Foxe's Actes and Monuments (1610)
Book of Martyrs
A tragicall, lamentable, and pitiful history, full of most cruell
& tyrannicall murther, done by the pretensed catholicks, upon three
women and an infant: to wit, the mother, her two daughters, and the
childe, in the Isle of Garnsey, for Christes true religion, the yeare
of our Lord, July 18 1556.
Among all and singular Histories touched in this book before, as there
be many pitifull, diuers lamentable, some horrible and tragicall: so
is there none almost either in cruelty to be compared or so farre off
from al compassion and sense of humanitie, as this mercilesse fact of
the Papists, done in the Isle of Garnsey, upon three women and an infant,
whose names be these as follow.
Katherine Cawches, the mother.
Guellemine Gilbert, the daughter.
Perotine Massey, the other daughter.
An Infant, the sonne of Perotine.
But before I come to the purpose of this storie, it shall be necesary,
for the better explaining of the matter, to beginne first with the circumstances,
whereupon the first originall and occasioned rise of this tragicall
cruelty. The case was this. On the 17. day of May. an. 1556 in the Isle
of Garnsey, which was a member of England, in a towne there called S.
Peters Port was a naughty woman named Vincent Gosset, who being evill
disposed, (went the day aforesaid) to the house of one Nicholas le Conronney,
dwelling in the towne of the said S. Peters Port, about ten of the clock
at night, & there taking the key of the house (lying under the doore)
entred into a chamber toward the street where she espying a cup of silver
within a cubbord take it away, and so conveied her selfe out of the
house againe. Who immediatly after this fact done (whether by counsel
or by what occasion els, I have not to say) brought the said cup to
one Perotine Massey, an honest woman dwelling in the said towne, desiring
her to lend her vi.d. upon the same.
Perotine seeing the cup or goblet, and suspecting (as trueth was)
the same to bee stollen, answered that she would not take it: yet neuerthelesse
having knowledge of the owner thereof; tooke it, to restore it againe
to whome it did appertain, and to the end she should not carry it to
another, gave her then presently vi.d. Where moreouer is to be noted,
that Thomas Effart saith and testifieth, that knowledge was given to
the said Perotine to Conronney touching the stealing of his peece, who
eftsoones vpon the misliking thereof attached to the said Vincent Gosset,
of the trespasse. Who being apprehended and examined vpon the same,
immediatly confessed the fact, desiring to have one sent with her (which
was Collas de Loutre) with vi.d. to fetch againe the goblet, where it
was: and so did.
The next day following, the kings officers beeing informed of the
premisses by one Nicholas Cary of the said
towne constable, assembled to justices there to inquire and examine
further, as well upon the fact of Vincent Gosset, as upon other griefes
and things there amisse. So that after declaration made by the officers
and constable before the Justice, for that the said constable did report
to have found certain vessell of Pewter in the house of the foresaid
Perotine Massey (who then dwelt with her mother Katherin Cawches, and
her sister Guillemine Guilbert) the which vessell did beare no mark,
and expecially for that there was a Pewter dish, whereof the name was
scraped out, their bodies vpon the same were attached, and put in prison,
and their moveable goods taken by inventory. Within a few daies after
these things thus done and past, these three silly women abiding thus
in durance in the castle, made their supplication to the Justices to
haue justice ministred vnto them, viz. If they had offended the law,
then to let them have the law: if not, beseeching to grant them the
benefit of subjects, &c. Which supplication put up, thereupon were they
appointed to come to their answer the fifth day of June, in the year
aforesaid. Upon which day, after straight examining of the matter and
the honest answering of the cause by the said good woman, at the last
they submitted them to the report of their neighbors; that they were
no theeves, nor evill disposed persons, but lived truely and honestly,
as became christian women to doe, the false and untrue report of their
accusers notwithstanding.
