The martirdome and constant sufferinge of syxe, which were cruellye put to deathe at Brainford for the true testimony of Iesus Christ. 

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Six Brentford Martyrs

This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and it was based on the trial records (for the answers of the martyrs) and on the testimony of individual informants. This account remained unchanged in subsequent editions, except that an anecdote of a miracle which took supposedly place at the execution of these martyrs was cut from the 1570 edition.

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MarginaliaIuly. 14. MarginaliaSix burnt at Brainford.NOt long after the death of the fore named Richarde Yeman minister, that suffred at Norwich, wer. vi. other faithful witnesses of the Lords true testament, martired at Brainford, vii. miles from London, 

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The location is significant. Clearly worried about popular unrest in the capital, Bishop Bonner wrote to Cardinal Pole in July 1558, urging that these six martyrs be burned quietly in Hammersmith, rather than in London (Petyt MS 538/47, fo. 3r). Apart from changing the site of the execution, Bonner's advice was followed.

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Robert Mylles. Stephen Cotten.  Commentary    Close See Stephen Cotton's letter to his brother (1563, p. 1688; 1570, p. 2264; 1576, pp. 1954-55 and 1583, p. 2061). Robert Dynes.

Stephen VVighte. Iohn Slade. Villiam Pikes.

THese. vi. fore named Martirs (gentil reder) had their articles ministred to thē by Thomas Darbishere, Boners chancelor, at sondry tymes, as Robert Milles the. xx. daye of Iune, Williā Wight the. xxi. day of þ^e sayd moneth, Steuen Cotten, & Iohn Slade the. xxii. day, & Robert Dines, & William Pikes the. 23. daye At which said tymes, though they wer seuerally examined, yet had they al one articles ministred to thē, yea & the selfe same articles þ^t wer ministred to IhōHaliday, Hēry Pond & their cōpany afore said. Which said articles I leaue the reader to like for in pag. 1659. & thinke it not necessary any more to reherse thē, but onely to procede with their answers to the same, which brefly & in a sūme hereafter followeth.

Marginalia1.TO the fyrst article they all graunted the same, & added therto for going to church, that Robert Mylles and Stephen Wighte came not there for. iii. quarters of a yeare before, and Iohn Slade and Williā Pikes not since that Quenes reigne, Stephen Cotten not for a tweluemoneth before, and Robert Dynes not for. ii. yeares before.

Marginalia2. 3. 4. 5. 6.To the. 2. 3. 4. 5. and. 6. articles they all answered in effect, as the forenamed Iohn Halyday, Henry Pond & theyr cōpany did. pa. 1660 sauing thei added, that as their rites, customs and ceremonies ar ageinst the word of God, so wyll they obserue and kepe no part of þ^e same. Stephen Wight added further that he receyued not their Sacrament of the altar for two yeares before, nor Iohn Slade and William Pikes since Quene Maries reigne, nor Steuen Cotton for a twelmoneth before, nor Robert Dynes for. iii. yeares before.

Marginalia7.To the. vii. article, they al graunted þ^e same in euery part like vnto þ^e afore named Henry Ponde & his company, pag. 1660. sauing Robert Dines added þ^t it was no part of his belef

Marginalia8.To the eyght article they al graunted the same in euery parte as the fornamed Williā Halyday and his company. pag. [illegible text] but Robert Milles adding therto that hee will not come

to church, nor allow their religion, so long as the crosse is crepte to and worshipped, and Images in the church. Iohn Slade affirmed in effect the like to Robert Milles, adding further that there be not. vii. sacraments, but two sacramentes, which is Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Stephen Cotton would no further allow the Popish religion, thē it agreeth with Gods word, & Robert Dynes affirmed in effect the like to Stephen Cotton also.

Marginalia9. 10To the ninth and tenth articles Roberte Milles, Iohn Slade and Steuen Cotton answered that they do not allow the popishe seruice, then set forth, because it is agaynst the trueth, and in a straunge language which the common people vnderstand not. Robert Dynes and William Pikes, will neither allow nor disallowe the latine seruice, because they vnderstād it not. And Stephen Wight would make no direct answere to the articles at all & to the. 11. 12. 13. &. 14. articles we finde no answers recorded of þ^e said Stephen Wight, but of the rest of his fellow prisoners we find answers to those articles, which hereafter folow

Marginalia11.To þ^e. xi. article, Robert Milles, Iohn Slade and Stephen Cotten concerning the bookes, fayth, & religion specified in this article, they do allowe them so farre forth as they agree w^t gods word. &c. Robert Dines woulde make no answere therto, because he thought him self vnmete to iudge therof, and William Pikes doth not remember that he hath misliked the seruice, and the faith, and religion set forth in king Edward the syxt his tyme.

Marginalia12.To the. xii. they graunt it, þ^t if they might receue the sacramēt as they did in king Edward þ^e sixt daies, they would w^t al theyr hart so do. Marginalia13. 14.To the. 13. &. 14. articles, they confesse & graūt the contents of them to be true in euery part.

WHen at the daies before specified, these good men wer producted before Boners Chauncellor, Thomas Darbyshire, doctor, & had the foresayde articles ministred vnto them, & they (as ye haue hard) had made answere vnto the same, in the end the Chauncellor commaunded them to appeare before him againe, the xi. daye of Iuly after, in the said place at Paules, where when they came, he required of them, whether they would turne from their opinions, to the mother holy churche, and if not, that then, whether ther wer any cause to the cōtrary, but that they might procede with the sentence of condēnation, whereunto they all answered, that they would not go from the truth, nor relente from any part of the same while they lyued. Then he charged them to appeare before him againe the next day in the after noone, betwene one & two of the clock, to heare the definitiue sentence red against thē, according to the ecclesiasticall lawes then in force. In which tyme of the twelf day of Iulye, he sytting in iudgement, talking with these godly and vertuous men, at the last came in to the said place sir Edward Hastinges & sir Thomas Cornwales knightes. ii. of quene Maries officers of her house, & being there, they sat thē doun ouer against the chaūcellor, in whose