Edward Crome facts for kids

Edward Crome (died 1562) was an important English religious reformer and someone who worked closely with the royal court. He was arrested in 1546 for having different religious beliefs than the official church. He changed his mind publicly, but later, when asked to do it again, he spoke out against the Catholic Mass and the idea of transubstantiation.

Edward Crome's Life

Edward Crome was likely born in Worcestershire, England. He studied at Cambridge University. He earned his BA degree in 1503 and his MA in 1507. Later, he became a DD in 1526. He was also a fellow at Gonville Hall, a college within Cambridge.

Early Career and Royal Connections

In 1516, Crome became a university preacher at Cambridge. He stayed there until King Henry VIII noticed him. Crome supported Thomas Cranmer's ideas that the king's marriage to Catherine of Aragon was not valid. Because of this, Crome was chosen as one of the university's representatives. On February 4, 1530, they met to discuss the king's marriage question.

During the next Lent season, King Henry VIII asked Crome to preach three times. Soon after, on May 24, Crome helped write a statement against certain religious views. These views were found in English religious books like The Wicked Mammon. These books disagreed with Catholic ideas about purgatory, good deeds, praying to saints, and confession.

Religious Views and Challenges

Around this time, Crome likely became the parson (priest) of St Antholin's Church in London. While at Cambridge, Crome had learned about the ideas of religious reformers. He attended meetings of "gospellers" (people who followed the new religious ideas) at the White Horse tavern. Even though he agreed to ban their books, his sermons still showed their views.

Because of his preaching, he was brought before the Bishop of London for questioning. The king himself was present at Crome's trial. Crome's answers seemed to agree with the common religious beliefs of the time. This included ideas about purgatory and the power of fasting. The bishops quickly printed his confessions. However, his old friends openly said he was lying. They believed he was speaking against his true beliefs by preaching about purgatory.

In March 1531, Hugh Latimer and Thomas Bilney formally accused him. But because he had changed his mind, no further action was taken against him.

Moving Churches and Continued Preaching

In 1534, Crome moved to the church of St Mary Aldermary. Queen Anne Boleyn helped him get this position. She used her influence with Archbishop Cranmer, who supported Crome. A few years later, in 1539, Cranmer tried to get Crome a high position at Canterbury Cathedral, but he was not successful.

Around this time, Crome was often mentioned with other reformers like Latimer and Robert Barnes. He was one of the preachers chosen by Humfrey Monmouth, a leading London citizen. Monmouth was a supporter of the new religious ideas. He asked Crome to preach special sermons at All Hallows Barking church.

Facing Trouble Under Henry VIII

After the Act of Six Articles was passed in 1539, Latimer and Bishop Nicholas Shaxton resigned their positions and were put in prison. This law made many Protestant beliefs illegal. Crome preached two sermons that his enemies hoped would get him into trouble. But he went to the king and asked him to stop being so harsh. No action was taken against Crome at that time. Soon after, in July 1540, a general pardon was given to many people.

However, Crome did not change his opinions or his preaching. He had a disagreement with Nicholas Wilson. After causing some stir in the city, both were told not to preach again. They had to be questioned by the King and his Council. This happened on Christmas Day 1540.

The accusations against Crome included denying that good deeds alone could save someone. He also questioned the power of masses for the dead and prayers to saints. He also said that truths not found in the Bible were not necessary. Crome argued that his beliefs were true and correct. But the king only ordered him to preach at St Paul's Cross and read a statement changing his views. The king also said Crome would be punished if he did this again. Crome followed the king's order. But his sermon did not include enough of the formal statement he was supposed to read. So, his permission to preach was taken away.

In 1546, Crome again got into trouble. He preached a sermon at St. Thomas of Acre church. This sermon was against the idea of the sacrifice of the mass. He was arrested in May and brought before Bishop Stephen Gardiner and other council members. He was told to preach at St Paul's Cross again, saying the opposite of what he had said before. But his sermon hinted that the king's recent closing of chantries (places where masses were said for the dead) showed the king agreed with him. This was not enough, and he had to change his views again on Trinity Sunday.

During questioning, he named several people who shared his Protestant views. These included Anne Askew, who was later seen as a threat to the government. He also named Sir George Blagge, a poet, and other people connected to the court. People who wanted to keep the old Catholic ways tried to find more Protestants to punish. But they mostly failed when the King supported the Queen.

Later Life and Death

During the time King Edward VI ruled, Crome seemed to live a quiet life. After Queen Mary became queen, he was arrested again. This was for preaching without permission. He was sent to the Fleet Prison on January 13, 1554. But it took a year before he was brought to trial.

In January 1555, many of his friends were questioned and sentenced. Some, like Hooper and Rogers, were burned at the stake (a form of execution). Crome was given time to answer. He had experience changing his views to save himself. He agreed enough to avoid being burned. It was suggested that he and others should go to Cambridge to discuss with religious scholars. But they refused, as they did not expect fair treatment. Their reasons were published in a paper by John Foxe. It is not clear how long Crome stayed in prison. He died between June 20 and 26, 1562. He was buried in his own church, St. Mary Aldermary, on June 29.