Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 49 – Account 51
¶The Martyrdome and sufferyng of Cicelie Ormes, burnt at Norwich for the testimonie and witnesse of Christes Gospell.
September. 23. Ci…elye Ormes Martyr.ABout the 23. day of the sayd monethmonth of September, next after the other aboue mentioned, suffered at Norwich Cicelie Ormes, wyfe of Edmund Ormes Worstedweauer, dwelling in S. Laurence parish in Norwich, she beying of the age of xxxij. yeares or more, was taken at ye death of Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper aboue mē cioned, in a place called Lolardes pit without Bishoppes gate, at the sayd Norwich, for that shee sayde shee would pledge them of the same cup that they dranke on.M. Corbet of Sprowson, persecutour. For so saying, one Maister Corbet of Sprowson by Norwich, tooke her and sent her to the Chauncellor. When shee came before him, he asked her what she sayd to the Sacrament of Christes body.The Chauncellours name was Dunning. And she sayd, she did beleue, that it was the Sacramente of the bodye of Christ. Yea saide the Chauncellor, but what is that that the priest holdeth ouer his head? Shee aunswered him and sayd, it is bread: and if you make it any better it is worse. At which words the Chauncellor sent her to the bishops Prison to the keeper called Fellow, with many threatning, & ho…e words as a man being in a great cha…e.
The xxiij. day of Iuly shee was called before ye Chaū cellor againe, who sat in iudgemēt with Master Bridges and others. The Chauncellor offred her if she would goe to the Church and keepe her tongue, shee should be at lybertie, and beleue as shee would. But she tolde him shee would not consent to his wicked desire therein, doe wyth her what he would: for if she should, she sayde GOD woulde surelye plague her. Then the Chauncellour tolde her, he had shewed more fauour to her, then euer he did to any, and that he was loth to condeme her, considering that shee was an ignoraunt, vnlearned, and foolysh woman. But she not weying his words, tolde him if he did, he should not be so desirous of her sinfull flesh, as she would (by Gods grace) be content to geue it in so good a quarell. Then rose he and red the bloudy sentence of condemnation against her, and so deliuered her to the secular power of the shiriffes of the Citie, M. Thomas Sutherton, and M. Leonard Sutherton brethren, who immediately caried her to the Guildhall in Norwich, where shee remayned vntill her death.
This Cicelie Ormes was a very simple woman, but yet zelous in the Lordes cause, beyng borne in East Deram, and was there the daughter of one Thomas Haund Tailor. She was taken the v. day of Iuly, and dyd for a twelue month before she was taken, recant, but neuer after was she quiet in conscience, vntill she was vtterly driuen from all their Poperie. Betweene the tyme she recanted and that she was taken,Brigges a Popish persecutor. she had gotten a letter made, to geue to the Chancellor, to let hym know that she repē ted her recantation from the bottome of her hart, & would neuer do the like again while she liued.Cicelye Ormes first recanted. But before she exhibited her bil, she was taken & sent to prison, as is before sayd. She was burnt the 23. day of September, betweene 7. and 8. of the clocke in the morning,Cicelye Ormes repenteth her recantation. the sayd two shirifes being there, and of people to the number of 200. When she came to the stake, she kneeled downe and made her prayers to God. That beyng done, she rose vp and sayde: good people, I beleeue in God the father, God the sonne, and God the holy ghost, three persons and one God.
This do I not, nor will I recant, but I recant vtterly from the bottome of my hart, the doynges of the Pope of Rome, and all his popish priestes and shauelynges. I vtterly refuse and neuer will hauehave to do with them again by Gods grace. And good people, I would you shoulde not thinke of me that I beleeue to be saued in that I offer my selfe here vntounto the death for the Lordes cause, but I beleeue to be saued by the death of Christes passion: and this my death is and shall be a witnesse of my fayth vntounto you all here present. Good people, as many of you as beleeue as I beleue, pray for me. Then she came to the stake and layd her hand on it, and sayd: welcome the Crosse of Christ. Which beyng done, she lookyng on her hand,Note well this saying of Cicelye Ormes. and seeyng it blacked with the stake, she wiped it vppon her smocke, for she was burnt at the same stake that Symon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper was burned at. Then after she had touched it with her hand, shee came and kissed it, and sayd welcome the sweete crosse of Christ, and so gaue her selfe to be bound thereto. After the tormentours had kindled the fire to her, she sayd:The last wordes of Cicelye Ormes at the stake. My soule doth magnify the Lord, and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour, and in so
¶The burnyng of Cicelie Ormes at Norwich.
