Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 68 – Account 69
The history and cruell handlyng of Richard Yeoman, D. Taylors Curate at Hadley, constantly sufferyng for the Gospels sake.
AFter the story of these 22. taken at Islington, proceedyng now (the Lord willyng) we wil prosecute likewise the taking and cruell handlyng of Richard Yeoman minister.Iuly. 10. The story and Martyrdome of Richard Yeoman Minister. Which Yeoman had bene before D. Tailors Curate, a godly deuout old man, of 70. yeres, which had many yeres dwelt in Hadley, well seene in the scriptures, & geuing godly exhortations to the people. With hym Doc. Tailor left his cure at his departure. But as soone as M. Newal had gotten the benefice, he droue away good Yeoman as is before said, & set in a popish Curate to maintain and continue their Romish religion whiche nowe they thought fully stablished. Then wandered he long time frō place to place, moouing & exhorting all men to stand faithfully to Gods worde, earnestly to geue themselues vntounto prayer, with patience to beare the crosse now layed vponupon them for their triall, with boldnes to confesse the truth before the aduersaries, & with an vndoubted hope to waite for the crowne and reward of eternall felicitie. But when hee perceiued his aduersaries to lye in waite for him,Richard Yeomā … into Kent. hee went into Kent, & with a little packet of laces, pinnes and points, and such like things, he trauailed from Uillage to village, sellyng such things, & by ye poore shyft gate hymself somewhat to the susteining of himselfe, his poore wife and children.
At the last, a Iustice of Kent called M. Moyle, tooke poore Yeoman and set him in the stocks a day and a night,Richard Yeoman set in the … by M. Moile of Kent. Richard Yeomā returneth agayn to Hadley. but hauyng no euident matter to charge hym with, he let hym go againe. So came he secretly againe to Hadley, and taried with his poore wife, who kept him secretly in a chā ber of the Towne house, commonly called the Guild hall, more then a yere. All the which tyme, the good olde father abyde in a chamber locked vp all the day, & spent his tyme in deuout prayer and reading the Scriptures, and in carding of w…ol which his wyfe did spin. His wife also did go and beg bread and meat for herselfe and her children, and by such poore meanes susteined they themselues. Thus ye saints of God susteined hunger and misery, while the prophets of Baal liued in iollitie, and were costly pampered at Iesabels table.
At the last, person Newal (I know not by what means) perceiued that Rich. Yeoman was so kept by hys poore wyfe,Pa…son Newall a wicked persecutour. and taking with him the Bailiffes deputies and seruants, came in the night tyme & brake vp fiue dores vponupon Yeoman, whom he found in bed with his poore wyfe and children. Whom when he had so found, he irefull cried, saiyng,Yeoman taken by Parson Newall. I thought I should find an harlot and a whore together. And he would hauehave plucked the clothes of from them. But Yeoman held fast the clothes, and said vntounto his wyfe, wife, aryse and put on thy clothes. And vntounto ye person he sayd: Nay Person, no harlot, nor whore, but a maried man and his wife, accordyng vntounto Gods ordinance, and blessed be God for lawfull matrimony. I thank God for this great grace, and I defie the Pope & all his Poperie. Then led they Rich. Yeoman vntounto the cage, & set hym in the stocks vntill it was day.
There was then also in the cage an olde man named Iohn Dale, who had sitten 3. or 4. dayes,This Iohn Dale dyed in … G…ile, as … before mentioned. because wh… the sayd Person Newal with his Curate, executed y• Romish seruice in the Church, he spake openly vntounto him and said: O miserable & blind guides, will ye euer be blind, leaders of the blynd? will ye neuer amend? will ye neuer see the truth of Gods word? wil neither Gods threates nor promises enter into you harts? wil not the bloud of Martyrs nothing mollifie your stonie stomacks?The wordes of Iohn Dale to Parson Newall and his Curate. Oh indurate hard harted, peruerse, & crooked generation. O damnable sorte, whom nothyng can do good vntounto.
These and like words he spake in feruentnes of spirit against the superstitious religion of Rome. Wherfore person Newall caused hym forthwith to be attached, and set in the stockes in the cage. So was he there kept til sir Hē ry Doile a Iustice, came to Hadley.
Now when poore Yeoman was taken, the person called earnestly vponupon Sir Henry Doile to send them both to prison.Iohn Dale sette in the Cage by Parson Newall. Sir Henry Doile earnestly laboured and entreated the person, to consider the age of the men, & their poore estate: they were persons of no reputation nor preachere: wherefore hee would desire him to let them be punished a day or two, and so to let them goe, at the least Iohn Dale who was no priest, and therfore seeyng he had so long sitten in the cage, he thought it punishment enough for hys tyme. When the person heard this, he was exceeding mad, and in a great rage called them pestilent heretikes,Syr Henry Doyle entreated for Gods Sainctes, but could not be heard. vnfitte to lyue in the common wealth of Christians. Wherefore I beseech you Sir (quoth he) accordyng to your office defēd holy church, and helpe to suppresse these sectes of heresies, &c. which are false to God, and thus boldly set themselues to the euill example of other, against the Queenes gracious proceedyngs. Sir Henry Doyle seeyng he coulde do no good in the matter, & fearing also his perill if he should too much meddle in this matter, made out the Writte and caused the Constables to cary them foorth to Bury Gaole. For now were all the Iustices were they neuer so mightye, afrayde of eueryevery shauen crowne, and stood in as much awe of them, as Pilate dyd stande in feare of Annas and Cayphas, and of the Pharisaicall broode, which cried Crucifie hym, Crucifie hym. If thou let hym goe, The kingdome of Locustes.thou art not Caesars friend.
