Episode 2
Martin Marprelate
Audio • Season 2 • Episode 2 • Martin Marprelate
Artwork • The Cambridge University Library copy of:
'The Protestation of Martin Marprelate’, 1589.
Hastily created on an antiquated press hidden in a barn on a Coventry property, this last pamphlet was probably typeset by Martin’s collaborators, Job Throckmorton and John Penry. of Martin Marprelate'.
Music • Daniel Bacheler: To Plead My Faith · The Consort of Musicke · Anthony Rooley
Daniel Bacheler, 1572 – 1619, was an English lutenist and composer.
This is his only surviving song, set to the words of Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, 1565-1601.
Transcript
Series 2.
Episode 2.
Martin Marprelate.
The year is:One Sunday morning in October 1587, John Greenwood was sharing readings from the Bible, with a group of people, at Henry Martin's house in St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, in the City of London.
When, without warning, armed officials working for the Bishop of London, stormed into the room and arrested John, along with twenty others, taking them to the Clink Prison.
First mentioned around:During the 13th century, it was part of Baynard's Castle, an ancient royal residence.
In:This connection, is how the church acquired its distinctive name.
n the Great Fire of London in:This devastating fire swept through the City from the 2nd to the 6 September, destroying much of it.
Starting in the old Roman part of the City, it quickly spread beyond the ancient city walls, causing widespread destruction of medieval structures.
One of the 51 churches constructed by Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London is St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe.
rd design and was finished in:During World War II, the church was badly damaged due to bombing, with only the tower and walls left standing.
lly reopened to the public in:The current St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is an Anglican church on Queen Victoria Street London, near today’s Blackfriars’ railway station.
It is also the London headquarters for the Coptic Orthodox Church, as part of a church-sharing arrangement.
The Coptic Orthodox Church, based in Egypt, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian church led by the Pope of Alexandria.
The Pope holds multiple titles, including Father of fathers and Shepherd of shepherds, and presides from Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo.
Following the Coptic Rite for its liturgy and practices, the church represents Egypt's largest minority, with around 10 million Christians, making it the largest Christian population in the Middle East and North Africa.
It was founded by Saint Mark in the mid-1st century.
At present, the parish of St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, does not ordain women, instead, it receives alternative Episcopal oversight, from the Bishop of Fulham.
A Provincial Episcopal visitor is a Church of England bishop responsible for supporting and guiding certain clergy, church members, and local parishes who, on grounds of theological conviction, “are unable to receive the ministry of women bishops or priests”.
The system by which such bishops oversee certain churches is referred to as alternative Episcopal oversight.
The church is part of the City Catholics, a group of five churches, in the City of London.
The churches within this cluster, are devoted and valued members, of the Church of England.
However, they take joy in the Catholic sacraments, adhere to Catholic traditions, and assert that the English Church has always been fundamentally Catholic.
Central to their communal life, is the celebration of the Mass, during which the priests re-enact the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, at the altar.
The City churches proclaiming the Catholic Faith in the Church of England are:
St James Garlickhythe.
St Andrew Holborn.
St Andrew by the Wardrobe.
St Dunstan-in-the-West.
St Magnus the Martyr.
Henry Barrow was born about: re Hall Cambridge in November: In:To his surprise, as Barrow wrote, he agreed with many of Browne's ideas - instead of arguing against them.
He subsequently developed a close relationship with John Greenwood, the Separatist leader.
eting secretly since the late:Later that year, upon hearing that Greenwood had been arrested, Barrow decided to travel to London to offer support.
He arrived at the Clink prison around 19 November, but soon realised that getting in was easy, while getting out was entirely different.
Following his orders, the prison keeper, Mr Shepherd, detained Barrow and quickly travelled to Lambeth to report his capture.
The Archbishop's men, brought Barrow to Lambeth Palace, to face his first examination by Archbishop Whitgift.
Barrow, who had some legal knowledge, strongly protested against his unlawful detention without a warrant, recognising the illegality of his arrest.
He refused to take the ex officio oath or to provide bail for future appearances, and as a result, he was committed to Gatehouse Prison.
