George's Heritage Chapters

George Taylor's Heritage

Our Ancestor Rowland Taylor

THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS --- LEADING STILL

THE TAYLORS OF HOT SPRING COUNTY, ARKANSAS

�From British Reformer to Hot Spring County Farmer � Five Centuries of Faith

When conducting genealogy research, one needs to be ready for surprises -- mostly good. Recently, the family of the late John Hilmon Taylor (Hot Spring County, 1892-1974) made an inspiring discovery of its direct lineage from a prominent 16th Century Christian Reformer and Martyr, Dr. Rowland Taylor (1509-1555). The Taylor family line runs directly from John and Susan Taylor, parents of the famed Protestant Reformer, to John Hilmon Taylor and his brother, Evans Taylor, both of whom were farmers in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. This direct line goes back 16 generations to the eminent English scholar (from Cambridge University) and church leader under King Henry VIII of England. Dr. Rowland Taylor was an influential and brave cleric in the early days of the protestant reformation on the British Isles, and was burned at the stake by �Bloody Mary� after Henry�s death. Descendants of Rowland came to America in the early 1600s and settled in Virginia, Later, they gradually moved west, finally reaching Dallas County, Arkansas in the mid 1800s, then to Hot Spring County in the early 1900s.

Rowland Taylor had several sons, one of whom was named �Thomas;� and, in the Rowland-Hilmon Taylor direct line, there have been seven other Taylors named �Thomas.� Also named �Thomas� is Hilmon�s youngest son who was born in Malvern and who lived in Hot Spring County until he graduated from Malvern High School in 1952 and the University of Arkansas in 1956. Thomas now lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife, Peggy Dianne. They have two daughters, Janna Kim Gilbert and Jennifer Dianne Hogg, and one son, Stephen Thomas Taylor. Thomas and Peggy named their son after Stephen, the first Christian Martyr in the New Testament. The family connection to a second Christian Martyr and to the traditional name of �Thomas� was not known at the time of his birth.

As well reported in Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Dr. Rowland Taylor of Suffolk County, England was a learned and passionate man, a cleric who was the shepherd of his flock, a pastor who encouraged people to study the Bible for themselves. Reading the Bible in your own language was a new privilege made possible for the first time by Tyndale's recent English translation of the New Testament. Yet, this privilege then bitterly fought by the established Roman Catholic Church. The protestant reformation that began under Martin Luther on the continent, was taking hold in England with support from King Henry VIII. Dr. Rowland Taylor was at the forefront of the English reformation, and with Archbishop Cranmer, continued steadfast to reform the church under both King Henry VIII and King Edward VI.

After Henry�s death and the brief reign of Edward VI, Mary Queen of Scots (Bloody Mary) came to the throne and attempted to stop the reformation started by Henry and continued by Edward. She had more than 200 men, women and children, including dedicated church leaders burned at the stake for refusing to renounce their Christian faith. As evidence of Dr. Rowland Taylor's effective leadership as a reformer, he was targeted by Queen Mary, and arrested within one week after she took the throne. After imprisonment and trial by the temporarily restored Catholic Church leaders, he was burned at the stake in 1555 near the church he pastured. Progress of the reformation continued under Elizabeth (the "Virgin Queen").

On May 6, 2000, Thomas and Peggy Taylor with two of their grandchildren, Lindsey Gilbert and Taylor Gilbert, visited the site on Aldham Common in Hadleigh, Suffolk County, England where Dr. Rowland Taylor was burned at the stake for his faith. It was a moving experience, a poignant reminder of the Christian heritage established by Rowland for our family and countless others. Two stone memorials mark the site of his burning and still serve as a witness of his testimony and courage. The next day we attended Sunday service (in the formal Anglican style, including communion) in the very same Church (St. Mary's) that Dr. Rowland Taylor pastored from 1544 to 1555. It is a beautiful church, constructed of small flint stones with large stained glass windows. At the rear of the church is a fine building that serves as the Rector's residence. This ornate brick masonry building, constructed in 1495, is referred to as the "Deanery."