The Martyrdome of Cicelye Ormes at Norwich. Anno. 1557. September. 23.saying she set her hands together right against her brest, rasting her eyes and head vpward, and so stood, heauyng vp her hands by little and little, till the very sinewes of her armes brast asunder, and then they fell: but she yelded her lyfe vntounto the Lord, as quietly as she had bene in a slumber, or as one feelyng no payne: So wonderfully did the Lord worke with her: his name therfore be praised for euermore, Amen.
¶The trouble and disturbance among good men and women at Lichfield.
Octob. 27.AFter the death and Martyrdome of maistresse Ioyce Lewys, a little aboue specified, diuers good men and women in the same towne of Lichfield were vexed and in trouble before the Bishop and his Chauncellor, for kissing the sayd Ioyce Lewys,Good men and women troubled in Lichf…ed, for kissing Mistres Ioyce Lewes before her death. and drinking with her about the tyme of her death, the names of which persones were these: Ioane LoueLove, Elizabeth Smith, Margaret Biddell, Helene Bouring, Margaret Cootesfote, Nich. Bird Ioh. Hurlstone and his wyfe, Agnes Glyn, Agnes Glouer, Agnes Penyfather. &c. These with other were produced to their examination before the Bishop & his Chā cellor for the cause aboue named, and therefore adiudged for heretikes, for that they did pray and drinke with the sayd maistresse Lewys, but especially Agnes Penyfather sustained the most trouble, for that she accompanied the sayde Ioyce Lewys goyng to her death. Whiche Agnes beyng examined further of the sayd Bishop, what words she had spoken to two priestes of the church of Lichfield, called Iohn Adye and Iames Foxe, concernyng the sayd Ioyce Lewys after her burnyng, sayd as followeth: that she beyng asked by ye said two priests beyng at her fathers house in the Citie of Lichfield, at such tyme as she came frō the burning of the sayd Ioyce Lewys,Agnes Penifather accused of two Priests for wordes. wherefore shee the sayd Agnes did weep for such an heretike, meanyng Ioice Lewys, whose soule sayd they was in hell: the sayd Agnes Penyfather to the demaund made this aunswer, that she thought the sayde blessed Martyr to bee in better case then the sayde two Priestes were.
With the which wordes she beyng charged, and willed to submit her selfe as the other had done aboue rehersed to such penaunce as they should inioyne vntounto her, refused so to do, and therfore was commaunded to close prison, the shiriffes beyng charged with her vnderunder payne of one hundred poundes, that none should hauehave any accesse vntounto her. At length at the perswasion of her friendes, shee was compelled to doe as the other had done before. And thus much concernyng thyngs done at Lichfield.
¶The Persecution and crueltie exercised by the Papistes in the Diocesse of Chichester.
Persecution … the …odly men ….ANd now from Lichfield to come to Chichester, although we hauehave but little to report thereof, for lacke of certaine relation and recordes of that countrey, yet it seemeth no little trouble and persecution there also to hauehave raged, as in other countreys. For what place was there almost in all the Realme, where the Popes ministers did not besturre them, murtheryng some or other, as in the Acts of this ecclesiastical history may sufficiently appeare. Wherfore as this plague of the popes tiranny was generall to all other people and countries of England, so likewyse in the Diocesse of Chichester, diuers and many there were condemned and martyred for the true testimony of righteousnesse within the compasse of Queene Maries raigne. In the number of whom were these.
Martyrs.
Iohn Foreman, of Estgrimsted.
Iohn Warner of Berne.
Christian Grouer of the Archdeaconry of Lewys.
Thomas Athoth Priest.
…Thomas Auyngton of Erdinglie.
Dennis Burgis of Buxsted.
Thomas Rauensdale of Rie.
Iohn Milles of Hellinglegh.
Nich Holden of Withiam.
Iohn Hart of Withiam.
Margery Morice of Hethfield.
Anne Trie of Estgrenested.
Iohn Oseward of Woodmancote.
Thomas Harland of Woodmancote.
Iames Morice of Hethfield.
Tho. Dougate of Estgrenested.
Iohn Ashedon of Ketherfield.
The greatest doers against these godly and true faithfull Martyrs and sitters vponupon their condemnation,Persecutors. were these: Christopherson the Bishop after Day, Rich. Brisley Doctour of Lawe, and Chauncellour of Chichester, Rob. Taylor Bacheler of Lawe his Deputy, Tho. Paccard Ciuilian, Anth. Clarke, Albane Langdale Bach. of Diuinitie, &c.