Rowland Taylor
Encyclopedia
Rowland Taylor (October 6, 1510 – February 9, 1555) was an English
Protestant martyr during the Marian Persecutions
.
At the time of his death he was Rector
of a small parish in a market town, Hadleigh (also spelled Hadley), in Suffolk
. His sentence was execution by burning
at the stake, the common method for dealing with heretics in the 16th century.
. In 1530, Taylor received his L.L.B. degree from Cambridge University
. From 1531-1538 Rowland Taylor was Principal of Borden Hostel. In 1534 he received the L.L.D. from Cambridge, the same year Martin Luther
completed his German Bible
. One year later, 1535, William Tyndale
was tried and denounced as a heretic for his new English Bible translation. Tyndale was burned at the stake in 1536. Rowland's wife - Margaret Tyndale - was William Tyndale's niece.
, Mary's rival, he was also charged with heresy
for having preached a sermon
in Bury St. Edmunds
denouncing the Roman Catholic practice of clerical celibacy
, which required that a priest
in holy orders
be unmarried. Many English clergymen, including Dr. Taylor, had abandoned this teaching since the 1530s as a token of the English Reformation.
Taylor also denounced the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation
which is the belief that the two elements (bread and wine) taken during Holy Communion, or the Eucharist
, actually become the body and blood of Jesus
Christ. Since the Roman Catholic position is that the Eucharist (and the miracle of transubstantiation) is a sacrament
commanded by God, anyone denying it, particularly a cleric or pastor, is considered a heretic. This teaching was opposed universally by the Reformed and Protestant Churches, who maintained that, since a sacrament is a sign, it cannot also be the thing signified. For similar reasons relating to the problem of idolatry
, Taylor took issue with the Roman Catholic form of the Mass
, and received much support from the villagers of Hadleigh.
These issues came to a head after Edward VI died (July 6, 1553) and was succeeded by Queen Mary I. In 1554 Mary began a program of re-establishing Catholicism
in England. However the English clergy and Anglican faithful, whose hopes for a Protestant royal succession had been dashed by Mary's imprisonment and execution of Lady Jane Grey
, saw it as a matter of English Christian duty to resist this backlash, not least to resist the political ambitions of the King of Spain (Philip II
, whom Mary married) to draw England within the sphere of the Holy Roman Empire
and its Roman Catholic satellites. Although Mary, as Henry VIII
's eldest daughter, was a legitimate successor to Edward VI
, England was no longer minded to tolerate a Roman Catholic monarch, and the courage and endurance unto death of men like Dr Taylor provided the public example which ensured that the Reformation was not in fact overturned, but became established in the Realm
of England
.
On March 26, 1554 the Privy Council
ordered the arrest of Taylor and he thus appeared before Archbishop Stephen Gardiner
. The proceedings against Taylor ran over several years. During this time he was kept in the King's Bench Prison
. While in prison he befriended many inmates and was instrumental in many conversions to Anglicanism.
in 1553 and her immediate reversion to Roman Catholic rule in obedience to the Pope
(an attempt to turn back the Reformation
of the English Church
) led her to unleash her wrath upon those whom she defined as treasonably minded heretics. On January 22, 1555, Rowland Taylor (Vicar
or Rector of Hadleigh), and several other clergy, including John Hooper
, were examined by a commission of leading bishops and lawyers. The Lord Chancellor
presided at the hearings. Just two days previously, January 20th, Parliament had revived the old statute of burning convicted heretics.
One of the men, Crome, recanted and was thus pardoned. Barlow equivocated and was sent to the Tower of London, but not executed. Rowland Taylor, who remained committed, was probably taken to Compter Prison in London after his examination by Stephen Gardiner. Taylor gave a fervent defence of clerical marriage which put him at odds with the Roman Catholic Church.
On January 29, 1555, Taylor was brought before Gardiner again at St. Mary's. The next day he was excommunicated and sentenced to death. He was degraded, that is, stripped of his clerical garments in a symbolic manner, and was offered his last supper with his family.
His reaction to his accusers revealed Taylor's belief that truth was on his side:
at Chelmsford
. Before he was handed over he spoke these words to his family:
Following Rogers on the February 4, and Saunders on the 8th, Taylor became Mary's third Protestant to be burned at the stake. His execution took place on February 9, 1555, at Aldham
Common just outside Hadleigh. His wife, two daughters, and his son Thomas, were present that day.
His final words to his son Thomas as reported by Foxe:
A local butcher was ordered to set a torch to the wood but resisted. A couple of bystanders finally threw a lighted faggot on to the wood. A sympathetic guard named Warwick struck Dr. Taylor over the head with a halbard, which apparently killed him instantly. The fire consumed his body shortly thereafter. That same day John Hooper
was burned at the stake in Gloucester
.
