Richard Hunne
Encyclopedia
Richard Hunne was a merchant tailor
with Lollard sympathies. He was charged with heresy
in London
in 1514.
after the funeral of his dead baby. The matter was not pursued by the Church
until Hunne and a friend challenged the rector of St. Michael Cornhill over the title of a tenement in November 1511. Hunne was then sued by the rector of St. Mary Matfelon for the mortuary fee and appeared in the ecclesiastical Court of Audience in April 1512. The court found in favour of the rector.
On 27 December 1512, Hunne attended vespers
at the same church and the priest
refused to proceed with the service until Hunne left. According to the account in Hunne in John Foxe
's Acts and Monuments the priest shouted "Hunne, thou art accursed and standest accursed!", meaning by this that Hunne had been excommunicated by the ecclesiastical court. Hunne responded in January 1513 by suing the priest for slander claiming his character and business had been ruined by the priest's accusation. He also counteracted with a praemunire
charge against the church court in which he had been arraigned and argued that its authority derived from a Papal legate
and therefore was a foreign court which could have no legitimate jurisdiction
over the King of England's subjects.
The London clergy responded by again charging Hunne, this time for heresy
. Hunne was then sent to the Lollards' Tower of St. Paul's Cathedral after a raid on his house in October 1514 had uncovered an English Bible
with a prologue sympathetic to Wycliffe
's doctrines.
Hunne was found hanging in his cell on 4 December 1514. His body was burned on 20 December. Hunne's accusers claimed that he had committed suicide, although they could not convince the coroner's jury, which in February 1515 found that Hunne had been murdered.
debated whether to approve a Bill to restore to Hunne's children the property which had been forfeited when their father was found, posthumously, guilty of heresy. The House of Commons petitioned Henry VIII
to reform the law on mortuary fees and an attempt was made to extend laws against benefit of clergy. None of the proposed bills was passed.
Foxe recounted Hunne's case as evidence of the unfairness and unaccountability of English ecclesiastical courts on the eve of the Reformation. It also presented Hunne as a martyr and one of the forerunners of the Protestantism that would soon enter England in the wake of Martin Luther
's protest. An anonymous account The enquirie and verdite of the quest panneld of the death of Richard Hune which was founde hanged in Lolars tower published in 1537 suggests that its author also saw parallels between Hunne's case and the Henrician Reformation's attempt to bring ecclesiastical courts under state control.
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
with Lollard sympathies. He was charged with heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1514.
Life
In March 1511, Hunne refused to pay the standard mortuary fee, the baby's christening robe, to the rector of St. Mary Matfelon in WhitechapelWhitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
after the funeral of his dead baby. The matter was not pursued by the Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
until Hunne and a friend challenged the rector of St. Michael Cornhill over the title of a tenement in November 1511. Hunne was then sued by the rector of St. Mary Matfelon for the mortuary fee and appeared in the ecclesiastical Court of Audience in April 1512. The court found in favour of the rector.
On 27 December 1512, Hunne attended vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
at the same church and the priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
refused to proceed with the service until Hunne left. According to the account in Hunne in John 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...
's Acts and Monuments the priest shouted "Hunne, thou art accursed and standest accursed!", meaning by this that Hunne had been excommunicated by the ecclesiastical court. Hunne responded in January 1513 by suing the priest for slander claiming his character and business had been ruined by the priest's accusation. He also counteracted with a praemunire
Praemunire
In English history, Praemunire or Praemunire facias was a law that prohibited the assertion or maintenance of papal jurisdiction, imperial or foreign, or some other alien jurisdiction or claim of supremacy in England, against the supremacy of the Monarch...
charge against the church court in which he had been arraigned and argued that its authority derived from a Papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
and therefore was a foreign court which could have no legitimate jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
over the King of England's subjects.
The London clergy responded by again charging Hunne, this time for heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. Hunne was then sent to the Lollards' Tower of St. Paul's Cathedral after a raid on his house in October 1514 had uncovered an English Bible
Early Modern English Bible translations
Early Modern English Bible translations are those translations of the Bible which were made between about 1500 and 1800, the period of Early Modern English. This was the first major period of Bible translation into the English language including the King James Version and Douai Bibles...
with a prologue sympathetic to Wycliffe
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe was an English Scholastic philosopher, theologian, lay preacher, translator, reformer and university teacher who was known as an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers were known as Lollards, a somewhat rebellious movement, which preached...
's doctrines.
Hunne was found hanging in his cell on 4 December 1514. His body was burned on 20 December. Hunne's accusers claimed that he had committed suicide, although they could not convince the coroner's jury, which in February 1515 found that Hunne had been murdered.
Aftermath
In 1515, as a result of this affair, ParliamentParliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
debated whether to approve a Bill to restore to Hunne's children the property which had been forfeited when their father was found, posthumously, guilty of heresy. The House of Commons petitioned 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...
to reform the law on mortuary fees and an attempt was made to extend laws against benefit of clergy. None of the proposed bills was passed.
Foxe recounted Hunne's case as evidence of the unfairness and unaccountability of English ecclesiastical courts on the eve of the Reformation. It also presented Hunne as a martyr and one of the forerunners of the Protestantism that would soon enter England in the wake of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's protest. An anonymous account The enquirie and verdite of the quest panneld of the death of Richard Hune which was founde hanged in Lolars tower published in 1537 suggests that its author also saw parallels between Hunne's case and the Henrician Reformation's attempt to bring ecclesiastical courts under state control.
Select bibliography
- Davis, E. Jeffries. "The Authorities for the Case of Richard Hunne (1514-15)." The English Historical Review 30, no. 119 (July 1915): 477-488.
- Smart, S. J. "John Foxe and 'The Story of Richard Hun, Martyr.'" Journal of Ecclesiastical History 37 (1986): 1–14.
- Wunderli, R. "Pre-Reformation London Summoners and the Murder of Richard Hunne." Journal of Ecclesiastical History 33 (1982): 209–24.
