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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Sussex => Topic started by: toni* on Friday 28 September 07 12:48 BST (UK)
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i wonder if anyone out there can claim any of the 17 Protestant Martys to be burned at the stake 1555-1557 in Lewes
Dirik Carver of Brighton, July 22 1555
Thomas Harland of Woodmancote, June 6th 1556
John Oswald, do. do.
Thomas Avington of Ardingly do.
Thomas Reed do. do.
Thomas Wood (a minister of the Gospel) of Lewes about June 20 1556
Thomas Myles of Hellingly do.
Richard Woodman of Warbleton , June 22nd 1557
George Stevens, do. do.
Alexander Hosman, of Mayfield, do.
William Mainard, do. do.
Thomasina Wood, do.do.
Margery Morris of Heathfield do.
and James Morris her son, do.
Denis Burges of Buxted do.
Ann Ashdon of Rotherfield do.
Mary Groves of Lewes do.
The last ten were held in the vaults below Lewes Town Hall the night before their martyrdom.
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That must be why they still burn an effigy of the pope on 5th November
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I remember going to the Lewes Bonfire Night back in the late '70's. It was very impressive, - but I had no idea that people had actually been burnt at the stake there!! (I thought it was all to do with Guy Fawkes...).
Romilly.
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Yep over 400 years ago and folk are still killing in the name of religion
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Most of the Lewes Bonfire societies ( and others locally)carry and fire 17 crosses to commerate the martyrs. Only Cliffe still burns the Pope. The Bonfire Prayer (Remember, remember etc) does contain references to the Pope but is usually only heard in full at Lewes.
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toni
Have you been to Warbleton Church where there is a commemorative memorial to Richard Woodman?
A beautiful church and churchyard.
Kerry
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BBC - Legacies - Myths and Legends - England - Surrey and Sussex - Remember remember...
The story of the 17 Lewes Martyrs, burned in barrels in the 16th Century in part of the Marian Persecutions. ... 17 of these martyrs were burned in Lewes. More...
more hits from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/england/surrey_sussex/ - 27 KB
According to this they were burnt inside barrels so there would have only been ashes left.
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i've seen the memorial in lewes but not been to Warbleton..... yet
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I don't know if you live local to Sussex toni, but if not give us a shout, I can always go and take a photo for you!
Kerry
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And for those who haven't seen the memorial in Lewes...........
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Hi Kerry i live on the coast of East Sussex and work in Lewes but its just finding the time to go places, now the kids are back at school i've got 6 hours to myself once / twice a week, usually used up by housework and shopping etc.
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Toni
Well if you ever get the chance it's well worth it, a beautiful view of the Downs and the Church is quite interesting inside too. :) And there is a lovely old pub just opposite that does lovely lunches :)
Kerry
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i must go some of my Punnetts & Mitchell relatives were bapt / married there.
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Toni
In that case you can drive through Punnetts Town, it's only a mile down the road. I say drive through because there's nothing to stop for ::) ::) ::) except another 2 rather nice foodie pubs :) :)
Kerry
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Hi Kerry,
Punnetts Town is named after my ancestor James Punnett!
will have to take someone with me trying to think who would want to wander round a cemetery with me again after these two mishaps!
the other day i went to Newhaven cemetery to look for a few graves i knew where there, i found 3 but couldn't find 3 others
so i asked the groundsman where the thingy would be not the grave the thingy after they had been cremated and interred he said what year so i said 1972/3 i think so he looked throughthe book from 1971-1974 and could not find it i said thank you for looking
after i left i rang my mum on my mobile ( i didn't think it was right to ring her from the cemetery) and said i could not find grandads grave (not her dad) she said where have you been i said round and round newhaven cemetery and she said well you won't find him there he was cremated at woodvale, woodingdean/Brighton.
i wouldn't mind so much but in April i walked round and round Lewes looking for him and she said well you won't find him there if hes anywhere he will be in newhaven.
and i still didn't find my great Gran's or her sisters grave and then my mum said that when 'uncle' Richard died his ashes were put in with my great Gran, i said i thought he was just the lodger - thats what i had been told, my mum said he was more that just a lodger.
put it down to experience!
anyway thats straying wide from the subject of the original listing, do you have any of the martyrs in your tree?
i don't :D
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I haven't found any yet but bearing in mind quite a considerable amount of my ancestors came from the Warbleton, Heathfield area I wouldn't be surprised that if they were somewhere on the tree they might have been neighbours ::) ::)
Kerry
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How interesting!
I have a Hosman ... my 4xG Grandfather Thomas Nailard had a sister Lydia who married a George Hosman in Mayfield 1790.
I think I'll take a look at Alexander Hosman at some time, could be interesting to add to the family history if I can find a connection.
Lol Kerry I think we have had discussions before about East Sussex ancestors, large families in small communities ::)....we must all be related somewhere along the line :D
Suey
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Well I have to say suey when I read the Sussex boards, I keep thinking where do I know that name from or that name seems familiar...... Just had the feeling with the name Nailard.
I think as we study these small villages in depth you get to know most of the inhabitants or so it feels ::) ::) ::)
Kerry
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where do I know that name from or that name seems familiar......
I think as we study these small villages in depth you get to know most of the inhabitants or so it feels
I know just what you mean...I've been up and down the Census in the East Sussex Villages so many times that they all feel like family :D
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Can I correct what is a longstanding myth please? The martyrs were not held in the cellars of the Star Inn, now the Town Hall and there is no historical basis for any prisoners to have ever been held in the Inn’s cellar. I seem to recall that this was an advertising scam by the owner of this old coaching Inn in the Georgian period. They were more likely to have been held in the West Gate tower that was used in the 1550s as the town lock up. But it is a good story that has improved with the telling and retelling over the years! The old West Gate tower is a few hundred yards down the High Street, in the narrows by Pipe Passage.
Dr Graham Mayhew, a local historian, had met one of the ancestors of Derrick Carver some 20 years ago, when he was giving a talk on the Lewes history. I cannot remember all the details as it was over 15 years ago that he told a group of us when he referred to this in another talk he was giving.
Hope no one minds me correcting this!
Rod
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Hi Rod
I certainly don't mind your correction, to my mind it seems more likely and obvious anyway when you think about it. West Gate Tower - Castle - stronghold, thank you for the correction.
I have done a bit of exploring of Lewes over the last few occasions I've been, mainly trying to find my way from car park to Record Office or SFHG library and some of the twittens have wonderful names and are very easy to get lost in!
Kerry
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Kerry,
I sometimes do a guided tour of Lewes for small groups of friends. There is so much histroy to see and so much that can be missed if you do not know the town. Send me a PM if you would like me to contact you next time I am doing one. If anyone else would be interested, I might even do a Roots Chat tour one weekend!
Rod
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Rod
Perhaps we ought to take you up on that!
Our county town is obviously full of history which looks interesting but I confess I really know very little about the history of Lewes and I only live 14 miles away. For instance how did the current town evolve with all the higgeldy piggeldy twittens!
Kerry
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Hi
I started researching my family tree because I wondered if I might be related to one of the martyrs knowing that many of my family come from that way, myself having been baptised at Warbleton. Eighteen months later I have not found a link and do not think I will but researching the family tree has certainly turned into a full time hobby.
We used to go to many of the bonfires each weekend including Lewes but I never knew of the religious connections until many years later.
Paula
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found out recently that there is a family connection to margery morris and a relative in canada
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Does anyone know a source that can confirm whether it was Alexander Hosman as at the beginning of this thread, or Alexander Hosmer?
Thanks, Nick