Wherefore, whatsoeuer their consciences were, yet (if they would escape danger) they must needes bee the Popish Bishops slaues, and vassails. So they tooke Richard Yeoman and Iohn Dale, pinioned, and bound them lyke thieues, set them on horsebacke,Yeoman & Iohn Dale sent to Bury Gaile. and bound their legs vnderunder the horses bellies, and so caried them to the Gaole at Bury, where they were tied in irons, and for that they cō tinually rebuked Popery, they were throwne into ye lowest dungeon, where Iohn Dale through sickenesse of the
¶The burnyng of Richard Yeoman.
The Martyrdome of Richard Yeoman, Minister, at Norwich. Anno. 1558. Iuly. 10.prison,Anno 1558. Iuly. and euil keping, died in prison, whose body when hee was deade, was throwen oute and buried in the fieldes. Hee was a man of 46. yeares of age, a Weauer by his occupation, well learned in the holy scriptures, faithfull and honest in all his conuersation,Commendat…on of Iohn Dale. stedfast in confession of the true doctrine of Christ set forth in Kyng Edwards tyme: for the which he ioyfully suffred prison and chaines, and from this worldlye dungeon hee departed in Christ to eternall glory, and the blessed paradise of euerlasting felicitie.
Yeoman re…ned to Norwich.After that Iohn Dale was dead, Rich. Yeoman was remooued to Norwich prison, where after straite and euill keping, he was examined of his faith and religion. Then he boldly and constantly confessed himself to be of the faith and confession that was set forth by the late king of blessed memory, holy K. Edward the 6. and from that he would in n… wyse vary. Beyng required to submit himself to the holy father the Pope, I defie him (quoth he) & all hys detestable abhominations: I will in no wise hauehave to doe wt him,The chiefe … ob…ected to Richard Yeoman. nor any thing that appertaineth to him. The chief articles obiected to him were his mariage, & the masse sacrifice. Wherfore when he continued stedfast in confession of the truth, he was condemned, disgraded, & not only burnt but most cruelly tormented in the fire. So ended hee hys poore & miserable lyfe, and entred into the blessed bosom of Abraham, enioying with Lazarus the comfortable quietnes that God hath prepared for his elect saintes.
¶The story of Iohn Alcocke.
The story of I…n Alcocke.THere was also in Hadley a yong man named Ioh. Alcocke, which came to Hadley seking worke, for he was a Shereman by his occupation. This yong man after the Martyrdome of D. Tailor, & taking of Rich. Yeomā, vsed first in the church of Hadley to read the seruice in English, as partly is aboue touched. At length, after the comming of person Newal, he being in Hadley church vponupon a sonday when the Person came by with procession,Parson Newal in a … aga…nst Iohn … Procession. would not once mooue his cap, nor shew any signe of reuerence, but stood behind the font. Person Newal perceiuing this, whē he was almost out of the church dore, ran back again, and caught him, and called for the Constable.
Then came Rob. Rolfe, with whom this young man wrought, and asked: M. Person what hath he done, that ye are in such a rage with hym?
He is an heretike and a traitor (quoth the Person) and despiseth the Queens procedings. Wherfore I command you in the Queenes name, hauehave hym to the stockes, & see he be forth commyng.
Robert … an … Constable … HadleyWel quoth Rolfe? he shal be forth comming, proceede you in your busines and be quiet. HaueHave him to the stockes (quoth the Person.)
I am Constable (quoth Rolfe) and may baile him, and will baile him: he shall not come in the stocks, but he shal be forth comming. So went the good Person forth wyth his holy procession, and so to Masse.
At after noone Rolfe said to this yong man: I am sory for thee, for truly the person will seek thy destructiō, if thou take not good heed what thou answerest him.
The yong man aunswered: Sir, I am sory that it is my lucke to be a trouble to you. As for my selfe I am not sory, but I do commit my selfe into Gods handes, and I trust he will geue me mouth and wisedome to answer according to right.
Well (quoth Rolfe) yet beware of him. For hee is malicious, and a bloudsucker, & beareth an old hatred against me, and he wil handle you the more cruelly, because of displeasure against me.
I feare him not (quoth the yong man) He shall doe no more to me then God wil geue him leaue: and happy shal I be if God wil call me to die for his truths sake.
Alcocke brought to P…rson Newall.After this talke, they then went to the person, who at the first asked hym: Fellow, what saiest thou to the sacrament of the aulter?
I say (quoth he) as ye vse the matter, ye make a shame full idoll of it, and ye are false idolatrous priests all the sort of you.
Parson Newall ca…ieth vp Iohn … to London.I told you (quoth the person) he was a stout heretike.
So, after long talk the person committed him to ward and the next day rode he vp to London, and caried ye yong man with him, and so came the yong man no more againe to Hadley, but after long imprisonment in Newgate, where after many examinations and troubles, for that he would not submit himselfe to aske forgeuenes of the Pope and to be reconciled to the Romish religion,Iohn … dyed at Newgate. he was caste into the lower dungeon, where with euill keping & sickenes of the house, he died in prison. Thus died he a Martyr of Christes veritie, which he hartily loued & constantly cō fessed, & receiued the garland of a well foughten battaile at the hand of the Lord. His body was cast out & buried in a dunghil.Iohn Alcocke buryed of the Papistes in a dunghill. For the Papists would in all things be like thē selues: Therfore would they not so much as suffer ye dead bodies to hauehave honest and conuenient sepulture.