So the cause being thus debated, after the inquirie made by the kings
officers, they were found by their said neighbors not guilty of that
they were charged with, but had lived alwaies as honest women among
them: saving onely that to the commandements of holy church, they had
not beene obedient, &c. Upon this triall, and verdit of the neighbors,
it was in fine adjudged first that the said Vincent Gosset, being atteinted
of felony and condemned for the same, should be whipped, and after her
eare being nailed to the pillorie, should be banished out of the Isle
without further punishment. And astouching the other three women, the
mother with her two daughters, for their not comming to the church,
they were returned prisoners again into the castle to the first of July.
And thus far concerning the true discourse of this matter, withal the
circumstances and apputtenance of the same in euery point as the case
stoode, according to the faithful tenour, and testimony of the Garnseymen
written with their own hands both in the French & English tong. Wherein
you see what false surmised matter was pretended against these women,
and nothing proved, and how by the attestation of their neighbors they
were fully cleered of the fact, and should by the temporal court have
bin dismissed, had not the spiritual clergy men picking matter of religion
against them, exercised such extreamitie in persecuting these miserable
prisoneers, that in no case they could escape their bloudy handes, till
at length they had brought them (as you shall heare) to their final
end. For after the time of this declaration aboue mentioned made by
the neighbours, wherby they were purged of all other thinges, and beeing
then knowne of their not comming to the church, the bailiffes lieutenant
and the Justice thinking the matter not to pertaine to them, but to
the clergie, forthwith wrot their letters or Mandate vnder their signets
to the Deane whose name was Jaques Amy, and Curates of the said Isle:
The contents whereof here followeth. A letter sent from the Bailiffes
lieutenant, and Iurates of Saint Peters Port, to the Deane and Curates
of the Isle of Garnsey.
Maister Deane and Iustices in your Court and iurisdiction, after
al amiable recommendations, pleaseth you to know that we are informed
by the deposition of certain honest men, past before vs in maner of
an inquiry: in the which inquiry Katherine Cawches & her two daughters
have submitted themselues in a certaine matter criminall. Wherein
we be informed that they haue been disobedient to the commandements,
and ordinances of the church, in contemning & forsaking the masse
and the ordinances of the same, against the wil & commandement of
our Sovraigne Lord the king & the queene. Wherof wee send you the
said matter, forasmuch as the matter is spirituall, to the end you
may proceed therein after your good discretions, and as briefely as
you can possible, & also that it perteined to your office, recomending
you to God, the which giue you grace o do that pertaineth to right
& iustice. Written the first day of the moneth of Iuly, the yeare
of our Lord, 1556.
After these letters, and information thus addressed to Jaques Amy
Deane, and to other of the clergie, the said women were againe conuented
before the Justice aforesaid with his assistants. In the presence of
whom they beeing examined of their faith, concerning the ordinances
of the Romish church, made their answere that they would obey and keepe
the ordinances of the king and queene, and the commandements of the
church, notwithstanding that they had said and done the contrary in
the time of K. Edward the 6. in shewing obedience to his ordinances
and commandements before. After which answere taken, they were returned
againe to prison, untill the other had an answere of their letter from
the deane and his complices. During which time, the deane and curate
gaue their information touching the said women, and deliuered the same
to the Bailiffe and Jurates, condemning and reputing them for heretickes,
the women neither hearing of any information, neither yet being ever
examined at any time before of their faith, and religion. Wherupon when
the said bailiffe & Jurates understood that the said deane & curats
had not examined the women of their faith, would not sit in judgement
on that day, but ordained the women to come first before the deane &
curats to be examined of their faith. And so the officers at the commandement
of the justices, did fetch and present them before the said deane and
curates. The which being accomplished and done, they were examined apart
severally one from another: After which examination they incontinently
were returned againe into prison.
