Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 100 – Account 103
¶Iohn Dauis, of the age of twelue yeares and vnderunder.
AN Dom. 1546. and the last yeare of King Henry the 8. Iohn Dauis,Iohn Dauis a childe vnderunder the age of 12. yeares cast to be burned …or the 6. articles and yet by Gods prouidence preserued. a child of xij. yeares & vnderunder, who dwellyng in the house of M. Iohnson Apothecarie, in ye toune of Worcester, his vncle, vsing sometymes to read of the testament and other good English bookes, was complained of by Alice Iohnson his maistresse, which Alice beyng an obstinate person, consulted with one Tho. Parton, & one Alice, wyfe to Nich. Brooke Organemaker, with certaine of the Canons, and M. Iohnson Chancellor to D. Heath their Bish. The meanes wherby he was entrapped, was wrought by the foresayd Alice Brooke, who procured Olyuer her sonne, schoolefellow with the sayd Iohn Dauis, to faine friendship with hym, and vnderunder pretence to be instructed, to see his English bookes, and especially to gette some thyng of his writyng against the vj. Articles. Which beyng had, was soone brought to the Canons of ye church, and the Chauncellor. Wherupon, Tho. Parton, whether beyng sent, or of his owne mynd, came to apprehend him, and his Uncle was forced agaynst his will, to bynde the poore boyes armes behynd him: and so hee was brought to the Officers of the towne, where he lay from the 14. of August, till the last of September. Then was he commā ded to the Free mans prison, where one Rich. Howborough commyng to perswade him from burnyng, willed hym to prooue first with a candle, who then holdyng hys finger, and the other the candle vnderunder it a good space, yet (as the partie hymselfe to me assureth) felte no burnyng therof, neither would the other that held the candle beleue hym a great while, til he had looked, and saw no skorching of the candle at all appeared.
Then was the child remooued from thence to an inner prison called Peepehole, where the lowe Bailiffe called Rob. Yould, layd vponupon hym a paire of bolts, so yt he could not lift vp his small legs, but leanyng on a staffe, slipt thē forward vponupon the ground, the coldnesse of which irons, he feeleth yet in his anckles, and shall so long as he lyueth, with these bolts, his lying was vponupon the cold ground, hauyng not one locke of strawe, nor cloth to couer him, saue onelyonly two sheepe skins, neither durst father nor mother, or any of his friends come at hym. Besides this and many great threates of the papists, there was a mad man put to hym in the prison, with a knife about hym, wherewyth he oft tymes in his frantike rage, profered to thrust hym in.
After this came to him one Iolyfe, and N. Yewer, two Canons, which had his writings against the sixe Articles, and his Ballet called Come downe for all your shauen crowne: to see whether he would stād to that he had writen. Which done, with many great raging wordes, not long after sate M. Iohnson the Chancellour in the Guild hall vponupon the poore lad. Where first were brought in hys accusers and sworne, then were sworn also 24. men which went on his Quest, and found hym guiltie, but hee neuer came before the Chancellor. Upon this he was sent to the common Gaole among thieues and murtherers, there to tary the commyng of the iudges, and so to be had straight to execution. But the mighty mercy of the Lord, who helpeth the desolate & miserable when all other helpe is past, so prouided for this silly condemned lad, that the purpose of all his hard harted enemies was disappointed. For before the Iudges came, God tooke away Henry the 8. out of this lyfe. By reason whereof, the force of the lawe was then staied, howbeit, he was neuerthelesse arraigned, beyng holden vp in a mans armes at the Barre before the Iudges, who were Portman and Maruen. Which when they perceiued that they could not burne him, would hauehave hym presently whipped. But M. Iohn Bourne Esquire declared to the Iudges how hee had whipping enough. After that hee had lyen a weeke more in prison, had hym home to hys house, his wyfe annoynted his legs her selfe with ointment, which then were stiffe and nummed with irons, till at length when M. Bourne and his wyfe sawe they could not winne hym to the beliefe of their Sacrament, they put him away, least he should infect their sonne Anthony as they thought with heresie.