An unhewn stone marks the place of Taylor's death at Aldham Common. It reads:
There is also a Monument erected next to the un-hewn stone that was erected in the mid 19th century.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Protestant martyr during the Marian Persecutions
Marian Persecutions
The Marian Persecutions were carried out against religious reformers, Protestants, and other dissenters for their heretical beliefs during the reign of Mary I of England. The excesses of this period were mythologized in the historical record of Foxe's Book of Martyrs...
.
At the time of his death he was Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of a small parish in a market town, Hadleigh (also spelled Hadley), in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. His sentence was execution by burning
Execution by burning
Death by burning is death brought about by combustion. As a form of capital punishment, burning has a long history as a method in crimes such as treason, heresy, and witchcraft....
at the stake, the common method for dealing with heretics in the 16th century.
Taylor's early life and education
He was born in NorthumberlandNorthumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. In 1530, Taylor received his L.L.B. degree from Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. From 1531-1538 Rowland Taylor was Principal of Borden Hostel. In 1534 he received the L.L.D. from Cambridge, the same year 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...
completed his German Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. One year later, 1535, William Tyndale
William Tyndale
William Tyndale was an English scholar and translator who became a leading figure in Protestant reformism towards the end of his life. He was influenced by the work of Desiderius Erasmus, who made the Greek New Testament available in Europe, and by Martin Luther...
was tried and denounced as a heretic for his new English Bible translation. Tyndale was burned at the stake in 1536. Rowland's wife - Margaret Tyndale - was William Tyndale's niece.
Taylor's religious career
- In the late 1530s Taylor served as Hugh LatimerHugh LatimerHugh Latimer was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, Bishop of Worcester before the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555, under Queen Mary, he was burnt at the stake, becoming one of the three Oxford Martyrs of Anglicanism.-Life:Latimer was born into a...
's chaplainChaplainTraditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
and commissary general of the Diocese of WinchesterDiocese of WinchesterThe Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England.Founded in 676, it is one of the oldest and largest of the dioceses in England.The area of the diocese incorporates:...
. - In March of 1538 Taylor was collated by Latimer to the parish church of Hanbury.
- When Hugh Latimer resigned, Taylor was taken under the wing of Thomas CranmerThomas CranmerThomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
, living with him and (1539) serving as his chaplain. He was ordained by Cranmer and admitted to the parish church of St. Swithins in Worcester, England. He was thus given his license to preach and did so in the diocese of London. - On April 16, 1544 he was presented to the living of Hadleigh, Suffolk, thus becoming their spiritual leader and Rector.
- In 1543 the English Parliament banned Tyndale's English version and all public reading of the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
by laymen. Religious persecutionReligious persecutionReligious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
of Protestant clergy, especially by Roman Catholics, intensified in BritainEarly Modern BritainEarly modern Britain is the history of the island of Great Britain, roughly corresponding to the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Major historical events in Early Modern British history include the English Renaissance, the English Reformation and Scottish Reformation, the English Civil War, the...
at this time. - In 1546 the Council of TrentCouncil of TrentThe Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
, an ecumenical councilEcumenical councilAn ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
of the Catholic Church, decreed that the Latin Vulgate was the authoritative version of the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. - In the Summer of 1547 Rowland Taylor was employed as a preacher for the royal visitation within the dioceses of Lincoln, OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Lichfield and Coventry. - On August 15, 1547 he became canon of Rochester, the same King Henry the VIII died, January.
- 1548, Taylor was appointed Archdeacon of Bury St Edmunds and preached at the request of the Lord Mayor at Whitsuntide or PentecostPentecostPentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
. - Edward VIEdward VI of EnglandEdward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, who reigned from 1547-1553, followed Henry VIII and in 1549 the Book of Common PrayerBook of Common PrayerThe Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
became the Protestant liturgical text in England. - In 1550, Taylor was called to serve on a commission against Anabaptists. The same year he also helped to administer the vacant diocese of NorwichAnglican Diocese of NorwichThe Diocese of Norwich forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.It traces its roots in an unbroken line to the diocese of Dunwich founded in 630. In common with many Anglo-Saxon bishoprics it moved, in this case to Elmham in 673...
. - In 1551, at age 41, Taylor was made Archdeacon of Exeter in the Diocese of ExeterDiocese of ExeterThe Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Province of...
, was also appointed one of the Six PreachersSix PreachersThe college of Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral was created by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer as part of the reorganisation of the monastic Christ Church Priory into the new secular Cathedral....
of Canterbury CathedralCanterbury CathedralCanterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
and was appointed chancellor to Bishop Nicholas RidleyNicholas Ridley (martyr)Nicholas Ridley was an English Bishop of London. Ridley was burned at the stake, as one of the Oxford Martyrs, during the Marian Persecutions, for his teachings and his support of Lady Jane Grey...
