Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 108
¶Ieffrey Hurst brother in law to George Marsh the Martyr.
IN the Towne of Shakerley in Lancashyre dwelled one Ieffrey Hurst the sonne of an honest yeoman,The story … Ieffrey Hurst dwelling in the towne of Shakerley in the Parish …. who had besides him 11. children, the sayd Ieffrey being the xij. and eldest of the rest: and for that theyr father being willyng to bring them vp, so that they should be able another day to helpe themselues, he did binde this Ieffrey prentise vntounto the craft of nayling, to make all kinde of nayles: which occupation he learned and serued out the time of 7. yeares. The which yeres being expired, he gaue himselfe at times to learne of his other Brethren which went to schole: and as he was very willing to the same, so GOD sent hym knowledge wherein he did perseuer and go forwardes, in such sort that he could write and read indifferently, and in longer continuaunce came by more knowledge, and so hauing the Bible and diuers other bookes in his house, dyd come by pre…ye knowledge in the Scripture.Ieffrey Hurst brother to George Marsh the Martyr. After this he tooke vntounto him a wife being the Sister of Maister George Marsh, of whose Martyrdome mention is made before pag. 1484. and being much familiar with him, did mend his knowledge not a little. Now whē queene Mary was entred, the first yeare of her reigne he kept himselfe awaye from their doings & came not at the church: Wherupon he was layd in wayt for, and called hereticke, and Lollard, & so for feare of further daunger, he was compelled to leaue his wife and his child, and all, and fled into Yorkeshyre, & there beyng not knowne did lead his life,Ieffrey Hurst leaueth wyfe, children, & house for persecution. returning sometimes by night to his house to comfort his wife, and bringing with him some preacher or other, who vsed to preach vntounto them so long as the time would serue, and so departed by night agayne. The names of the Preachers were: M. Reneses, M. Best, M. Brodbanke, M. Russell, & eueryevery time they came thither they were about 20. or 24. sometimes, but 16. at least, who had there also somtimes a Cō muniō. And thus in much feare did he with other lead his life, till the last yeare of the reigne of Queene Mary. Thē it chaunced that the sayde Ieffrey Hurst, after the death of his father, came home, and kept himself close for vij. or viij. weekes.
Preachers vsing to Ieffrey Hurstes house and to Preach. M. Thomas Lelond Iustice of peace at Morlese in Lancashire, a cruell persecutor.There dwelt not farre of at Morlesse, a certayne Iustice of peace and of quorum, named M. Thomas Lelond, who hearing of him, appoynted a time to come to hys Fathers house where he then dwelt, to rifle the house for bookes, and to search for him also, and so did. Ieffrey and hys company hauing knowledge of his comming, tooke the books which were in the house, as the Bible, the Communion booke, the new testament of Tindals translation, and diuers others, and threw them all vnderneath a tubbe or …at, conueying also the sayd Ieffrey vnderunder the same, with a greate deale of strawe vnderneath him: for as it chaunced they had the more time, because that whē the Iustice came almoste to the doore, he stayed and woulde not enter the house till he had sent for Hurstes mothers Landlady: M. Shakerley, and then with her consent to go forwards. In the meane time,Ieff…ey Hurst conueyed vnderunder a D…fat. Mistres S…akerlay Hurstes Landlady. Ieffrey by such as were with him, was willed to lay in his window the testamēt of Tindals trā slation, and a litle booke conteining the third part of the bible, with ye booke of Ecclesiasticus, to try what they would say vntounto them.
This done, Mistres Shakerley came. Unto whō eftsoones the Iustice declareth the cause of his comming and how he was sory to attempt any such thing agaynst any of her tenauntes for her sake, but notwithstanding he muste needes execute his office. And agayne you must (sayde he) note this, that a skabbed sheepe is able to infect a great nū ber: and especially hauing, as he hath, so many brethren, & sisters, he is able to marre them all, if he be not looked vntounto in time. And thus concluding, M. Lelond entred into the house,M. Lelond entreth to search Hurstes house. Rafe Parkinson a Popishe persecuting Priest. The Papists follow false Prophesies, of the Gospell to come againe after 4. Monethes and more. The new Testament of Tyndalls translation made heresie. Searche made for Hurst and his sister Alice. The olde mother threatned to goe to Lancaster Castle. & being come in, set himselfe in a chayre in the midle of the house, and sending Syr Rafe Parkinson his Priest, and one of his men, and one of Mistres Shakerleys men about the house, to searche and rifle the chestes for bookes (whiche so did) in the meane time he talked with Hurstes mother, being of the age almost of lx. yeares: And chiding with her that she would suffer her sonne so to order and be hauehave himselfe like an heretick, said: thou olde foole I know my selfe that this new learning shall come agayne: but for how long? euen for three moneths or foure monethes and no longer. But I will lay thee olde foole in Lancaster dū geon for this geare, and well worthy.