Thus Iohn Dauis of the age aforesayde, in what damage he was for the Gospell ye see, and howe the Lorde preserued hym, ye vnderstand. He endured in prisone from the 14. day of August, till within seuen dayes of Easter, who is yet alyue, and a profitable Minister this day in the Church of England: Blessed bee the Lord, qui facit mirabilia solus.
¶Maistresse Roberts.… before, and to whom he wrote a letter, p…g. 1…93. Syr Iohn Gilford a troubler of … Robertes.
FUrthermore to both these may also be associate another Gentlewoman to make the third, named maistres Robertes, yet liuyng and dwellyng (as I vnderstand) in the towne of Haukehurst in Sussex. She beyng earnestly addicted to the truth of Christes Gospell, and no lesse constaunt in that whiche shee had learned therein, so kepte her selfe duryng all the brunte of Queene Maries tyme, that she neuer came to their popish seruice, nor would pollute her conscience with hearyng their Idolatrous masse. There dwelt the same tyme not farre of, a Iustice called sir Iohn Gilford, who beyng as feruent on the contrary side, to set forward the proceedyngs of Q. Mary, thought to prooue masteries with this Gentlewoman, in forcyng her to the Church. And first sendyng his wyfe, he attempted her by faire wordes and gentle perswasions to conforme herselfe to the Princes lawes, and to come as other christian people did, to the Church. Notwithstanding, she constantly persisting in the sinceritie of the truth, woulde by no perswasions be won to do therein against her conscience: and so kept at home a certayne space, till agayne the second tyme, Maister Gilford thinkyng not to geue her ouer so, sent his Officers and seruauntes to her, by force ond power to hale her out of her house to the church, and so dyd. Where by the way she for griefe of conscience swounded, and so of necessitie was brought home againe, and fallyng into an Ague, was for that tyme dispensed withall.
The third tyme yet the vnquiete spirite of M. Gilford beyng not content, after the tyme that she recouered helth againe, would needes come his owne person to compell her, wild she, nild she, to come to Church. But (as ye Prouerbe goeth) who can let that God would hauehave done? For when M. Gilford had purposed as pleased hym, the Lord so disposed for his seruaunt,Syr Iohn Gilford stopped of his purpose, by Gods working. that as the sayde M. Gilford was commyng vp the staires toward her chamber, sodainly hys olde disease the Goute so tooke hym and terribly tormented hym, that he could goe no further: And so he that purposed to cary her to the church against …er wil, was fayne hymselfe to be caried home to his house to hys payne, protestyng and swearyng that hee woulde neuer from henceforth trouble that Gentlewoman more, and no more he dyd.
¶Maistresse Anne Lacie.
IN this number of good Gentlewomen beyng in trouble and danger for Gods word,Mistres Anne Lacy. is not to be omitted the memory of one maistresse Anne Lacie widowe in Notinghā shiere, who was in great danger in Queene Maries time in so much that the processe was forth against her, and she ready to hauehave bene apprehended, beyng so neerely pursued, that she was driuen to hide her Bible and other bookes in a dunghill. M. Lacy her brother was then Iustice of peace: but to whom (as I hauehave heard) she was but smally beholden. Neuertheles where kindred faileth, yet gods grace neuer fayleth such as sticke to hym: for in this mean tyme, as the processe came out against her, Queene Mary dyed, and so she escaped.
¶Crosmans wyfe.
ONe Crosmans wyfe of Tibnam longrowe in Norfolke,Crosman… wyfe. Barbour of Tibnam Constable, persecutor. Example of Gods gratious prouidence. in Queen Maries tyme for not going to church was sought for at her house by one Barbour of the sayde towne, then Constable of the hundreth: who whē he came to her house, shee beyng at home with a childe sucking in her armes, stept into a corner on the one side of the chimney, and they seeking the chambers, the child neuer cryed, (although before they came it did) as long as they were there, & so by this meanes the Lord preserued her.