A week later, on 27 November, Barrow faced his second examination before the High Commission at Lambeth.
An assembly of bishops, deans, and laypersons required Barrow to swear an oath on the Holy Scriptures and to confirm his commitment to regular church attendance.
Throughout the questioning, Barrow continuously challenged the authorities about the reasons for his arrest.
Eventually, they revealed the charges against him.
The allegations, included claims that he taught the Church of England was illegitimate, that he participated in idolatrous worship, and that he led an anti-Christian ministry.
Additionally, it was alleged that he claimed all catechisms were idolatrous.
After refusing to swear the oath again, he was sent back to prison.
The year is: March:Many prisoners were kept in very cold cells, some were shackled with heavy chains, and there were reports of severe mistreatment, with some prisoners even beaten to death by the guards.
The Fleet prison was notorious for its harsh conditions, leading to many deaths.
For example, Nicholas Crane died from a fever while locked up, and John Chandler lost his life after being torn away from his wife and children.
Additionally, two elderly widows died from the polluted air within the prison.
All of these tragedies occurred because the prisoners had simply listened to the teachings of Greenwood.
After receiving the petition from the prisoners, Elizabeth chose to grant a new hearing, demonstrating her willingness to address the grievances of the Puritan dissenters in certain cases.
March:For Barrow, this was to be his third examination.
This time, however, the court comprised the Archbishop, Aylmer and Cooper, the Bishops of London and Winchester, the two Lord Chief Justices, the Master of the Rolls, and the Lord Chief Baron.
Barrow's main argument focused on the parish assemblies of the Church of England.
He contended that these gatherings, which did not differentiate between believers and non-believers, could not be considered authentic Churches of Christ.
Furthermore, he asserted that only Christ’s teachings should define all regulations for the Church.
After several intense exchanges, Whitgift ultimately asked Barrow to pledge his loyalty by swearing the Oath of Royal Supremacy, but Barrow refused.
Later that day, the Commission called Greenwood in for questioning.
He was careful with his answers, but strongly insisted that Christ is the only leader of His Church, and no one can change that.
Six weeks later, Barrow and Greenwood stood trial at Newgate before the Bishop of London, under the Recusancy Act.
Both men were found guilty, fined £260 and moved to the Fleet prison, until they agreed to pay the financial bond, and to attend church.
ecusancy Laws were enacted in:These laws included a clause that became a tool used against Separatists, requiring everyone over the age of sixteen to attend a church, chapel, or any usual place of common prayer.
The penalties for refusing to comply with the Recusancy Laws were particularly severe.
Individuals who persisted in their nonconformity faced fines, imprisonment, and, in some cases, even death.
While the legislation aimed to suppress the practice of Catholicism in England, it also had significant repercussions for other religious dissenters, including the Separatists.
From now on, the Archbishop's men would not only arrest congregational members during their meetings, but also begin raiding individuals' homes.
Sheriff's deputies apprehended Roger Jackson and Thomas Legate while they were in bed, without any formal authorisation, claiming that they possessed manuscripts written by Barrow.
Another man, William Clarke, was jailed, simply for complaining about how Barrow had been taken into custody.
During an investigation at Quintin Smythe's Felt crafting site, the authorities discovered documents related to Brownist ideologies.
As a result, Smythe was arrested and confined, shackled, in Newgate Jail.
John Purdye was also detained and treated very harshly at Bridewell Prison.
Over a period of 19 months, at least seven members of the congregation died while in prison.
ood, releasing him briefly in:The idea of a Congregational Church, had started before Robert Browne.
Even before he formed his congregation in Norwich, there were already groups in England that met similarly.
As Browne's thoughts evolved and became more refined, he included some ideas that other groups had proposed earlier.
h was born in Scotland around:At seventeen, he joined the order of the Black Friars in Stirling Scotland.
"Black Friars" refers to the Dominican Order of Monks, known for their distinctive black cloaks.
Having been deprived of an inheritance by deceitful friends, he took this step as revenge against their betrayal.
He spent sixteen years living and working with the Black Friars, during which he made two trips to Rome on Dominican business.
