Windsor Martyrs
Encyclopedia
The Windsor Martyrs were 16th century English
Protestants martyred at Windsor
in Berkshire
. Their names were Robert Testwood
, Anthony Pearson
and Henry Filmer
.
In 1543, during the reign of Henry VIII
, the three Windsor Martyrs were arrested by Bishop Gardiner
's agent, Dr John London, on the evidence of William Simonds, an extremely Catholic former Mayor of Windsor, who had a grudge against them. John Marbeck
and Robert Benet
were also arrested, but were later released. They were condemned on 26 July, after Simonds threatened the jurers, and burnt to death on 4 August on the site of the Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station.
Their story was recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs
. According to Foxe
, many who saw their patient suffering confessed that they could have found in their hearts to have died with them, although the Vicar of Bray
, who was also watching, decided he would change with the times in order to prevent the same from happening to him.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Protestants martyred at Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. Their names were Robert Testwood
Robert Testwood
Robert Testwood of London was an English Protestant martyr during the reign of Henry VIII, one of the Windsor Martyrs.Testwood was a moderately well-known musician and gained a place as a chorister at Windsor College. He became embroiled in a number of arguments with the Windsor clergy, as well as...
, Anthony Pearson
Anthony Pearson (martyr)
Anthony Pierson was a 16th century English Protestant martyr during the reign of Henry VIII, one of the Windsor Martyrs.He was a regular and popular Protestant preacher in Windsor, Berkshire and at the country homes of the local Protestant gentry, including Thomas Weldon of Cannon Court, Cookham...
and Henry Filmer
Henry Filmer
Henry Filmer was a 16th century English Protestant martyr, one of the Windsor Martyrs, during the reign of Henry VIII.Filmer was a Protestant tailor and church warden of St John's Church at Windsor who complained about the overly Catholic sermons of the vicar...
.
In 1543, during the reign of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, the three Windsor Martyrs were arrested by Bishop Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...
's agent, Dr John London, on the evidence of William Simonds, an extremely Catholic former Mayor of Windsor, who had a grudge against them. John Marbeck
John Marbeck
John Marbeck, Merbeck or Merbecke was an English theological writer and musician who produced a standard setting of the Anglican liturgy. He is also known today for his setting of the Mass, Missa Per arma justitiae....
and Robert Benet
Robert Benet
Robert Benet was a 16th century Mayor of Windsor in the English county of Berkshire.Benet was a zealous Protestant who fell foul of William Simonds, an equally zealous Catholic in Windsor, who had a powerful friend in Bishop Gardiner's agent, Dr John London. Benet was arrested in 1543, along with...
were also arrested, but were later released. They were condemned on 26 July, after Simonds threatened the jurers, and burnt to death on 4 August on the site of the Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station.
Their story was recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
The Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe, more accurately Acts and Monuments, is an account from a Protestant point of view of Christian church history and martyrology...
. According to Foxe
John Foxe
John Foxe was an English historian and martyrologist, the author of what is popularly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, , an account of Christian martyrs throughout Western history but emphasizing the sufferings of English Protestants and proto-Protestants from the fourteenth century through the...
, many who saw their patient suffering confessed that they could have found in their hearts to have died with them, although the Vicar of Bray
The Vicar of Bray
The Vicar of Bray is a satirical description of an individual fundamentally changing his principles to remain in ecclesiastical office as external requirements change around him...
, who was also watching, decided he would change with the times in order to prevent the same from happening to him.