Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 49 – Account 50
¶A pitifull storye concerning the vnmercifull handling of W. Dangerfield, and Ioane hys wife beyng in childbed, taken out of her house, wyth her sucking infant of 14. daies old, & layd in the common Iayle amongest theeues and murderers.
The cruell handling of W. Dangerfield and Ioane his wyfe in prison.WHen I had written and finished the story of ye Garnsey women, with the young infant there with them burned, and also had passed the burning of the poore blind woman Ioane Wast at Darby, I well hoped I shoulde hauehave found no moe such stories of vnmerciful cruelty shewed vppon seely women with theyr children and young infantes: but now cōming to the persecution of Glocester shyre about the partes of Bristow, I finde an other story of such vnmercifulnes shewed agaynst a woman in childbed, as farre from all charitie and humanitie, as hath ben anye other storye yet hetherto rehearsed, as by the sequele hereof may appeare.
In the Parish of Wotton Underhedge, not farre from Bristow, was dwelling one W. Dangerfield a right honest and godly poore man, who by Ioane Dangerfield his wife had ix. Children, and she nowe lying in childbed of the tenth. Thys William after he had bene abroad from his house a certayne space, for feare of persecution, hearing that his wife was brought to bed, repayred home to visite her, as naturall duety required, and to see his children, she being now deliuered foure dayes before.
The returne of this man was not so soone known to some of his vnkinde & vncharitable neighbours, but they incensed with the spirite of Papistrye, eftsoones beset the house about, and there tooke the sayd W. Dangerfield. & caryed him to prison, and so at length hee was brought to the Bishop, being then Doctor Brookes: in whose cruell handling he remayned a certayne space, so longe till hys legges almost were freated off with yrons.No … in Pope to be … W. Dangerfield apprehended his owne in house. Ioane the wyfe of W. Dangerfield taken with her young infant out of childbed, and had to prison. Dangerfield made to beleeue falsely, that his wyfe had recanted. Dangerfield vppon hope of his wiues recā tation, consented to the Bishop.
After the apprehension, of the Husband, the wife likewise was taken, with her younge borne childe, being but 14. dayes olde (as is sayde) out of her childbed, and caryed into the common Iayle, and there placed amongst theues and murderers, where both shee and her poore innocent found so small charitie amongest the catholicke men, that she neuer could come to any fire, but was driuen to warm the clothes that she should put about the childe, in her bosome.
In the meane season while they lay thus inclosed in seuerall prisons, the husband and the wife, the Bishop beginneth to practise not with the woman first, as the serpent did with Eue, but with the man, craftily deceiuing his simplicitie, with fayre glosing wordes, falsely perswading him that his wife had recanted, and asking him, wherfore he should more stande in his owne conceate, then shee being as well learned as he, and so subtilly drew out a form of recantation, wherewith hee deceiued the simple soule. Whereunto after yt he had once graunted that hee would consent, although hee had not yet recanted, they suffered hym to to go to his wife, where shee laye in the common Iayle.
Then they with melting hartes opening their minds one to an other, when he saw hys wife not released, & perceauing that he had not done well, he declared vntounto her ye whole matter, how falsely he was circumuented by ye subtile flatteringes of the Byshop, bearyng him in hand that certaynly she had recanted: and thus deceiuing me (sayde he) brought this vntounto me,The wyfe lamented the fall of her husbād. Dangerfield lamenteth his promise made to the Bishop. The prayer of Dangerfield to God. The death of the husband. and so plucked out of hys bosome the copy of the recantation, whereunto he had granted his promise. At the sight whereof the wife hearyng what her husband had done, her hart claue a sunder, saying: Alacke, thus long hauehave we continued one, and hath Satan so preuayled, to cause you to breake your first vow made to Christ in Baptisme? And so departed the saide W. and Ioane his wife, with what heartes the Lorde knoweth. Then began hee not a little to bewayle his promyse made to the Bishop, and to make hys prayer to almighty God, desiring him that he might not liue so long as to cal euill good, and good euill: or light darkenes, or darkenes light, and so departed he home toward hys house: where by the way homeward (as it is affirmed) he took his death and shortly after departed according to his prayer, after he had endured in prison xii. weekes.
After this, Ioane his wife continued still in prison with her tender infant, till at last she was brought before that Bishop to be examined. Whereunto what her aunswers were, it is not certainely knowne. Howbeit most like it is what soeuer they were, they pleased not the Bishoppe, as appeared by his ire increased agaynst the poore woman & her long continuance in the prison,The young infant famished in prison. The Martyrdome of the mother. The death of the olde woman. together with her tender babe, which also remayned with her in ye Iayle, partaker of her Martyrdome, so long as her milke would serue to geue it sucke, till at length the childe being starued for colde and famine, was sent away when it was past al remedie, and so shortly after dyed. And not long after ye mother also followed, besides the olde woman whiche was mother of the husband, of the age of 80. yeares and vpwarde. Who being left in the house after their apprehēsion for lacke of comfort there perished also.
And thus hauehave ye in one story the deathe of foure together: first of the old woman, then of the husband,M. Bridges persecuted the same tyme for Gods word, and witnes of this story. after that of the innocent childe, and lastly of the mother. What became of the other nine children, I am not perfectly sure, but that I partly vnderstand, that they were all vndone by the same.
This story is reported and testified as well by other as namely by Mistres Bridges, dwelling in the same town, and partaker then of the like afflictions,Anno 1557. Septem. and hardly escaped with her life.
A Shomaker suffering in Northamton.
IN the monethmonth of October folowing, was burned at the towne of Northampton, a Shomaker, a true witnesse and disciple of the Lorde,October …. In Mart…dome of a S…maker … Northa…ton. who accordinge to the grace of God geuen vntounto him, cleauing fast to the sounde doctrin and preaching of Gods woord, renounced the vntrue and false coloured religion of the Romish sea, wherein manye a good man hath bene drowned.
After whom, not long after in the same month of October, died also in the Castle of Chichester thre godly confessors, being there in bonds for the like cause of Christes Gospel, who also should hauehave suffred ye like Martyrdom, had not theyr naturall deathe,Oct…ber. 18. … dyed … Castle of C…chester, … Hooke, …. or rather (as it is to be suspected) the cruel handling of the papists made them away before, and afterward buried them in the fielde.
I reade moreouer that in this present yeare, to witte, An. 1556. was burnt one called Hooke a true witnes of the Lordes truthe, at Chester.