. His leadership was expanded by serving on a commission to revise the ecclesiastical laws. - In 1552, he helped administer the vacant Diocese of WorcesterAnglican Diocese of WorcesterThe Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese was founded in around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce, one of the many Anglo Saxon petty-kingdoms of that time...
.
Taylor's troubles (circa 1553)
Taylor's troubles began on July 25, 1553. He was arrested just six days after the new Queen, Mary I, ascended the throne. Aside from the fact that Taylor had supported Lady Jane GreyLady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, Mary's rival, he was also 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...
for having preached a sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
in Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is a market town in the county of Suffolk, England, and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre...
denouncing the Roman Catholic practice of clerical celibacy
Clerical celibacy
Clerical celibacy is the discipline by which some or all members of the clergy in certain religions are required to be unmarried. Since these religions consider deliberate sexual thoughts, feelings, and behavior outside of marriage to be sinful, clerical celibacy also requires abstension from these...
, which required that a 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...
in holy orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
be unmarried. Many English clergymen, including Dr. Taylor, had abandoned this teaching since the 1530s as a token of the English Reformation.
Taylor also denounced the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation
Transubstantiation
In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation means the change, in the Eucharist, of the substance of wheat bread and grape wine into the substance of the Body and Blood, respectively, of Jesus, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.The Eastern Orthodox...
which is the belief that the two elements (bread and wine) taken during Holy Communion, or the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, actually become the body and blood of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ. Since the Roman Catholic position is that the Eucharist (and the miracle of transubstantiation) is a sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
commanded by God, anyone denying it, particularly a cleric or pastor, is considered a heretic. This teaching was opposed universally by the Reformed and Protestant Churches, who maintained that, since a sacrament is a sign, it cannot also be the thing signified. For similar reasons relating to the problem of idolatry
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
, Taylor took issue with the Roman Catholic form of the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, and received much support from the villagers of Hadleigh.
These issues came to a head after Edward VI died (July 6, 1553) and was succeeded by Queen Mary I. In 1554 Mary began a program of re-establishing Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
in England. However the English clergy and Anglican faithful, whose hopes for a Protestant royal succession had been dashed by Mary's imprisonment and execution of Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, saw it as a matter of English Christian duty to resist this backlash, not least to resist the political ambitions of the King of Spain (Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, whom Mary married) to draw England within the sphere of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
and its Roman Catholic satellites. Although Mary, as 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...
's eldest daughter, was a legitimate successor to Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, England was no longer minded to tolerate a Roman Catholic monarch, and the courage and endurance unto death of men like Dr Taylor provided the public example which ensured that the Reformation was not in fact overturned, but became established in the Realm
Realm
A realm is a dominion of a monarch or other sovereign ruler.The Old French word reaume, modern French royaume, was the word first adopted in English; the fixed modern spelling does not appear until the beginning of the 17th century...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
On March 26, 1554 the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
ordered the arrest of Taylor and he thus appeared before Archbishop Stephen 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:...
. The proceedings against Taylor ran over several years. During this time he was kept in the King's Bench Prison
King's Bench Prison
The King's Bench Prison was a prison in Southwark, south London, from medieval times until it closed in 1880. It took its name from the King's Bench court of law in which cases of defamation, bankruptcy and other misdemeanours were heard; as such, the prison was often used as a debtor's prison...
. While in prison he befriended many inmates and was instrumental in many conversions to Anglicanism.
Taylor's trial and martyrdom
January 1555 was an ominous month for Anglican clergy in England. After several years of separation from Roman worship and governance, the accession of Mary IMary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
in 1553 and her immediate reversion to Roman Catholic rule in obedience to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
(an attempt to turn back the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
of the English Church
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
) led her to unleash her wrath upon those whom she defined as treasonably minded heretics. On January 22, 1555, Rowland Taylor (Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
or Rector of Hadleigh), and several other clergy, including John Hooper
John Hooper
John Hooper, Johan Hoper, was an English churchman, Anglican Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester. A Protestant Reformer, he was killed during the Marian Persecutions.-Biography:...
, were examined by a commission of leading bishops and lawyers. The Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
presided at the hearings. Just two days previously, January 20th, Parliament had revived the old statute of burning convicted heretics.
One of the men, Crome, recanted and was thus pardoned. Barlow equivocated and was sent to the Tower of London, but not executed. Rowland Taylor, who remained committed, was probably taken to Compter Prison in London after his examination by Stephen Gardiner. Taylor gave a fervent defence of clerical marriage which put him at odds with the Roman Catholic Church.
On January 29, 1555, Taylor was brought before Gardiner again at St. Mary's. The next day he was excommunicated and sentenced to death. He was degraded, that is, stripped of his clerical garments in a symbolic manner, and was offered his last supper with his family.
