Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 92 – Account 96
¶Elizabeth Lawson.
IN the towne of Bedfield, and in the countie of Suffolk,Elizabeth Lawson, Confessour. was dwellyng a godly auncient Matrone named Elizabeth Lawson, about the age of lx. yeares. This Elizabeth was apprehended as an heretike, by the Constables of the same towne, named Robert Kitrich,Robert Kitrich, Tho. Elas, persecutours. and Thomas Elas, in the yeare of our Lorde, 1556. because she woulde not go to Church to heare Masse, and receyue the Sacrament, and beleeue in it.
First they layd her in a dungeon, and after that shee was caried vntounto Norwich, and from thence to Bury Gaole, where at last she was condemned to be burnt. In ye mean tyme sir Iohn Sylliard had her home vnty hys house, hee beyng high Shiriffe that yere,Syr Iohn Sylliarde Sh…r…ffe. where she was hardly kept and wrapped in irons, till at length when they by no wise could mooue her co recant, shee was sent to prison agayne with shamefull reuilings.
Thus she continued in prison the space of two yeares and three quarters. In the meane tyme there was burnt her sonne and many other, whereby she would often say: Good Lord, Elizabeth Lawson in prison two yeares and three quarters. Elizabeth Lawson sory that shee was not burned. Elizabeth Lawson bayled vponupon suretyes in Q. Elizabethes tyme.what is the cause that I may not yet come to thee with thy children? well, good Lord, thy blessed will be done, & not myne.
Not long after this, (most happily) followed ye death of Queene Mary, after whom succeded our Queene that now is. At which tyme this Elizabeth Lawson remained yet still in Bury prison, till at last she was bayled vppon sureties, or els she could not be deliuered. For she beyng a condemned person, neither the temporalty, nor yet spirituall authoritie would discharge her without sureties.
Now she beyng abroad, and her sureties made afrayd by wicked men, sayd, they would cast her againe in prison, except she would see them discharged.
Then she got a supplication, to go vntounto the Queenes maiestie,Elizabeth Lawson preserued from persecution ended her lyfe in peace. and came to a friend of hers to hauehave his counsail therein: who willed her to stay a while, because she was old, the dayes short, and the expenses great, and Winter fowle (for it was a little before Christmas) & to tary vntill Sommer. In the meane tyme God brake the bond, & shortened her iourney: for hee tooke her home to hymselfe out of this lyfe in peace.
This good old woman, long before she went to prison had the fallyng sicknesse,Elizabeth Lawson troubled with the falling sicknes, after her persecution neuer felte it more. and told a friend of hers, one Symon Harlston, after she was apprehended, that she had it neuer more, but liued in good health & ioy of hart, through her Lord Christ.
She had a very vnkinde man to her husbande, who while shee was in prison, solde away her raimente, and would not helpe her, and after she was out of prison, shee returned home vntounto him, yet would he shew her no kindnesse, nor helpe her neither: and yet the house & land that he dwelt in, he had by her, wherfore as long as she lyued, she was found of the congregation.
The said Elizabeth Lawson also had a sister, wyfe to one Rob. Hollon of Mickfield in the same countie of Suffolk, which likewise was persecuted and driuen out from house to house, & a yong man her sonne with her, because they would not go to the church to heare masse, & receyue the sacrament of the aultar.
¶Thomas Christenmasse and William Wattes.
IN this perillous rage of Queene Maries raigne, were two men persecuted,Tho. Christenmas, W. Wattes. one called Tho. Christenmas, the other Wil. Wats of Tunbridge in Kent. As these trauailed from place to place, not resting two nights together in one place, it happened them on a tyme to come to Rochester in Kent, where as they entryng into the Towne, euē at the Townes ende met with a little Damosell of eyght yeares of age, but whether she went, they knewe not. It was then night, and they wery, and fayne therfore would hauehave lyen in the same town, but could not tell where, they feared so the bloudy Catholickes. At last they deuised to aske the Damosell whether there were any heretikes in the towne, or no? and she said, yea. They asked her where. She aunswered them.Gods prouidence vpō Tho. Ch…istenmas & W. Wattes. At such an Inne, tellyng them the name, and where the Inne was. Shortly after, as they were gone from her, they bethought themselues better, and God so moouyng their hartes, they went to the childe agayne, and asked her how she knew that the Innekeper (of whome shee spake before) was an heretike. Marrie (quoth she) well enough, and his wyfe also. How knowest thou, prety mayden, said they? I pray thee tel vsus. How know I, sayd she? Marrie because they go to the church: and those that will not holde vp their handes there, they will present them, and hee hymselfe goeth from house to house, to compel them to come to Church. When these two men heard this, they gaue God prayse, and auoyded that house, takyng the warnyng of that Mayde (of good bringyng vp, as it should seeme) to be Gods maruelous prouidence towards them.
W. Wattes an other tyme deliuered by the Lordes prouidence.¶Another escape of William Wats.
THis foresayd William Wats, dwelling in Queen Maries dayes at Seale in Kent, the last yere of her raigne saue one, was apprehended by his enemies,W. Wattes apprehended and brought before the Byshop. and brought by the Constables before the Bish. and Iustices at Tunbridge, where the B. and Iustices would hauehave perswaded hym all they coulde, to turne from the truth: howbeit in vayne, for they could not remooue him, although they spēt all the forenoone therabouts, with many flattring words: so mercifull was the Lord vntounto hym.