During these visits, he was struck by the much greater honour the pope received during public ceremonies compared to the religious sacraments, which led him to label the pope as the "Anti-Christ".
With the support of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, John left the Black Friars and became the chaplain and spiritual advisor to Lord Hamilton, the Earl of Arran.
November:He discovered the underground church shortly afterwards and joined this group.
He was quickly chosen to be their minister, encouraging them to pursue positive actions and resolutions.
December:Their true purpose, was to hold an illegal religious meeting, using the banned English service, from the Second Prayer Book of Edward VI.
Unfortunately, Roger Sergeant, a spy, had infiltrated their group and would betray them to the church authorities.
As a result, John Rough and Deacon Cuthbert Symson, among others, were detained.
After examination before the Privy Council on 15 December, Rough was sent a prisoner to Newgate, and a letter was also sent by the council together with the minutes of his examination to Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London, requiring him to proceed against Rough.
From his cell in Newgate, Rough wrote two letters, one of which was excommunicating Margaret Mearing on suspicion of being the spy, because she had repeatedly brought strangers to church with her.
Foxe says that she "did not well take it, nor in good part!", and yet when none of Rough’s friends was allowed to visit him, she pretended to be his sister and took him a clean shirt.
later, she went to Sergeant’s house and berated him as Judas, and was herself arrested days later.
Rough was sentenced to death by the authorities, but only after an enraged Bonner, had physically assaulted him during lengthy examinations on doctrinal matters on the 18th and 19th of December.
December:A Protestant martyr, he left behind his wife and their two-year-old daughter, Rachel.
Cuthbert Symson, served as a deacon in the London congregation, and bore the risky responsibility of maintaining its membership rolls.
He was arrested, and charged with heresy and treason, where he underwent - "Enhanced Interrogation"- to force him to reveal the identities of the group's inner circle.
Despite the intense pressure, he stayed steadfast and did not reveal any information to his captors.
March:Future reformers, were likely aware of the trials faced by these earlier congregations, as their stories and struggles were documented, in the first Latin edition of Foxe's notable work.
1563 woodcut of Cuthbert Symson’s torture.
In:However, after Davison's guilty verdict, Brewster realised it was time to change.
After losing his job and learning that his father was seriously ill, he returned to Scrooby.
ooby Manor upon his return in:Brewster had departed as an inexperienced youth, but came back as a young adult, rich in life experience.
At Cambridge University, he engaged with its educational system, and witnessed Episcopal processes up close.
He was also recruited for government work in London, where he observed ministers in action.
His travels across Europe had allowed him to experience military bases, witness soldiers in combat, and navigate the sometimes intricate world of diplomacy.
Brewster had built beneficial personal relationships with several municipal leaders in Holland.
He had transformed, from an inexperienced individual who first left Scrooby, into a seasoned and knowledgeable person.
Barrow's fourth examination, stands out, because it brought him before the distinguished Cecil, Lord Burghley, at the Privy Council.
March:In response, the Queen asked Lord Burghley to investigate their situation.
He arranged a meeting at Whitehall, where he reviewed their case alongside the Lord Chancellor, Whitgift, Aylmer, and other officials.
Burghley was recognised as one of the Queen's most innovative and bold advisors.
He did not support extreme religious views and was firmly against intolerance and prejudice.
Given the harsh treatment these men faced for merely expressing their beliefs, he likely felt a mix of confusion and concern about their plight.
Despite this, he was at odds with Whitgift's severe approach.
Burghley aimed to foster better relations with reformers from other nations, believing Catholics represented a more significant threat to the Queen than these men did.
March:At first, Cecil sought to understand Barrow's viewpoint through gentle questioning.
Having just endured the trauma of confinement in the Fleet prison, Barrow was understandably disoriented.
A mix of excitement and distress surged within him, pushing him to the brink of his composure.
In a moment of abandon, he turned and pointed at Whitgift, exclaiming, "That man is a monster, a miserable compound; I do not know what to make of him; he is neither ecclesiastical nor civil".
In the end, Barrow had to be forcibly removed from the proceedings, squandering his chance to plead his case.
