Oxford Martyrs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oxford Martyrs |
|
|---|---|
The burning of Latimer and Ridley, from the Book of Martyrs by John Foxe (1563)
|
|
| Born | England |
| Died | 1555 and 1556, Oxford, England |
| Means of martyrdom | Burned at the stake |
| Venerated in | Anglican Communion |
| Feast | October 16 |
The Oxford Martyrs were three important Protestants who were put on trial and then burned to death in Oxford, England. This happened in 1555 and 1556. They were punished for their religious beliefs and teachings during a time when Queen Mary I was trying to bring back the Catholic Church in England. This period is known as the Marian persecution.
The three men were Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer. Latimer and Ridley were bishops, and Cranmer was the Archbishop of Canterbury, a very high position in the Church of England. They are remembered as martyrs, which means they died for their faith.
The Story of the Oxford Martyrs
The trials of these three men took place at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford. This church was the official church for the University of Oxford.
After their trials, the men were held in the old Bocardo Prison. This prison was located near the St Michael at the North Gate church. You can still see the door from their prison cell today. It is on display in the tower of the St Michael at the North Gate church.
The men were burned at the stake just outside the city walls. This area is now part of Broad Street. Latimer and Ridley were executed on October 16, 1555. They were punished for not believing in the Catholic teaching about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Cranmer was burned five months later, on March 21, 1556.
Today, you can find a small cross made of granite stones in the road outside Balliol College. This cross marks the exact spot where the burnings happened. A tall, spire-like monument called the Martyrs' Memorial also stands nearby. It was built in 1843 to remember these important events.
The Martyrs in Literature
The story of the Oxford Martyrs has been told in many ways. For example, Lydia Sigourney wrote a poem about them. Her poem, called {{ws|"Latimer and Ridley"}, was published in her poetry collection in 1827.
Gallery
-
"Latimer before the Council", from an 1887 edition of Foxe's Book of Martyrs illustrated by Kronheim.
-
"Death of Cranmer", from the same.
-
Stained-glass window depicting the Oxford Martyrs. Located in Christ Church, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
-
A memorial plaque, installed in 2008, to the Martyrs of the Reformation both Catholic and Protestant who lived in Oxfordshire, taught at the University of Oxford, or were brought to Oxford for execution. Northern wall of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford.
-
The cell door from the Bocardo Prison preserved in the tower of St Michael at the North Gate, Oxford.
,_Little_Rock_-_window.jpg){kind=small}
See also
- Christian martyrs
- James Brooks, one of the papal sub-delegates in the Royal Commission for the trial
- List of Protestant martyrs of the English Reformation
- Martyrs' Memorial, Oxford
- Oxford Movement
- Religion in the United Kingdom