Now, when dinner tyme was come, as they shoulde rise, they committed the prisoner to the constables againe, and so rose vp to go to diner. The Constables tooke Wats and led him to a vitailing house, where after they had wel filled themselues, they fel a sleepe, supposing their prisoner to be sure enough vnderunder their handes. Wats wife beyng then in the house with her husband, and very carefull for his well doyng, seyng the Constables thus fast a sleep, desired her husband to depart and go thence, for so much as the Lord had made such away for hym. Unto which her words he would not consent, althogh she perswaded him all that she could.
At the last,An other notable example of the Lordes prouidence. (they replieng one against an other) a strā ger heard them, and asked her what the matter was, that shee was so earnest with her husbande. The wyfe tolde hym. Then sayde the straunger vntounto Wats these words: Father, goe thy wayes in Gods name, and tary no longer: the Lorde hath opened the way vntounto thee. Wherevpon the sayde Wattes went hys way, and his wyfe departed from hym, and went home to her house at Seale, thinkyng her husband had gone another way. Nowe as she was goyng in at her dore tellyng her friendes of hys deliueraunce, immediately came the sayd Wattes in also, and they all beyng amased thereat, willed hym in all haste to get hym away, for they thought there would bee search for hym immediately.
Then Wats sayd, he would eate meate first, and also pray: which he did, and afterward departed thence.W. Wattes deliuered out of his enemyes handes. So soone as he was out of the dores, and had hid hymselfe in an holly bush, immediately came the said constables with thirtie persons into the sayd house to search for him, where they pierced the Fetherbeds, broke vp hys Chestes, and made such hauocke, that it was wonderfull:W. Wattes sought for agayne. and euer among as they were searchyng, the Constables cryed: I will hauehave Wats, I will hauehave Wats I tel thee, I wil hauehave Wattes: but (God be thanked) Wats could not be found. And when they saw it booted not to search for hym, in the ende they tooke his wyfe, and set her in a payre of stockes where she remayned two dayes,W. Wattes wyfe set in the stockes. and she was very bolde in the truth, and at the last deliuered thorough the prouidence of God: whose name be glorified in all his workes, Amen.
*Iohn Glouer of Manceter, Gentleman.
WHat a fatherly and manifest prouidence of the Lord likewyse did appeare in the preseruyng of M. Iohn Glouer in the Diocesse of Couentry and Lichfield,Gods prouidence in deliuering M. Iohn Glouer. Read before pag. 1709. An other narrow escape of M. Iohn Glouer. Read before pag. 1714. in the Towne of Manceter: first at the takyng of Robert hys brother. At which tyme although the Commission came downe for hym, yet so God ordered the matter, that hys brother beyng sicke was apprehended, and yet hee beyng whole escaped, wherof mention is made before, pag. 1709.
And agayne, another tyme how miraculously the mercifull prouidence of the Lorde wrought his escape oute of his enemies handes, they beyng at his chamber dore, and drawyng the latch to search for hym: and how hys wyfe the same tyme was taken and sent to Lichfielde, read before, pag. 1714.
¶One Dabney.
THere was at London a certaine honest godly person, a Painter, named Dabney,The escape of a godly man called Dabney. whom Iohn Auales in the tyme of Queene Mary had brought before Boner to bee examined for his fayth. It happened the same tyme. as the sayde Dabney was there, that the Bishop was occupied with examination of other, so that hee was bidde to stand by, and to wayte the Bishops laysure. Uppon the same, or not long after, sodainely commeth worde to the Bishop to prepare hym in all speede, the generall procession taried for hym. The Bishop hearyng that, settyng all businesse aparte, bustleth hymselfe with all speede possible to the Churche, there to furnishe Procession. By reason whereof Dabney, which newly came to the house, was there left alone, while eueryevery man els was busied in preparing and settyng themselues forwarde, accordyng as the case required.
To bee short, as the tyme called on, Boner with hys houshold maketh hast so fast as they can out of the dores to the procession. Dabney beyng left alone, commeth downe to the outward Court next the gate, there walkyng with hymselfe all heauy, lookyng for nothing lesse then to escape that daunger. The Porter who was onelyonly left at home, seeyng the man to walke alone,Gods … working in the deliuerance of Dabney. supposing hee had bene some Citizen there left behynde, and waityng for openyng of the Gate, went and opened the wicket, askyng if hee would goe out. Yea sayd he, with a good wyll, if ye wyll l…t me out. With all my hart quoth the porter, and I pray you so do.
And thus the sayd Dabney taking the occasion offered of god, being let out by the porter, escaped out of ye wolues mouth. The procession beyng done, when the B. returned home, Dabney was gone and could not be found. Wherevpon much search was made, but especially Ioh. Auales sayd much priuy waite for hym: who after long searching, when he could not get hym, at length he receyued fifteene crownes of his wyfe to let hym alone when he should see him, and so that good man escaped.