Later, as he sat in his prison cell, a more reflective spirit took hold of him, leading him to say,
“Lord, pardon my unworthiness and unsanctified heart and mouth, which can bring no glory to the Lord or benefit to His Church, but rather a reproach to the one, and affliction to the other”.
In:And so following the publication of his work the previous year, he released a new pamphlet, titled, "An Exhortation unto the Governors and People of Wales".
In it, he expressed a deep concern for the spiritual struggles, faced by the ordinary people.
In this work, Penry pointed his finger at the bishops, saying they were responsible for the suffering of his fellow countrymen, describing them as "slaughterers and soul tormentors".
Later that same year, in August, Penry published another book called "A Defence", using the same underground press, managing to evade the authorities who were urgently seeking to find and arrest him.
In April:This pamphlet, titled, "The State of the Church of England Laid-Open", enthusiastically mocked, an anti-Puritan bishop called "Diotrephes."
Named after a minor character from the New Testament, the publication became quite popular and sparked public interest.
Udall rejected the idea that the label "Puritan" was accurate, arguing that it stemmed from negative views, associated with Catholics.
Instead, he believed that when Diotrephes called someone a "Puritan," he was referring to those who wanted to change how the church was organised and led.
Archbishop John Whitgift and other members of the High Commission viewed Diotrephes' writings as acts of defiance.
The authorities traced the printing of these texts back to Waldegrave, and in April, they seized his printing press in London.
Waldegrave, however, managed to evade capture and save his valuable printing equipment.
As a result, the authorities prohibited the publishing and distribution of any literature related to Puritanism.
In July:To commemorate the victory, a coin was minted with the phrase "Flavit Jehovah et Dissipati Sunt," meaning "God sent his winds, and the Spaniards scattered."
The wind that aided the English became known as the "Protestant Wind," the phrase was later used to describe other victorious naval battles by the Protestants.
In July:Despite having support from the aristocracy, James Cottington, the Archdeacon of Surrey, was able to remove Udall from his lecturing position in Kingston.
Later that month, the church authorities summoned Udall to Lambeth Palace, formally confirming his dismissal, from the lecturing position.
Stephen Chatfield, the vicar of Kingston, would later claim that Udall expressed his intention to seek retribution, for the mistreatment he had endured.
Morton’s Tower, was the early Tudor gatehouse to Lambeth Palace.
From it, the Palace of Westminster or Houses of Parliament can be partially observed across the river.
It was built in:On the ground floor in the South Tower there is a small prison cell.
Used briefly in the 16th century, you can still see two iron shackle rings fixed to the wall.
The year is: February:Forty-two carefully selected Anglican ministers were assigned the task of conducting discussions every two weeks with the Separatists who had left the church, as well as with inmates serving their sentences.
A list detailing the fifty-two prisoners held in various jails, such as the Gatehouse, Newgate, and the Fleet, reveals the harsh treatment imposed by church authorities.
Among these prisoners, Barrow and Greenwood are held in the Fleet prison, while Rippon is detained in the Counter prison on Wood Street.
April:The preachers selected for these discussions were primarily known for their Puritan beliefs.
There was scant goodwill, if any, between the selected Puritans and the Separatists; in fact, some of the preachers openly loathed the Separatists, dismissing them as “Renegade Reformists.”
The gatherings were marked by troubling accusations and responses, which, in the end, led to no productive outcomes.
In March:After this examination, Barrow felt deeply wronged, believing he had been treated unfairly.
The accusations against him were ones he had faced before, which included:
- Objecting to certain prayers used in the church.
- Refusing to accept the Queen's authority over the church.
- Claiming that the Church of England was not a true church.
The conference's main focus, was on Barrow and Greenwood, who received significant attention from the attendees.
Feeling uneasy in the oppressive atmosphere of their prison cells, the preachers opted to meet with the Separatists in the parlour of the facility.
Whitgift was trying to gather evidence, that he could use to take legal action against Barrow and Greenwood.
Realising this, Barrow and Greenwood took the chance to voice their opinions and engage with the audience, that had gathered outside their cell windows.
They defended their position with remarkable courage, perhaps even recklessness, speaking openly without holding back.
The authorities had still not identified Udall's involvement in the earlier illegal publications.