A thorough account of Dr. Rowland Taylor's trial, testimony, imprisonment and his being burned at the stake by Mary, Queen of Scots, is recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs, a classic book in Christian literature. Hilmon Taylor (my father) read this book from cover to cover and often discussed it. I am fortunate to have his copy of the book, wherein he underlined his favorite passages, some in the account of Rowland. How proud my Dad would have been if he had known that Dr. Rowland Taylor was his direct ancestor. Hilmon and his wife Blanche maintained the Christian heritage they had enjoyed through their five children (John, Beulah, Catherine, Lee and Thomas) and helped spread the gospel through their example and witness.

Following is a brief account of Rowland Taylor�s life and legacy, compiled by Thomas Taylor after he and his family visited Hadleigh, England, in the year 2000.

The Life of Rowland Taylor, LLD
Leader in the English Reformation
Rector of Hadleigh, Suffolk County, England
Martyred for his Christian Faith
Born October 6, 1509 -- Died February 9, 1555

Rowland Taylor was born of John and Susan (nee Rowland) Taylor in 1509 in Rothbury, a small village in Northumberland, a place that (according to Dr. Turner, a famous botanist and friend of Dr. Taylor) was subject to border raids, musters, defense and plundering. Little is known of the early family, except that the Taylors "held a respectable rank amongst the smaller gentry of Gloucestershire," where they possessed an estate at Frampton-upon-Severn -- but Rowland Taylor himself was born at Rothbury. Apparently, the Taylors had property and means -- and must have been both educated and religious � for Rowland to have married well, to have received a fine education at Cambridge University and to have received his first Church appointment at the age of 19. Rowland's involvement in the reformation movement that was sweeping Europe and England in the early 1500s is indicative of his intelligence and calling � and a testimony to his Christian upbringing.

Year 1525. At the age of 16, Rowland married Margaret, not in the face of the church, but in the presence of Benet, the priest, in the house of John Tyndale, a merchant tailor in London. John Tyndale was the brother of William Tyndale, the eminent translator of the New Testament. It is speculated that Margaret, Rowland�s wife, was a Tyndale, but not confirmed. Rowland would later come under criticism, as a priest, for having married -- and, particularly for having married outside the church (though the priest was present).

Year 1528. Ordained exorcist and acolyte at Norwich.

Year 1531. Began serving as Principal of Borden Hostel (founded in 1321 by the Prior of Ely as a place of study for his monks) in Cambridge (facility still stands at 10 Trinity Street in Cambridge). Rowland continued as principal for 7 years; the hostel later closed due to financial problems.

Education: Studied at Cambridge for 7 years. First received a LLB degree in civil law (about 1530) -- then proceeded to the degree of LLD in 1534. As a student at Cambridge, Rowland was prominent in both civil and ecclesiastical law. He was active in reformation and evangelical student groups. The reformation movement was in full swing in Europe and was raising considerable interest at Cambridge, especially among students. Some 50 to 60 active students began meeting at the White Horse Tavern to discuss and learn about the reformation. The group included, besides Rowland, Cranmer (later to become Archbishop) and Foxe (later to become a Bishop, to record many events of the Church, and to write the Book of Martyrs.) Tyndale's translation of the New Testament into English made a big impression at Cambridge and on its students, including young Rowland Taylor.

According to Rev. Hugh Pigot's account, Taylor was well versed in sacred learning as follows: Dr. Taylor tells us himself that he had "read over and over again the Holy Scriptures, and St. Augustine's Works through; St. Cyprian, Eusebius, Origen, Gregory Nazianzen, and divers other books through once;" and he quotes St. Chrysostom and St. Ambrose in his oral discussion and in his letters, with a readiness which prove that he was well acquainted with their contents. Thus qualified for such a situation by talents and attainments, Taylor was eventually chosen to be Chaplain to Archbishop Cranmer, where he lived "in household" for a time.

Year 1537/8. King Henry VIII appointed Rowland to the Rectory of Hanbury.
Year 1538. A letter to Sir Thomas Cromwell tells of a sermon by Taylor (as chaplain to Bishop Latimer) to prisoners at Kidderminster.
Year 1539. Rowland ordained as Deacon. Archbishop Cranmer granted Taylor the living of St. Swithum's of Worcester by the Prior and Convent. . Marriage of priests was prohibited. This rule later brought some question about Rowland's marriage.
Year 1541. Rowland ordained as Priest, despite his marriage.
Year 1542. Bishop of Herford presented Rowland to a prebendal stall at Inkberrow and the King confirmed the appointment.
Year 1544. On April 16, Taylor resigned his "living" of St. Swithum's and was appointed rector of Hadleigh by Archbishop Cranmer.