Now as concerning the searchers, they foūd nothyng but latin books, as Grammer, and such like. These be not they that we looke for (sayde they) we must see further, and so looked into Hurstes chamber where they found the foresayd books. Then syr Rafe taking vp the testament, looked on it, and smiled. His Mayster seing that, sayd: nowe Syr Rafe, what hauehave we there? Forsooth, sayth he, a testament of Tindals translation, plaine heresy, and none worse then it. Then is all theyr goodes, sayth he, lost to the Queene & theyr bodyes to prison, and was wonderfully hasty: notwithstanding through Mistres Shakerley, for a space hee was content to see farther.
Then the Priest looked on the other booke: What saye ye to that Syr Rafe, is that as euill as the other? No sayde he, but it is not good that they should hauehave such Englishe Bookes to looke on: for this and suche others, maye doe much harme. Then he asked the Mother where her eldest sonne was, and her daughter Alyce? She aunswered she could not tell: they were not with her of long time before. And he swore by Gods bodye, hee woulde make her tell where they were, or he would lay her in Lancaster Dungeon, and yet he would hauehave them, notwithstandyng too, To be shorte,Hurstes mother and brother bound in a 100. pound for his forth comming. for feare he hadde hys Brother Iohn Hurst and hys Mother bounde in an hundreth pounde to bring the partyes before him within xiiij. dayes, and so departed he, and the Priest put both the bookes in his bosome, and caryed them away with him. Then Iohn Hurst went after them, desiring that he mighte hauehave the booke which the Priest found no fault with: but he (sayd they) should aunswere to them both, and which so euer was the better, was not good.
As this past on, when the time was come that Ieffrey Hurst and his sister shoulde be examined, the Iustice sent for them betimes in the morning,Master Lelonde maker. & had prepared a masse to beginne withall, asking Ieffrey Hurst if he would first go and see his maker, and thē he would talke further with him. To whom then Ieffrey answered and sayd:Talke betweene Ieffrey Hurst and the Iustice. Syr my Maker is in heauen, and I am assured in goyng to your Masse I shall finde no edification thereby, and therefore I pray you hold me excused.
Well, well, sayd he, I perceiue I shall finde you an hereticke, by God: but I will go to Masse, & I will not lose it for all your pratling. Then into his Chappell he went,Ieffrey Hurst denyeth to come to Masse. and when masse was done, he sent for them, and caused his Priest to read a scrole vntounto them as concerning the 7. Sacraments, & euer as he spake of the body & bloud of Christ, he put of his cappe, and sayd: loe ye may see:Examination after Masse. you will deny these thinges and care not for your Prince: but you shall feele it ere I hauehave done with you, & all the faculty of you, with other talke more betwene them, I know not what: but in the end they were licensed to depart vnderunder suretyes to appeare agayne before him within 3. weekes,Ieffrey Hurst & Alice his sister, let go vnderunder suertyes. and then to go to Lancaster. Howbeit in the meane while it so pleased God, that within foure dayes of the day appoynted, it was noysed that the Queene was deade, and within xiiij. dayes after, the sayd Ieffrey Hurst fet home his 2. bookes, and nothing was sayd vntounto him.Ieffrey Hurst by the death of Q. Mary, released.
It folowed after this that Gods word begon to take place, and the Queenes visitors came down into that coū try, who did choose foure men in the parish: to wit, Simōd Smith, Ieffrey Hurst, Henry Browne, George Eccersly,Ieffrey Hurst in Queene Elizabethes tyme put in authoritye to see the proceeding of Religion. which foure were Protestantes, to see the Queenes procedinges to take place: which according to theyr power dyd the same, notwithstanding it did little preuayle: & therfore the sayd Ieffrey being sore greued with the office, fell sick, in which sickenes it pleased God to call him, making a very godly end, God hauehave the prayse for it.