Feeling relatively safe therefore, Udall invited Waldegrave to discuss the unfolding situation at his home in Kingston.
Penry also joined the discussion, and together, they laid plans to distribute additional pamphlets throughout England.
The group, that would launch, what came to be known as "The Marprelate Tracts" had now come together.
Penry, had decided to write a series of attacks on the bishops under the pseudonym Martin Marprelate.
The name, "Marprelate" was chosen, because "Mar", means spoiled or damaged, and "Prelate" refers to a bishop, or other high-ranked ecclesiastical official.
Udall, was able to provide Penry with vital information concerning the illicit activities, carried out by the Bishop of London that he had uncovered.
The initial Martin Marprelate tract, titled "The Epistle," included information sourced from Penry's writings.
ter John Field passed away in: ress was confiscated in April:Over time, this press would be relocated multiple times for safety, moving to various locations including East Mousley in Surrey, Fawsley in Northamptonshire, Coventry, and other sites throughout Warwickshire.
The Marprelate publications, which were produced through a well-concealed conspiracy, continue to be a subject of debate.
While Udall was involved in producing several pamphlets, it remains unclear whether he contributed in any other way.
Job Throckmorton is now widely recognized as the primary author of the Marprelate publications, with Penry as his collaborator.
Born in: February: stributed across England from:The anonymous author of these pamphlets targeted specific bishops within the Anglican Church, ridiculing them and launching a fierce assault on the institution itself.
These publications are notable for their mockery of Anglican dignitaries and their critique of various corruptions within the Church of England.
Their style combines nonsense, satire, protest, irony, and gossip, enriched with a sharp sense of humour and abundant colloquial expressions.
The primary focus of the pamphlets is an attack on the Archbishops and Bishops of the Anglican Church.
ed as the Bishop of London in: By:He showed little mercy towards both Puritans, who sought to reform the church, and Roman Catholics.
This earned him considerable criticism, particularly through a series of writings known as the Marprelate Tracts.
In July:Driven by a deep sense of unfairness about his treatment, Udall continued to criticize church leaders in his second anonymous writing, titled, “A Demonstration”.
In this piece, Udall took aim at the leaders of the Church of England, including high-ranking officials such as archbishops and bishops.
retly distributed in November: ed in East Molesey in October:Mistress Crane, born Elizabeth Hussey, was the widow of Anthony Crane, who had served as an important official in Queen Elizabeth's household.
She came from a strong Puritan family, that followed a strict religious tradition.
After remarrying to George Carleton, she encountered legal troubles, when the Star Chamber, a powerful judicial body, charged her with assisting in the operation of an underground printing press.
George Carleton was a Member of Parliament with Puritan sympathies.
In April: him, he died in early January:Officials Whitgift and Aylmer would interrogate her multiple times, regarding her involvement in the illegal printing press, but she refused to answer their questions.
As a result, she was fined a substantial amount--1,000 marks for not taking an oath and an additional £500 for assisting in the operation of an underground printing press.
At the age of fifty, Mistress Crane was imprisoned at the Queen's discretion, although the records do not indicate the length of her imprisonment.
Due to her imprisonment and refusal to take the ex officio oath, the Crown was able to seize a significant portion of her estate and possessions.
The Marprelate "Epistle" attracted considerable attention, and therefore warranted a response.
lished anonymously in October: ridges, Dean of Salisbury, in:Doctor Bridges' sermon, aimed to counter the church governance theories, put forth by Thomas Cartwright, Laurence Chaderton, and Walter Travers, which defended the existing structures of the Church of England.
The Epistle declared that it was:
"Printed overseas, in Europe, within two furlongs of a Bouncing Priest, at the cost and charges of M. Marprelate, Gentleman."
This pamphlet, was the first in a series of anonymous publications, that championed the Presbyterian cause, thereby opposing Archbishop Whitgift's efforts, to enforce uniformity in worship and to strengthen the bishops' authority.
After publishing "The Epistle", the group moved their printing press to the home of Sir Richard Knightley in Fawsley, near Northampton.
In November:While "The Epitome" presents a more serious argument than "The Epistle," it shares many similar themes.
