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Stratford Martyrs

Categories: Execution, Religion

The church website has done a very thorough job on the history not just of the memorial but the church and the area so we quote them here on the background to the martyrs: "In 1553 Queen Mary Tudor came to the throne of England. She was a devout Roman Catholic and longed to bring her people back to the church of Rome. This made her unpopular with English noblemen who had acquired wealth and lands when Henry VIII confiscated the Catholic monasteries, and also with Parliament. In 1554 an unsuccessful Protestant insurrection broke out under the leadership of Sir Thomas Wyat. Wyat was defeated and executed. Mary married the Catholic King Philip II of Spain, she restored the Catholic creed, and revived the laws against heresy. For three years rebel bodies dangled from gibbets, and heretics were relentlessly executed, some 300 being burned at the stake. The queen, now known as Bloody Mary, was hated. She died in 1558, in London, and with her died the persecutions."

Garry at St John's also kindly gave us permission to use two of their pictures, this one and Bolton.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Stratford Martyrs

Commemorated ati

Stratford Martyrs

The event on 27 June 1556 was a big draw: "These 11 men and 2 women were brou...

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Other Subjects

Henry Wye

Henry Wye

Burnt at the stake in Bow (or possibly Stratford) for his Protestant beliefs.

Person, Execution, Religion

1 memorial
Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn

Second wife of Henry VIII and so Queen of England, 1533 to 1536.  Though married to Catherine of Aragon, Henry developed a passion for one of her maids of honour, Anne, and so began the whole horri...

Person, Execution, Royalty, Seriously Famous

6 memorials
John Derifall

John Derifall

Burnt at the stake in Bow (or possibly Stratford) for his Protestant beliefs.

Person, Execution, Religion

1 memorial
Dr Jose Rizal

Dr Jose Rizal

Writer and national hero of the Philippines during the Spanish colonial times. Born Laguna. Executed by firing squad in Manila. He was in London, working at the British Library, May 1888 to January...

Person, Execution, Jack the Ripper suspects, Literature, Nationalism, Philippines

1 memorial
John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester

John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester

Unusually well-educated.  Titles: Lord High Treasurer, Lord High Constable, Deputy Governor of Ireland.... and Butcher of England - for his relish in executing many Lancastrians.  Thus when the Lan...

Person, Execution, Politics & Administration

1 memorial