Nowe to returne to the foresayde Thomas Lelond agayne, he continuing in his office still,Thomas Lelond the Popishe Iustice, would not come to the Church in Queene Elizabethes tyme, & yet continued Iustice still. A Catholicke father of the Popishe church. did very few tymes come to the Church, but sayd he was aged and might not labor, and there kept with him Syr Rafe Parkinson hys Priest, which could (as it was said) minister the Communion vntounto the people, and sing Masse to his mayster: Yea and (as the fame reported) did a pretyer feate then all that: for he begat two children by a seruant in a house, his mayster knowing it, and saying nothing, for that he would not lose his good masse Priest.
Furthermore, this was noted in the same Iustice Lelondes behauiour at seruice tyme, that he had a little dog which he would play with, all seruice time, and the same Dogge had a coller full of Bels,Note a Catholicke knaue of a Popish Iustice. so that the noyse of them did molest and trouble others as well as himselfe, from hearing the seruice. Also in the same Iustice it was noted & obserued, that as he sate in his Chappell at seruice time, his maner was on a willow barke to knitte knottes, for that he could not be suffered to hauehave his beades, and to put the same vpō a string also. Witnes hereof Edward Hurst, with others.
Furthermore, as concerning Henry Browne one of the 4. chosen men aboue mencioned,The trouble and escape of Henry Browne out of his enemyes handes. this is also to be added, that the sayd Henry Browne dwelling in the towne of Pinington in the same Parish an. 1564. had a litle boy, who as he was playing in the Towne, one Glaues wyfe gaue vntounto the boye a payre of Beades made of woode, to play him withall. The little boy being glad therof to hauehave suche a trim thing, went home & shewed his father of thē. His Father seing the Beades, tooke them and burned thē, and when he had so done, went forth and asked who had geuen vntounto his litle boy that payre of Beades.
That did I, sayd Glaues wife.Glaues wyfe maintayner of Popery▪ and a persecutour.
Well sayd he, I hauehave burned them.
Hast thou so, sayd she? and thrust him from her. They shalbe the dearest Beades that euer thou sawest, & incōtinent went & cōplayned vntounto the said Iustice, how Brown had burned her beades.
This matter the Iustice tooke sore to snuffe,Iustice Lelond writeth to the Constables to apprehende Henry Browne. and was very angry, and did direct his letter vntounto the constables of the same Towne, by his owne hand subscribed: the title of which superscription on the backeside was this: To the Cō stables of Pinington geue this.
This done the Constables according to this their charge did bring him afore the Iustice at tyme appointed,Henry Browne troubled for burning of Beades in Queene Elizabethes tyme. and when the Iust…ce came to talke with him, he was in suche a chafe, that he called him theefe, and sayde that he had robbed his neighbour in burning of her beades, and that there was ringes and other Iuels on them, and that he might as well hauehave picked her purse: wherefore I will lay thee (sayd he) in Lancaster for this geare.
Whilest they were thus talking, there came all hys seruauntes about them from theyr worke, saying: is thys M. Doctor Browne that will burne Beades? I pray you Syr, let vsus hauehave him here and preach. I will geue a quarters wages,Like Maister lyke men. sayth one: and I will geue mony sayth an other, and he shall be mayster Doctour: with much derision and scoffing at this poore man.
He hearing this, spake agayn boldly, and sayd: did you send for me to make a laughing stocke of me? You be in office, and ought rather to come to the Church, and see suche Papistry abolished your selfe, then thus to trouble me for doyng my duety: but I tell you playnely, you do not come to Church as you ought to doe, and wherefore with more thinges that I hauehave to charge you withall, I say you doe not well. When all this misdemeanour of the Iustice layd to his charge, woulde not preuayle, and also witnes came in of the Papistes, which did know the Beades, & testified that they were playne & cost but a halfepeny, he then went into his Parlor in a chafe, and one M. Erberston a papist with him·A lamentable thing when such Iustices beare rule ouer Christian congregations. Which Erberston turned backe and sayd: is it you Henry Browne, that keepeth this styrre? you are one of them that pulled downe Crosses in the church, and pulled downe the Roode seller, and all the Sayntes: you were best now to goe paynt a blacke Deuill, and set him vp and worship him, for that will serue well for your religiō. And thus vnderunder suretiship he did depart til Iuly folowing and then he sayd he should go to Lancaster prison,Henry Browne vnderunder suertyes dismissed for a tyme. and so came he away.
The time drew on that he should appeare, but GOD stayed the matter, and in Iuly, as the foresayde Thomas Lelond sate in his chaire talking with his friendes, he fell downe sodeinly dead,The punishment of Gods stroke vponupon an obstinate persecutor. not much mouing any ioynt: And thus was his end: from such God vsus defend.