To avoid further detection, Knightley now relocated the press to Whitefriars in Coventry, the residence of his great-nephew, John Hales, and his wife, Frideswide.
She was named after Saint Frideswide, a prominent Christian figure, who was chosen as the patron saint of Oxford University in the early 15th century, later becoming the guardian saint of the entire city of Oxford.
September: February:It was quickly followed in March, by the fourth tract, "Hay Any Work for Cooper", which was written in response to Bishop Thomas Cooper's warning against Martin Marprelate, specifically his work titled, “An Admonition to the People of England".
Waldegrave, printed the first four-Marprelate tracts, on a secret portable press, using a distinctive new typeface called continental Black-letter.
Interestingly, Gutenberg had previously employed a font, called Black-letter, which he had deliberately created to resemble the handwriting used by monks, when transcribing religious texts.
Thomas Cooper was born in Oxford to humble origins.
He became a physician, an English bishop, a lexicographer, a theologian, and a writer.
February: er's literary career began in: In:This work, now known as Cooper's Chronicle, covers the period from AD 17 to the time of its writing.
ritannicae", was published in:There is speculation that William Shakespeare used Cooper's Thesaurus to inform his poems and plays.
Queen Elizabeth was said to be exceptionally pleased with her copy, which is generally known as Cooper's Dictionary.
April:The religious leaders determined, that the most effective way to silence Martin was to confront him using the same crude, disrespectful, and offensive street language he employed.
To achieve this, they discreetly hired quick-witted and intelligent writers to counter Martin's pamphlets, including John Lyly, Thomas Nashe, and Robert Greene.
ch was performed in September:Thomas Nashe specifically targeted the Martin Marprelate pamphleteers in this context, "Pap-Hatchet" being one of his pseudonyms.
tercuffe to Martin Junior,”:Another work produced by the writers is, "An Almond for a Parrot, Being a Reply to Martin Mar-Prelate".
This satirical piece, by Thomas Nashe and others, playfully critiques a Puritan critic named Martin Mar-Prelate.
The text, employs humour, to address issues of religious reform and church politics.
The narrator, Cuthbert Curry-knave, introduces Martin, and mocks him, for attempting to gain influence, among the Puritans.
Nashe critiques the Puritans' calls for change, highlighting their contradictions, while vigorously defending the authority of the established church.
Overall, the work combines wit and sharp criticism, to engage readers, in the religious debates of the time.
An Almond for a Parrat,: In July:The publications were "Theses Martinianae" by Martin Junior and "The Just Censure of Martin Junior" by Martin Senior.
Recognising the danger of the situation, Waldegrave decided to sever ties with the press and relocated it to Wolston Priory, where John Hodgkins assumed control.
In September: By the autumn of:Facing attacks from all sides, their printing press and type were confiscated, and several co-conspirators were now too frightened to offer assistance.
Despite these challenges, Marprelate's agents still managed to print the final pamphlet, titled, "The Protestation of Martin Marprelate," which was produced under extremely difficult circumstances.
Martin's co-authors, Job Throckmorton and John Penry, likely produced this last pamphlet using an old printing press, in a barn on a Coventry property.
The first version of this pamphlet has several problems.
The text is unevenly aligned, there are several spelling mistakes, and some letters are printed backwards.
Additionally, empty spaces are scattered throughout the pages, important guiding words typically found at the bottom of the pages are absent, and the styles of the letters change unexpectedly.
The Protestation of Martin Marprelate.
Wolston Priory, where the last of the Marprelate tracts were printed.
The complete list of the Martin Marprelate Tracts is:
Bridges, The Epistle, October: ridges, The Epitome, November: February: ay any Work for Cooper, March: July: July: Martin Marprelate, September:If you wanted to buy a book, in late sixteenth-century London, St. Paul’s Churchyard was the place to go.
Today, visitors entering through the north gate, are welcomed by sloping paths and landscaped gardens.
However, four hundred and thirty years ago, this open space was bustling with a maze of bookshops.
They were clustered around various buildings, wedged between buttresses, and lining the perimeter walls--in fact, booksellers were everywhere you looked.