Then the xiiii. day of the said moneth of July, in the yeare aforesaid,
after the examination aboue specified before Elyer Goffelin Bailiffe,
in the presence of Thomas Deuick, Pierres Martine, Nicholas
Cary, John Blondel, Nicholas de Lisle, John Lauerchaunt, John
le Fener, Pierres Bonnamy, Nicholas Martin, John de la March Jurates:
Sir Jaques Amy Deane and the Curates, did deliver before the Justice
vnder the seale of the deane, and vnder the signes of the curats, a
certaine act & sentence, the sum whereof was, that Katherine Cawches
& her two daughters were found heretickes, and such they reputed them,
and haue deliuered them to Justice, to doe execution, according to the
sentence, of the which the tenor followeth.
The Sentence.
An.dom.millesimo, quing etesimo, quinquagesimo sexto, die vero.xiii.
mensis Iulii apud Ecclesiam diui Petri in portu maris insula promotor,
per nos Dominum Decanum inquisitio facta fiut de fide Catholica, &
super Sacramenta Ecclesiastica, videlicet super sacramentum Baptismi,
confirmationis, poenitentiae, ordinis, Matrimonii, Eucharistiae, &
extremae vnctionis, nec non super ceremonias ecclesiae, ac de veneratione
& honoratione beatae Mariae & sanctorum, de missa & eius efficacia,
& de ceremoniis Ecclesiae, videlicet Katherinae Cawches, eiusdemq
duaram filiarum Guilleminae & Parotinae nuncupataru, & harum tam coniunctim
quam separatim & via iuris. Et quamuis pluries ad veniam petenda,
& ad delicta sua cognoscenda "hortauimus & inuitauimus, quaequidem
praedicta omnino negauerunt & negant, quod locutae fuerunt aliquod
verbum inane, inhonestum, ociosum, & vanum contra fidem catholicam,
Sacramenta Ecclesiae, & alias ceremonias Ecclesiae Quapropter auditis
negationibus praedictarum, & attestationibus & depositionibus testium
per nos visis, confideraris, de bene ponderatis, & per opiniones Curatoru
& Vicarioria ibid et assiftenium super easdem Kather. & Parotinam,
nec non & Guellemina crimine haeriticas inuenimus & reputamus, Quapropter
coramvobis Domino Balfuo omnino remittimus tea remisimus, Thomas le
Coll de mandato, Iohn Alles, Guillielmus Panquet, Petrus Tardise,
& Iohannes Mantiel.
When this was done, commandement was given to the kings officers,
to goe to the castle to fetch the said women, to heare the sentence
against them in the presence afiresaid. And they appearing before them,
said in the eares of al the auditory, that they would see their accusers,
& know them that have deposed against them, because they might make
answers to their sayings and personages, and to have their libel accordingly:
for they knew not to have offended the maiesties of the kind and queene,
nor of the church, but intirely would obey, observe and keepe the ordinances
of the king and queene, and of the church, as all good and true Subiects
are bound to doe. And for any breach of the king and queenes lawes that
they had done, they required iustice. All which their reasons and allegations
not withstanding, the said poore women were condemned, and adiudged
to bee burnt, vntill they were consumed into ashes, according to a sentence
giuen by Elyer Gosseline Bailiffe of the which sentence the tenour hereafter
followeth.
The effect of the sentence in English.
The xvii. (or some other think the xxvii.) day of the moneth of July,
1556, Elier Goffelin Bailiff in the presence of Thomas Deuick, Pierres
Martine, Nicholas Cary, John Bloundel,
Nicholas Deuife, John le Marchaunt, John le Feauer, Pierres Bonamy,
Nicholas Martine & Joh. de la March Iurates, Katherine Cawches, Perotine
Massey, and Giullemine Guilbert, the said Perotine & Guillemine daughters
to the said Katherine, are al condemned & iudged this day to bee burned,
vntil they be consumed to ashes in the place accustomed, with the confiscation
of all their goods mooueables, and heritages, to be in the hands of
the king and queens maiesties, according and after the effect of a sentence
deliuered in iustice, by maister Deane and the Curats, the 13. day of
the moneth of July, in the yeare aforesaid, in the which they haue been
approved heretickes.
|