Year 1547. Edward VI, a sickly boy, at 9-years age succeeded his father, Henry VIII as King.
Year 1548. Rowland was chosen by Archbishop Crammer to be one of his personal Chaplains.
Year 1548. Rowland helped develop and publish new articles of faith (part of the reformation movement), which were signed by John Taylor, Bishop of Lincoln.
April 1549. Appointed to a commission to enquire into heretical privity, and again in January 1550.
Year 1549. Archbishop Crammer published the first Protestant prayer book in English, an effort to which Rowland contributed much. With little change, this same prayer book is still in use today.
May 3, 1551. Archdeaconry of Cornwall granted to Dr. Taylor by King Edward VI. Exeter and Cornwall were seats of unrest to restore the Catholic mass. The King also made Rowland one of the six preachers in the Canterbury Cathedral.
Year 1551. Dr. Taylor was appointed a Canon of Rochester. He served on a commission to reform the ecclesiastical laws.
Year 1552. Taylor exercised Episcopal jurisdiction in the diocese of Worcester during a vacancy. He also assisted in preparing a revised edition of the Book of Common Prayer. Published on November 1. This Book was to be of special solace and spiritual comfort during his later imprisonment.
Year 1553. The early death of Edward VI interrupted Taylor's career of usefulness and happiness. Yet, his influence continued through the ages. On July 19, Mary Queen of Scots was proclaimed Queen. In contrast with her father, Henry VIII and her sister, Elizabeth, �Bloody Mary� was a radical Catholic.
July 26, 1553. Queen Mary had Dr. Taylor arrested (exact charge not known). The charge could not be sustained and Rowland was pardoned. Dr. Taylor returned to Hadleigh and to St. Mary's Church. For Queen Mary to have singled out Dr. Taylor for arrest only one week after her coronation is strong evidence of his effectiveness as a reformer. She apparently considered him a threat to her Catholic beliefs.

Generally, King Henry VIII had been directing the church through its reformation movement, to withdraw from the Church of Rome, and to adopt Protestant forms of worship and Protestant articles of faith. In Hadleigh, Dr. Taylor had taken steps to disband Catholic religious guilds, to sell their possessions and to invest the funds for the common good, especially for the poor. Rowland had a passion for helping the poor. He was noted for personally taking "in hand" the rich cloth merchants of Hadleigh to see the conditions of the poor -- and as a result he received many a contribution that he invested for the benefit of the poor, in and around Hadleigh. Rowland specifically used the monies received from sale of the Catholic guild treasures to buy a large farm (Mascalls Farm), which is still operated to this day for the common good. (The deed to the farm, on which Rowland is listed as trustee remains in the archives of Hadleigh.)

While the rector of Hadleigh, Rowland had many other duties that involved travel. For example, he was appointed for life as "canory" in Rochester Cathedral on May 1, 1548. Taylor's activities touched the life of the Church at many points, striving to introduce the movement of reformed service. In various transitional assignments, Archbishop Cranmer showed great confidence in Rowland Taylor. For example, he was often asked to be the temporary keeper of other diocese. He endeared himself to the hearts of his parishioners by the gentle kindliness and unaffected cheerfulness of his disposition. Cheerfulness, indeed, was a prominent feature in his character, so strong a character feature that he is described by Fuller as having had, of all the martyrs, "the merriest and pleasantest wit" and "smiling constantly."

Hadleigh was an ancient Town, northeast of London, dating back to Guthrum (died 890). He was the great king of the Danes. While occupying a portion of England, he was attacked and captured by King Alfred. Though defeated, Guthrum was later advanced by his conqueror to be king of the East Angles (anglians). Also, he became a convert to Christianity. Guthrum resided in Hadleigh and is buried in the churchyard. Even before the incumbency of Rowland Taylor, the Hadleigh parish was remarkable for its knowledge of the word of God; being referred to by Foxe as seeming �more an university of the learned than a towne of cloth-making people."

Year 1553. By law, the Latin mass was restored to all churches. The English rite was thereafter prohibited. Based on his own testimony, we know that Dr. Taylor followed his conscience and scripture, and disobeyed this order. He firmly believed the Roman Catholic system to be wrong. Reformation of the corrupt Roman system, which had begun with Martin Luther, was in full sway in both Europe and England.

