keper of the money for the prysoners. Maystres Barbar in Fishstreete, a Fishmongers wyfe, Clunye knoweth: she also is a collector for the sayde prysoners. The meeting sometimes is at Wapping, at one Churches house,
Commentary
The house of John Churchman; see Elizabeth Churchman's deposition.
harde by the water syde. Sometymes at a wyddowes house at Ratclyffe
Commentary
Alice Warner's house; see her deposition.
at the kynges hed ther. Sometimes at s. Katherines, at a shoomakers house, a Douchman called Frog. The assembly
dominica tertia aduentus, either at saint katherins in Frogs house, either at wapping at the said churches house. some time the assembly beginneth at. vii. in the morning, or at viii., some time at ix: & then or sone after they dine and tarye til two of the clocke, and amonges other thinges they talke and make officers: some time the assembly is at Battell bridge at a diers house, betwixte two boutchers there, despising the Sacramente of the aultar, the Pope, the comming to churche and the priest. In that assembly there is a minister and two deacons that gather mony.
[Back to Top]The information of VVilliam Ellerby tailor.
WIlliam Ellerby tailor in saint Clements lane, in saint Edmunds parish in Lumbard streete, confesseth that he knoweth a Scottishe man called Ihon Roughe, and that he hath bene at the assemble kept at Ratclif at the kings head, at the widows house there. where one Coste did reade in englishe three psalmes, it is to wit, Confitemini, Magnificat, Nunc dimittis, vpon a sonday after Euensong, at which assemblye there were about. xxx. of men & women, whom he knew not, sauing one Roger Sergeaunt, his owne man that went thether with him. And he saith that one Osborne
Commentary
John Osborne; see Roger Sergeant's depositions.
of Lambeth towne, gaue this Examinate knowlege of the said assemble: which assemble lasted about halfe an houre, some sitting at the table, some standing to heare the said scot. hauing three or foure pots of beare before the Scot came to the assemblye at Frogges, and went to the said playe. And this Examinate had found in his house at Lambeth towne, when the serch went for him two englishe bookes, the one a psalter in englishe, and the other an instruction of a christian man.
[Back to Top]The information of Elizabeth Churchman.
ELisabeth Churchman, the wife of Ihon Churchman of Wapping, being examined the 17. daye of December. 1557. before the Byshop of London in his palace at Paules, saith that vpon a holy day about x. daies agone, there were about. x. persons that came to her housbandes house there, and had there a- shoulder of motten, and a pece of porke rosted, and also of her they had bread and drinke, and two or three fagotts, coming thether before x. of the clocke afore none, and departed about twelue of the clocke, and at theyre departure, & the comming home of her husbād she saith, she toulde him of a companye that had bene there, who after theire refection saide grace, & one called another brother, one of them hauing in his hande a booke, and shee also as shee saithe, saide to her housband, askinge who they were, and also that shee iudged they were scripture men, and that they were learned, and also that they shoulde come no more thether, if they were not good, and her said housband therein so concluded and agreed with her in the same.
[Back to Top]The information of Alice warner widowe.
ALice warner widow of Ratclif, in the parish of Stepney, testifeth & saith, that vpon a sondaye, sixe wekes agon, a certayn company of French men, Ducthmen, & other straungers,
Commentary
By strangers Foxe means foreigners; the apparently large number of foreigners in the Marian protestant congregation of London is noteworthy.
& amongest thē Englishmen, appearing to be yong marchants, to the number of a score resorted to her house of the kinges head at Ratclif, requesting to haue a pig rosted, & half a dosen fagots to be brent. In the meane time the said company went into a back house, wher they wer two sondry times, the fyrst time, betwene xii. and one they wer reading, but what she cannot tel, whether it was a testament or some other booke, and they taried there about two houres. The second time, was thre wekes past, vpon an holy day, about the middel of the weke, at which time they repaired to her house, about. vii. a clocke in the morning, who had a fire, & bread & beare within the sayd backe house. And then this examinate going abroad. did se the said multitude, and preceauing that they also then did reade, but what shee cannot tell and the sayd multitude did tary there from. vii. til. x. before none, & at their deparrure they laboured to this examinate, that they might always haue the sayd Back house at their plesure to make good chere at their reparing thether. Vnto which demaunde this examynate as she sayth, made then answere vnto them, that they should pardon her: for shee perceiueth that they were not able to iustify their doinges after that sorte, and she would not bring her selfe in daunger for none of thē al. And she saith that her mayd said that she iudged them to be the same that were first there: and howe the saide multitude called one a nother brother: & did euery one to his hability, cast down vpon the table money, which was ii d. a pece. And this examinat saith, that she asked of one of the said multidude, howe the saide mony was disposed: Answer being to her by him geuen that it was to the vse and relefe of the poore. And thys examinat thinketh it was a frenchmā, or some other out landishman, because he spake euill englishe.
[Back to Top]Thus haue you the notes of such despositions as the cruell papistes did extort out of poore and ignoraunt people by force of theire othe to complain of their innocēt & harmles neighbours Now foloweth the letter of Curtbert Simsō to his godly wife.