Matthew Hamont facts for kids

Matthew Hamont (died 20 May 1579) was an English ploughwright from Hethersett, a village in Norfolk. He was accused of heresy, which meant holding beliefs different from the official teachings of the Church of England at that time. Hamont was a Unitarian, meaning he did not believe in the traditional idea of the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Because of his beliefs, he was burnt at the stake in Norwich Castle.

The Bishop of Norwich, Edmund Freke, was the one who accused Hamont. The Bishop claimed that Hamont denied that Jesus Christ was a saviour. On 19 May 1579, Hamont received a physical punishment for speaking against the Queen and her council. The very next day, 20 May 1579, he was executed by burning at Norwich Castle.

Who Was Matthew Hamont?

Matthew Hamont lived in the late 1500s. Records from the Hethersett parish show his last name spelled in a few ways, like Hamonte or Hammante. Some historians believe he might have come from the Netherlands.

In early 1579, he was brought before Bishop Edmund Freke. The main accusation was that he denied important Christian beliefs. For example, he was said to believe that the Christian Gospels were just stories, that Jesus was only a man and not divine, and that the Holy Spirit was not real.

A clergyman named William Burton wrote about people like Hamont. He described them as "heretics" who lived strict lives and studied the Bible, but still denied the divinity of Jesus. Burton mentioned Hamont, along with John Lewes and Peter Cole, as examples of those executed in Norwich for their beliefs.

What Happened to Hamont?

Matthew Hamont was found guilty in a church court on 13 April 1579. He was then held by the sheriff of Norwich. His situation became worse because he was also accused of speaking "blasphemous words" against the Queen and her government. For this, he was sentenced to a severe physical punishment. For his religious beliefs, he was sentenced to be burned alive.

On 20 May 1579, he received his physical punishment in the Norwich market-place. Later that day, he was burned to death in the moat area of Norwich Castle.

Hamont had a wife, who passed away in 1625, and a son named Erasmus. Other people who shared similar beliefs also faced severe punishments in Norwich. John Lewes was burned there in 1583, and Peter Cole, a tanner from Ipswich, met the same fate in 1587.

Hamont's Lasting Impact

Matthew Hamont's case was remembered long after his death. More than a hundred years later, in 1699, a scholar named Philip van Limborch discussed Hamont's story with the famous philosopher John Locke.

In a BBC television special called A Brief History of Disbelief, Jonathan Miller spoke about Hamont's beliefs. He highlighted the specific ideas for which Hamont was punished and killed:

• "Christ is not God, not the saviour of the world, but a mere man, a sinful man and an abominable idol."
• "All who worship him are abominable idolaters."
• "Christ did not rise again from death to life nor did he ascend into heaven."

These statements show how different Hamont's views were from the official church teachings of his time, leading to his tragic end.