About the same time, a group in Dr. Taylor's church led by John Clerk plotted to perfect a charge against Taylor that would stick this time, and not result in a pardon. They wanted to restore the Catholic Latin mass to the church. They conspired to "set him up." So, without Taylor's knowledge, the group that was led by Clerk erected a stone altar in the church and arranged for a Catholic priest from nearby Aldham Church to celebrate mass. From his study, Dr. Taylor heard the bells and the start of mass that he had not authorized, and he confronted the trespassing priest. Clerk's group was armed and ready. They thrust Taylor and his wife out of the Church while loyal parishioners were throwing great stones at the church windows in defense of Taylor. (A woodcut drawing is available from the Church that depicts Dr. Taylor confronting the priest from Aldham, while his wife is praying fervently.) Clerk and his partner, Foster, filed a formal complaint against Taylor; and, Taylor was summoned before the Lord Chancellor to answer charges of heresy.

Upon being summoned before Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester and the Lord Chancellor, Taylor refused the advice of friends to flee abroad (many reformers had fled to Europe and to Switzerland). He committed the care of his parish to his Curate (Assistant Pastor), Richard Yoeman (who later was burned at the stake, also), and to a reader, John Alcock. With his servant, John Hull, Taylor made his way to London. He faced Gardiner and defended his spiritual beliefs and reformed practices, including the use of English, against the restored mass. Later, Dr. Henry Harvey, the Vicar General, examined him in the church of St. Mary le Bow. On a technicality, Taylor was sentenced to be deprived of his benefice because he was married, and was imprisoned in the King's Bench with other reformers.

May 8, 1554. Taylor and other reformers sent out from prison a lengthy letter setting out their beliefs, and the rejection of the Romish doctrine of transubstantiation. They also sent a petition to the Queen, asking permission to appear, as they were being unjustly imprisoned.

January 20 1555. Parliament revived the old statute for the burning of heretics. Only two days later, Taylor was brought before Gardiner and the other commissioners. On 30th January, he was condemned to death. On 4th February, Edward Bonner, the Bishop of London, came to his prison to carry out the formal degradation of Taylor from his priestly orders. Part of this ceremony included striking him upon the breast with the bishop's crozier. But Taylor's size was so massive and his mien so determined, that Bonner and his chaplain found it wiser to omit the blow and substitute a curse. Taylor and his cellmate, John Bradford, laughed over it in the Comptor that night.

February 6 1555. Taylor was handed over to the sheriff for his return to Hadleigh and his burning. Enroute, he was recognized and greeted by a former servant, so the sheriff had Taylor's face concealed in a hood for the balance of the journey. He was taken to Lavenham and confined overnight in the Guildhall, thence on to Hadleigh. Apparently his hood was then removed so the local people could recognize him.

On February 9, 1555, Dr. Rowland Taylor was taken along Bridge and George Streets in Hadleigh, blessing friends, family members and parishioners as he went, past the almshouses where he threw a glove containing his last money to an old blind couple, and thence to Aldham Common where he was to be burned. Taylor kissed the stake and stood in the pitch barrel. Bystanders were unwilling to assist the sheriff to pile on the faggots or kindle the fire. Taylor stood quietly and determined in the fire lighted by the sheriff -- praying, until a man slew him with a halberd to end his agony -- and his body fell into the fire.

(As far as local folks know, his ashes were left at that place, and not buried -- the spot later to be marked as noted below.) An excellent woodcut print is available of the burning -- and a large stained glass window in the Hadleigh Church (St. Mary�s) beautifully and respectfully commemorates the martyrdom of Dr. Rowland Taylor on February 9, 1555.

Several Memorials and Inscriptions are to be found in Hadleigh, Suffolk County, England, dedicated to the memory and honor of Dr. Rowland Taylor, pastor of St. Mary�s Church, and one of the first Christian Martyrs of the English Reformation.

The following inscription is from a brass tablet mounted on the wall inside St. Mary's Church (where Taylor was the pastor). It is written in the dialect of the time and must be read carefully to discern the meaning.


