Anne Askew Tower of London
She was a wife, mother and eventually a martyr. She was proud of her
upbringing and beliefs. A woman who refused to give into the powers of the day.
She was tortured and sacrificed just to make a political point and was certainly a
victim of political viciousness. But why was she persecuted? And was she
simply a very brave lady would not budge on her principles? Or a victim of her
own success in converting others to her way. We now look at the life of Anne Askew.
Anne was born at Stallingborough, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire in 1521. Her father was
William Askew a wealthy landowner and a gentleman at the court of Henry the
Eighth. Her mother was Elizabeth Wrotessley. Anne was the fourth of five
children but she also had some stepbrothers by her father's second marriage to
Elizabeth Hutton. Anne was also related to Robert Aske the man who had led the
Pilgrimage of Grace. Her father had arranged for Anne's sister Martha to be
married to a Thomas Kyme. Unfortunately, Martha died and Anne would have to
take her place. Although Anne's father did this is purely as a way of saving
money. Anne had grown up becoming a devout Protestant. She studied the Bible and
memorise many of the verses. These beliefs stayed with her throughout her
life. Although within the area of Lincolnshire, her views caused some
controversy. Her husband was a Catholic and Anne was often said to be reading
the Bible to him and his brother Francis. However, both considered it wrong
and utterly contrary to what their beliefs were. Anne went on to have two
children with Kyme. Still, eventually, enough was enough. And he threw her out
for being a Protestant, Anne was quite possibly relieved that she had as in her
eyes being allowed to leave, which was great, and it gave her little upset at
the decision. Anne then moved to London, it would be while she was there, she
would meet up with other participants, including the anabaptist Joan Bocher.
She continued to study the Bible and preached as often as she could to anyone
who would listen. But in March of 1545, Anne was arrested, Kyme being the man
behind it. From London, she was transported back to Lincolnshire to which her
husband demanded she must now stay. However, the order would not last and Anne
escaped, and headed south back to London to continue her preaching. Our tragic
story begins in the last year of the reign of Henry the Eighth, a dispute had
surfaced that had dragged Anne between reformers, and the old religious
traditional ways. It would be Stephen Gardiner who asked the King to stop the
Reformation until he had looked at a diplomatic effort, with help from the Holy
Roman Emperor, Charles the fifth. Although the now known traditionalist had
been following this for some time, yet nothing had been gained. They were
looking for a way to bring the likes of Thomas Cranmer and his cronies to
justice. However, most of the people gathered were only minor players in the
bigger picture. They were all linked to the main man, such as Edward,
Anne's brother, but he worked as a servant for Cranmer. Another was Nicholas
Shaxton, a curate for Cranmer who also urged Anne to recant and take this new
religious pathway. The traditionalists also included some men who would stop at
nothing in gaining 100% support, for the reform of religion. Two of these are Thomas
Wriothesley and Richard Rich, the men responsible for torturing Anne. The full
intentions are not known as to why Anne was subjected to such horrendous
treatment. However, it's thought the choice may have been to implicate the Queen at
the time, Catherine Parr. To achieve this, and they would try and subdue her
ladies in waiting, along with other close friends who were all suspected of
having Protestant thoughts. Stephen Gardiner said that "plain speaking" was a
tactic used by the devil to spread heresy. What the Inquisitors saw in Anne
a woman who through her plain speaking stood out more than others. She was never
afraid to open her mouth on subjects that she found disagreeable and
demonstrated highly qualified answers to all her questions. She was simply a
mighty lady who stood and believed in her own rights and her own narrative.
And this clearly agitated the opposition. When Edmund Bonner confronted her with
"utter all things that burden your conscience" she would reply with ", God has
given me the gift of knowledge, but not the utterance. She continued by stating
that a woman of few words, is a gift of God.
Her replies were not acceptable to her peers, yet they could not force her to
speak and give the answers they wanted to hear. Bonner grew angrier, and his
rage was clear to see. He tried to conquer her distrust, but to no avail. He did
achieve a plausible confession from Anne. However, when it was read back to her
to sign she wrote, 'I, Anne Askew, do believe all manner of things contained
the faith of the Catholic Church, and not otherwise.' For the time being Anne's
accusers fell quiet. But more questions were soon to be asked this time before
the council at Greenwich. Yet, still Anne continued to frustrate giving only
answers that she believed were from the scriptures. She would not be dragged
down to a level of people who in herr opinion, had no authority to speak on
such matters. When explicitly asked on herr interpretation of the language she
had offered, she mockingly replied that
I answered that I would not throw pearls among swine for acorns were
good enough. The questioning and continued statements did nothing to help her
cause she was to the point and mocked the Inquisitors at length saying,
It is against St. Paul's learning that being a woman should interpret the
scriptures, especially where so many wise men were.