His reaction to his accusers revealed Taylor's belief that truth was on his side:
"And although I know, that there is neither iustice nor truth to be looked for at my adversaries hands, but rather imprisonment and cruel death: yet know my cause to be so good and righteous, and the truth so strong upon my side, that I will by God's grace go and appear before them and to their beards resist their false doings."
Taylor's final words
As Dr. Taylor neared the day of his execution he spoke these words on February 7, 1555 (probably) Taylor was taken back to his own place of Rectory - Hadleigh - where his wife awaited him in the early morning hours at St. Botolph's churchyard. They exchanged a few last brief words and Margaret promised to be present for his burning in a couple days. That same day Taylor was handed over to the Sheriff of EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
at Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
. Before he was handed over he spoke these words to his family:
"I say to my wife, and to my children, The Lord gave you unto me, and the Lord hath taken me from you, and you from me: blessed be the name of the Lord! I believe that they are blessed which die in the Lord. God careth for sparrows, and for the hairs of our heads. I have ever found Him more faithful and favorable, than is any father or husband. Trust ye therefore in Him by the means of our dear Savior Christ's merits: believe, love, fear, and obey Him: pray to Him, for He hath promised to help. Count me not dead, for I shall certainly live, and never die. I go before, and you shall follow after, to our long home."
Following Rogers on the February 4, and Saunders on the 8th, Taylor became Mary's third Protestant to be burned at the stake. His execution took place on February 9, 1555, at Aldham
Aldham, Suffolk
Aldham is a village and civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. Located around eight miles west of Ipswich, in 2005 it had a population of 200....
Common just outside Hadleigh. His wife, two daughters, and his son Thomas, were present that day.
His final words to his son Thomas as reported by Foxe:
"Almighty God bless thee, and give you his Holy Spirit, to be a true servant of Christ, to learn his word, and constantly to stand by his truth all the life long. And my son, see that thou fear God always. Fly from all sin and wicked living. Be virtuous, serve God daily with prayer, and apply thy boke. In anywise see thou be obedient to thy mother, love her, and serve her. Be ruled by her now in thy youth, and follow her good counsel in all things. Beware of lewd company of young men, that fear not God, but followeth their lewd lusts and vain appetites. Flee from whoredom, and hate all filthy lying, remembering that I they father do die in the defense of holy marriage. And another day when God shall bless thee, love and cherish the poor people, and count that thy chief riches to be rich in alms. And when thy mother is waxed old, forsake her not, but provide for her to thy power, and see that she lacks nothing. For so will God bless thee, give thee long life upon earth, and prosperity, which I pray God to grant thee."
A local butcher was ordered to set a torch to the wood but resisted. A couple of bystanders finally threw a lighted faggot on to the wood. A sympathetic guard named Warwick struck Dr. Taylor over the head with a halbard, which apparently killed him instantly. The fire consumed his body shortly thereafter. That same day John Hooper
John Hooper
John Hooper, Johan Hoper, was an English churchman, Anglican Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester. A Protestant Reformer, he was killed during the Marian Persecutions.-Biography:...
was burned at the stake in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
.
An unhewn stone marks the place of Taylor's death at Aldham Common. It reads:
There is also a Monument erected next to the un-hewn stone that was erected in the mid 19th century.
See also
- English ReformationEnglish ReformationThe English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
- Roman Catholicism
- AnglicanismAnglicanismAnglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
- Martyrdom
- Christian martyrsChristian martyrsA Christian martyr is one who is killed for following Christianity, through stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment. The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, mártys, which means "witness."...
- Historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theologyHistorical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theologyThe historical roots of Roman Catholic Eucharistic theology are the basis upon which a number of ecclesial communities, or churches, express their faith in the "bread of life" as given by Jesus, and are to be found in the Church Fathers, Scripture, the writings of Thomas Aquinas, and other early...
- Marian PersecutionsMarian PersecutionsThe Marian Persecutions were carried out against religious reformers, Protestants, and other dissenters for their heretical beliefs during the reign of Mary I of England. The excesses of this period were mythologized in the historical record of Foxe's Book of Martyrs...
- Mary I of EnglandMary I of EnglandMary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
Sources
- John FoxeJohn FoxeJohn 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...
. Foxe's Book of Martyr's. The account of Rowland Taylor's martyrdom is the entire subject of Chapter 14. - James Ridley. Bloody Mary's Martyrs: The Story of England's Terror. 2002.
External links
- John Foxe: Acts and Monuments. The Variorum Edition, hriOnline, Sheffield 2004
- Memoirs of the Reformers (Rowland Taylor)
- The Legacy of Rowland Taylor
- Hadleigh in Suffolk
- Wikimapia location of Rowland Taylor statue, Hadleigh, Suffolk, UK.