Gloria in altissimis Deo
Of Rowland Taillor's fame I shewe
An excellent Devyne,
And Doctor of the Civill Lawe,
A preacher rare and fyne;
Kinge Henrye and Kinge Edward dayes
Preacher and Parson here,
That gave to God contynuall prayse
And kept his flocke in feare.
And for the truthe condempned to dye
He was in fierye flame,
Where he received, pacyentlie
The torment of the same.
And strongelie suffred to thende
Whiche made the standers by
Rejoyce in God to see theire frende
And pastor so to dye.
O Taillor were thie myghtie fame
Uprightly here inrolde,
Thie deedes deserve that thie good name,
Were syphered here in golde.
Obiit Anno.dm. 1555

Following inscription is on a rough, unhewn stone, placed on Aldham Common, where Rowland Taylor was burned at the stake for refusing to recant his Christian beliefs. The stone is thought to have been placed at the end of the 16th century, and is about two feet long, nearly a foot high, fourteen inches wide, with these words rudely cut in Roman characters upon it:

1555
D. TAYLER + IN + DE
FENDING + THAT
WAS + GOOD + AT
THIS + PLAS + LEFT
HIS + BLODE

In 1818 Dr. Drummond, then Rector of the parish thought a more fitting memorial was needed and arranged to have a tall pillar placed at the location of Dr. Taylor's burning -- upon which is the following poetical inscription, apparently composed by Dr. Drummond.

Mark this rude stone where Taylor dauntless stood,
Where zeal infuriate drank the Martyr's blood;
Hadleigh! that day how many a tearful eye
Saw thy loved Pastor dragg'd a victim by;
Still scattering gifts and blessings as he past,
To the blind pair his farewell alms he cast;
His clinging flock e'en here around him pray'd
'As thou hast aided us be God thine aid.'
Nor taunts, nor bribe of mitred rank, nor stake,
Nor blows nor flames his heart of firmness shake.
Serene -- his folded hands, his upward eyes,
Like holy Stephen's, seek the opening skies;
There fix'd in rapture, his prophetic sight
Views Truth dawn clear on England's bigot night.
Triumphant Saint! he bow'd and kissed the rod,
And soar'd on Seraph wing to meet his God.

References:

1. "The Life of Rowland Taylor, LLD, Rector of Hadleigh in the Deanery of Bocking" -- by William James Brown, 1959

2. "Hadleigh, the Town, the Church, and the great men who have been born in, or connected with the parish" -- by Rev. Hugh Pigot, 1859

3. "Hadleigh Through The Ages" -- by W.A.B. Jones, 1977

References are from the City Library of Hadleigh, Suffolk County, England. Compiled by Thomas E.

Taylor, 9659 Broken Bow Rd., Dallas, Texas 75238, phone 214-348-1929, email: [email protected].

Published in the Heritage by George Evans Taylor, Jr.

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Background of the Religious Turmoil in the mid 1500s in England


Some background of the religious turmoil in the mid 1500s in Hadleigh, Suffolk County, England as well as all over England and Scotland, will give you some insight into the life of Rowland Taylor and his wife Margaret Tyndale. In a book by Sir Roy Strong called The Story of Britain, published in 1996, the drastic change to the whole religious structure is explained as follows.

"When King Henry VIII informed Cardinal Wolsey that he wished his marriage to be annulled by the Pope, it was a time when the experience of going to church was as it had been for centuries. The congregation gathered in the nave to hear the Latin mass. The walls and the windows of the church were bright with paintings and stained glass depicting the gospel stories and the lives of the saints. There were carved images of the Virgin and saints before which candles were lit as prayers were said asking for their intercession in heaven. The nave was divided from the chancel by a screen beyond which the laity did not pass, and above which was suspended a life-size image of Christ on the cross flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John. This screen was known as the rood. Beyond lay the chancel, the area of the church sacred to the priest, with a stone altar against the east end. Sometimes near the altar there would be relics of saints exhibited, bones or fragments of clothing, kept within a container of some precious material. The altar was adorned with rich hangings which were changed according to the seasons of the church's year, white for Easter or red for the feasts of the martyrs. The altar was the focus of the entire church, for on it was re-enacted in the mass each day the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The priest wore embroidered vestments, incense was burned and at solemn moments bells were rung. Above the altar a small piece of consecrated bread, the host, was exhibited within a suspended container called a pyx, covered by a veil or cloth. In this way, even outside the mass, Christ's body was perpetually present, heaven came down to earth. Medieval Catholic Christianity was a vivid faith approached through things seen and the senses.

