1563 Edition | Book 5 | Page 1591 
And for as muche as mention here is made of sir Ihon Silliard, highe sherife of Norfolke and Suffolk, as is a fore said, it commeth ther fore to minde, by occasion thereof, breifly to touche by the way, although fully the matter yet cannot be so exprest as it was done, touching the persecution of the townes of Wenson and Mendlesam in Suffolke, raised and styrred vp by the saide sir Ihon Siliarde, and sir Ihon Tirrell knight of Gippinge hall in Suffolk.
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Note that in the 1563 edition Sir John Silliard was blamed along with Sir John Tyrrel for this persecution, but that Silliard's name was removed in the 1570 edition. Undoubtedly Foxe was pressured to make this deletion by Silliard or by friends or family of the former sheriff.
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This account was complete in the 1563 edition and - except for the deletion of Silliard's name - was unchanged. It was certainly based on information relayed to Foxe by informants, although the list of causes for the persecution may be based on an official document; if so, Foxe obviously reworded it.
[Back to Top]AT the commaundemen of sir Ihon Siliard, knighte, high sherife thē of Suff. and Norfolke, and sir Iohn Tirrell knighte, MarginaliaWenson.there were persecuted out of the Towne of Wenson in Suffolke these persons herafter folowinge, Anno domini. 1556.
Maistres Ales Twaites gentelwoman, of the
age of. lx. yeares & more, & two of her seruāts.
Humfry Smith and his wife.
VVilliam Katchpoole and his wife
Ihon Mauling and his wife.
Nicholas Burlingham and his wife.
And one Rought and his wife.
MarginaliaMendlesam.These here vnder were persecuted out of the towne of Mendelsam, in the countye of Suffolke by Syr Ihon Tirrell of Gipping hal.
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Simon Harleston was the brother-in-law of Matthew Parker, who would become the first Elizabethan archbishop of Canterbury. An informer would denounce him to Bishop Bonner as one the leading teachers of heretical doctrine in the Colchester area (1563, p. 1603).
with his fyue children.
VVilliam VVhiting
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On 8 May 1556, William Whiting recanted, before the chancellor of the diocese of Norwich, his declaration that the sacrament of the altar was an idol (BL, Harley 421, fos. 175r-176v).
Thomas Dobson
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Thomas Dobson, the vicar of Orwell, Cambridgeshire, had already been in trouble with the authorities in 1554 for ridiculing the mass (Felicity Heal, 'The Bishops of Ely and their Diocese during the Reformation Period 1515-1600' {Cambridge: 1972], p. 89). Dobson must have fled to Mendlesham after this incident.
[Back to Top]Thomas Hubbard and his wyfe.
Iohn Doncon and his wife and his mayde.
VVilliam Doncon.
Thomas VVodward the elder.
One Konnoldes wyfe.
And a pore wydowe.
And also one mother Semons mayde.
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Mother Seaman is Joan Seaman, the mother of William Seaman, a Mendlesham husbandman who was burned on 19 May 1558. Joan Seaman was driven from Mendlesham and forced to sleep in the open countryside.
Besides those that he constrayned and enforced to do against theire conscience, by the helpe of the parishe priest, whose name is Syr Iohn Brodishe.
Marginalia1. MarginaliaThe fayth and doctrin of these confessours,FIrst, they dyd hold & beleue the holy worde of God, to be the fufficient doctrine vnto theyr saluacion.
Marginalia2.Secondly, they denyed the Popes vsurped authority, and dyd hold al that church of Antichrist to be Christes aduersaryes, further refused the abused sacramentes, defied the masse and al Popish seruice and Ceremonies, saing they robbed God of his honnor, and Christ of his death and glory, and would not come at church, without it wer to the defacing of that they dyd there.
[Back to Top]Marginalia3.Thyrdly, they did hold, that the ministers of the church, by Godes worde might laufully marry.
Marginalia4.Fourthly, they held the Quene as cheife head: and wicked rulers a great plague sente of God for sinne. &c.
Marginalia5.Fiftly, they denyed mans free will, and that the Popes church did erre, and many other in that pointe with them, rebukinge their false confidence in workes, and their false trust in mannes righteousnes. Also when any rebuked those persecuted for going so openly, and talking so frely, their answer was: they knowledge, confesse and beleue, and therfore they must speake. And their tribulacion that it was Gods good wil and prouidence, and that hys iudgmentes were righte, to punish thē with other for their sinnes. And that of very faythfullnes and mercy God had caused them to be troubled. So that one heare of theyr heades shoulde not perishe before the tyme: but all thinges should worke vnto the beast, to them that loue God. And that Christ Iesus was their life and onely righteousnes: and that onely by fayth in him, and for his sake al good thinges were freely geuen them: also forgiuenes of sinnes, and lyfe euerlasting.
[Back to Top]Many of these foresayd persecuted, were of greate substance, and hadde possessions of their owne.
Geue God the prayse.
MarginaliaMaye. 30,THe
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This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was never changed in subsequent editions.
Thomas Harland.
Ihon Osward.
Thomas Rede.
Thomas Auington. MarginaliaMartirs.
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In the 1563 edition, Foxe gave a brief account of these four martyrs, simply stating their names and the date and place of their deaths. In the 1570 edition, Foxe added the replies of Harland and Oswald to their articles; he derived this from Bishop Bonner's official records.
It is interesting that Foxe did not mention the answers of Avington and Read to their articles. Avington and Read were prominent freewillers and opponents of John Philpot and John Careless (see Thomas S. Freeman, 'Dissenters from a Dissenting Church: The Challenge of the Freewillers' in The Beginings of English Protestantism, eds. Peter Marshall and Alec Ryrie [Cambridge: 2002], pp. 136, 141, 146 and 153-54). Harland, on the other hand, signed a confessionby Richard Woodman, which explicitly denounced the freewillers and other radical protestants (see Gonville and Caius MS 218, p. 30). Foxe was anxious to play down and minimize the martyrdom of freewillers (see Freeman, 'Dissenters,' pp. 153-54 for a discussion of this point).
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIune. 6.JN Iune nexte following, about the vi. day. of the same moneth, Thomas Harland myl wryght, Iohn Osward, Thomas Rede, and Thomas Auingtō, long prisoners in the kings Benche, were burned together at Lewes in Sussex in one fier, the day of the moneth aforesayd,
Thomas VVhoode.
Thomas Mylles.
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This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions.
IN the same towne of Lewes lykewise were burned Thomas Whoode minister, and Thomas Mylles, about the. xx. daye of the same moneth, for resisting the erroniouse and hereticall doctrine of the Papisticall and falsely pretensed catholickes.