When asked about the Holy Spirit and whether she felt she had a relationship
with it, even to the point of did you ever have the Holy Spirit within you?
Her answer was simple.
If I had not, I was but a reprobate or cast away.
Anne Askew went through many tribulations, including two complete
examinations. On 10 March 1545, she was ordered to be detained by the
alderman of London. Her charges were ones of bringing into dispute the six
articles act. She stood trial and was placed before a hearing to identify her
heresy. Edmund Bonner took to the stage and carried out a cross-examination.
To this end, Anne was told she would spend 12 days in prison. The terror of
jail and all it could bring did nothing to dissuade Anne's beliefs. It quite
probably made her more robust and more accepting to what the powers that be
could throw at her over this time. After the incarceration her cousin Brittany
arrived and bailed her out. For now, she had her freedom back, but things
wouldn't be rosy for too long. Anne was once again arrested on the 19th of June
1546 and placed back into prison. She was then subjected to two full days of
cross-examination. This would be led by Sir Thomas Wriothesley, Stephen Gardiner,
John Dudley, and Sir William Paget. But this time, things got much more
severe for Anne she was told she would be executed if she did not comply. And
she told them she would not be confessing to any such charge. Neither was she
about to give up names of other Protestants. It was now an order was sent out to
torture her. They were hopeful that Anne would implicate the Queen as the
latter was also a practising Protestant. At 10 am the jailers took her
from her cell to the White Tower, where she was shown to a rack, a medieval
device used for torture. The victim's hands are chained and feet are tied to
rollers. As the process continues, a ratchet system handle is turned slowly to
stretch the person. This prolonged process caused excruciating pain, often
with the person being subjected to torn muscles and joints, which were dislocated
and eventually separated.
The questioning continued and they asked Anne for names, she said nothing. The
wheel was turned again cranking up the forces on Anne's body. By now her body
arched over the device. In her account she had written in prison, she said
that at some point she had passed out, but was lowered and revived. The so
called procedure was carried out twice until the then constable of the Tower
of London, refused to continue and left the tower to speak with the king. He
expressed his horror at what had been happening and sort a pardon for the
atrocity, the King granted his wishes. But back in the tower, Wriothesley and Rich
continued the treatment. Now they turned the handle so far that Anne's body had
been drawn apart, and had dislocated her shoulders and hips, along with her
hands and feet. People out walking could hear her cries in the garden next to
the white tower. Anne never gave any names throughout her torture. She was
eventually returned to her cell, although in what state of body and mind we
can only imagine. On the 16th of July 1546, Anne askew was taken to Smithfield
market, it would be here where she would be executed by being burnt at the
stake. Three others were due to succumb the same horror with her that day. They
were John Lascelles, Nicholas Belenian and John Adams. So brutal were her injuries,
Anne had to be carried wearing just her undergarment and while being chained. She
could not walk, and any movement caused her the greatest of pain. Upon arrival,
she was dragged from the chair and placed upon a small carved chair on the post.
They would tie her using chains to bind her firmly in place. Those who witnessed
Anne's execution all say she was fearless and they heard no screams until the flames
reached her chest. Yet just moments before she was offered one last chance to save
her life. Bishop Saxton mounted a pulpit and began to preach. Upon hearing
anything she believed was correct, she spoke and agreed, but anything untoward
her words were, there he misseth and speaketh without the book.
Anne Askew was
made famous through the Book of Martyrs by John Foxe in 1563, yet if this is the only
way to become famous, I'll personally give it a miss! Her story is tragic on
so many fronts, failed marriage again due to her beliefs and nothing more.
Although religion was understandably the secret to success within this time,
but only if you agreed to the majority and moved with the times. To some, this
was abhorrent including, Anne. Her beliefs were registered from an early age, and
nothing could make an inroad into her mind to change her thought process. She
believed, really believed, and she held tight to that up until her death.
Her accusers would not be deterred, and they literally stretched the so-called
evidence to breaking point. Ultimately their power would wield yet another
victimless person to execution. She was allowed an opportunity to recant on
many occasions, but really, why should she? She believed in what she believed in.
Nothing could sway her from that, so why the horrendous treatment, and
why maim and kill people for their views? It doesn't make any sense! Today, we
can look back at the short life of Anne Askew who died at the young age of
just 25. Her dream was to end persecution, her thoughts to inspire others, Anne
will always be remembered for her devotion, faith and independence and strength
for standing up against women's expectations throughout Tudor society.
Thank you so much for watching. I really appreciate it. For more amazing
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on the History Roadshow.