Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) Thomas Cranmer was born 2 July 1489 at Aslacton, Nottinghamshire. His father was an honest country gentleman who spent most of his time in sports of hunting, fishing, hawking, and military exercises. From him the boy learnt how to ride, hunt with a hawk, fish, use a bow, and generally to exercise […]
Wakefield’s Account of Ireland. A footnote from p 331 , ” The Irish Rebellion ” by W H Maxwell (1891), adds a comment from :”Wakefield’s Account of Ireland.” ” Having traced out the leading events of this unfortunate business, it is necessary to call the attention of the reader to the Presbyterians of the north, […]
The Plantation of Ulster as described by Sir John Davies in a letter to Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury , 8 November 1610. Sir John Davies was Attorney General for Ireland and made Serjeant at Law in 1607. He was later elected MP for Fermanagh and after some serious political disputes became Speaker of the […]
The Restoration and after – another phase of persecution. As a consequence of the ejections of ministers in Scotland there was a steady flow of Covenanter ministers across to Ireland. No less than six of the ejected Galloway ministers settled in the Presbytery of Down. Rev Mr Archibald of Wigton followed Mr Ramsay at Bangor; […]
The Protest at Speyer 1529. [ Extracted Rev. J A Wylie, History of Protestantism, vol i, p550-1] The elector, for himself; the princes, and the whole body of the Reformed party, now proceeded to read a Declaration, of which the following are the more important passages :‑ We cannot consent to its [the edict of […]
The Reformation in Scandinavia. Germany`s central position gave it a pivotal role in the spread of the Reformation. Most communications passed through the German cities in one way or another. Its universities were seats of learning for foreign students of all kinds, Emperors visited, Imperial Diets were held there with princely visitors, philosophers and scribes […]
Wentworth – the land settlements and religion. Wentworth was not devoid of helping himself either to revenues or from land acquisitions, sometimes for himself, and at other times for his favourites. In his defence is has to be said that such wheeling and dealing was the custom and practice of the day, and to his […]
Schmalkald War , the death of Luther, The “Interim”, the Peace of Passau and Peace of Augsburg 1555. Following the presentation of the Augsburg Confession in June 1530 weeks went by in which the papists furiously wrote and rewrote a Confutation to the Protestant Confession of Faith. They produced an exceedingly lengthy document restating their dogma […]
The Plantation Scheme 1610 – 1630 The rebellion by Sir Cahir O’Dogherty on 19 April 1608 led to the sacking of Londonderry and the use of Scottish levies from Ayr to take Carrickfergus – the first use of Scottish troops by the English for conquest abroad. The troops remained and became a further source of […]
The Plantation in Ireland and Scottish migration There had long been movement of Scots across the Irish Sea to the shores of Ireland by way of trade and as galloglass (mercenary soldiers). But there were also small settlements on the Antrim coast which increased in number when the authority of the Lords of the Isles […]
Martyrdom in Piedmont and Provence in the sixteenth century. In the English and Scottish Reformations the Inquisition never gained a foothold, and although hundreds suffered by hanging and burning at the stake ( in Scotland the occasional drowning) the methodology of ecclesiastical murder was far greater in Europe, and quite extraordinarily inventive, cruel and sadistic. […]
A Petition of the Presbyterian Ministers and People in the North of Ireland, to William and Mary. ( Wodrow Collection f 51, No 48; reproduced in Two Centuries of Life in Down, R J Stevenson.) The Petition sheweth— That whereas His sacred Matie & Royal Consort of ever blessed memory from their princely clemency & […]
Knox`s Appellation. The Appellation is also a helpful reprise of Knox`s doctrine. He taught, that there is no other name by which men can be saved but that of Jesus, and that all reliance on the merits of others is vain and delusive; that the Saviour having by his own sacrifice sanctified and reconciled to […]
Martyrs of the Scottish Reformation. There were relatively few martyrs in Scotland in the early days of the Reformation – as it happened far more were burnt for witchcraft. Those that were burnt at the stake for religion were sometimes prominent persons eg Hamilton and Wishart, but all died as an example to others – […]