A Man Burnt Alive, at London, in the Year 1210

Martyrs Mirror in Modern English

Thirteenth Century

A Man Burnt Alive, at London, in the Year 1210

A MAN BURNT ALIVE, AT LONDON, IN ENGLAND, FOR THE FAITH OF THE WALDENSES, IN THE YEAR 1210

In various ancient histories we read that not only in France and Germany, but also in England, the doctrine of the Albi Waldenses* gained a foothold, so that on that island, especially at London, numbers of people were found who made this profession, to the great harm of the Roman religion. For this reason the popish clergy, who could not bear this, were filled with great bitterness against them, so that they, it seems, determined to punish one of them in such an exemplary way that it would deter the rest, and cause them to leave the country, or at least to stop confessing and speaking otherwise than those of the Roman Catholic church did.

They then seized one of their number, whose name we have not been able to learn, because afterward, perhaps, they were ashamed of the deed; and in order to give their design some semblance [of justice], they charged him with having reviled the clergy, and said that he was therefore not fit to live, but deserved to die a shameful and miserable death. He was accordingly burned alive in the year 1210.

Concerning this, Balaeus writes, from the Chronicle of London, that the Albigenses in England (according to the Papists) reviled the clergy, and that as a result a man was burned alive by them at London, in the year 1210. Century 3, Script. Britt., in the Appendix to Gualterum Horganium, page 258, compared with A. Mell. Hist., folio 455, column 4.

P. J. Twisck, after giving some account of many Waldensian martyrs at Strasburg for the year 1210, continues: "The Chronicle of London states that in England also a great number, namely, of Waldenses, or, as has been stated, Albigenses, who were of the same faith, were found, and that one of them was burned at London." Chron., page 526, column 1.

NOTE. P. J. Twisck, after relating this matter concerning the Albigensian martyr at London, adds: "In the year 1210, in the city of Narbonne, one hundred and thirty persons were put to death by the priests, because they rebuked the great abuses and idolatry of the popes. In the same year, at Paris, in France, twenty-four martyrs and witnesses of the truth were also killed, because they would not consent to the false doctrine of antichrist." Chron., page 526, from Guil. Merul. Tijdtthresoor, folio 800. Hist. der Mart. Adri., folio 39. Chron. Zeg., folio 299. Henr., Box. folio 23.