Half a century later that experience was to be very different. Although the stained glass might still remain because of the expense of replacing it with plain glass, the interior was virtually stripped bare, every painted or sculptured image either painted over, taken away or defaced, the walls whitewashed and adorned only with biblical texts. All candles were eliminated. Over the rood screen instead of the cross there was the royal arms. Within the chancel the stone altar and pyx had gone. Instead there was a wooden table used only very occasionally when Holy Communion, the service which replaced the mass, took place, when it was taken down into the body of the church with only a linen cloth laid over it. The priest was no longer attired with ornate vestments but wore a surplice. On most Sundays the service would have been one of morning prayer, said not in Latin but in English and in which the congregation took part. Lessons were read from an English bible and the main focus was no longer the chancel but the pulpit from which the sermon was delivered. A Christianity which had appealed to the eye had been replaced by one whose prime organ was the ear and whose aim was to hear and receive the word of God".

As early as 1527 there were Protestant reformers in Hadleigh preaching the views of Luther. One of these was Thomas Bilney who inveighed against pilgimages and the worship of saints and relics. Another outspoken critic of the Catholic practices was Thomas Rose, curate of Hadleigh Parish Church, whose preaching incited a gang of men to burn the Holy Rood of Dovercourt.

However the majority of Suffolk inhabitants were more conservative and most of the laity and clergy continued to support the Catholic Church. But in 1534 King Hemry VIII replaced the Pope as head of the English Catholic Church. "Peter's Pence", the traditional payment to Rome was no longer demanded. King Henry VIII remained a Catholic himself but started a program to dissolve some of the Catholic monasteries mainly to obtain revenue. The royal injunction of 1538 reflected the preaching of the reformers and it was forbidden to place candles before images in the churches. The clergy were encouraged to install English bibles. Hadleigh Parish Church went even further and started including English in their service instead of the traditional Latin. They were one of the first churches in England to do so.

Dr. Rowland Taylor rebuking a Catholic priest in 1555 in St. Mary's Parish Church in Hadleigh. This was during the reign of Queen Mary who had reverted the churches back to Catholicism and was charging the former Protestant ministers with heresy.

Dr. Rowland Taylor parts from his wife and children.

Dr. Rowland Taylor Rector of St. Mary's Parish Church in Hadleigh was burned at the stake because he refused to recant his Protestant faith.

When King Henry VIII died in 1547 and his son Edward became king it cleared the way for complete reformation as he was a Protestant. All images and shrines were banished from parish churches as well as all processions. Services were to be in English and all Catholic equipment used in their services were to be removed and destroyed. By 2 years after the death of King Henry VIII practically everything had gone. By 1552 the term mass and the wearing of vestments were abandoned and alters were replaced by tables. Even wills reflected the changes as they no longer involked the Saints in their wording

But King Edward died in July 1553 and was succeeded by Queen Mary, a staunch Catholic. So all of Edward's religious provisions were repealed and the churches were told to replace all the Catholic images, books, banners and the Catholic services as well.

This was a huge setback for the Reformers and Protestants paid dearly for their religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary. Nearly 30 individuals from Suffolk County alone were martyred during this period. Queen Mary was commanding everyone to recant their Protestant faith and return to Catholicism. She was particularly harsh with the Protestant ministers and for her extreme cruelty became known as "Bloody Mary". Anybody who would not recant their Protestantism were branded as heretics and many were hung. But she reserved the worst fate for the Protestant ministers who would not abandon their Protestant beliefs and she had these burned alive at the stake.

Imagine the scene in Hadleigh on the day in 1555 when Doctor Rowland Taylor, Rector of St. Mary's Parish Church in Hadleigh, when he told the authorities he would not recant his faith. Queen Bloody Mary was giving him one more chance as they piled the faggots of firewood around him. But he wouldn't change his mind and so the fires were lit. A friend of Rowland Taylor rushed forward and struck a blow to his head to render him unconscious and relieve him from further suffering.

Today there is a monument in honour of the memory of Doctor Rowland Taylor on a small hill in the outskirts of Hadleigh known as Gallow's Hill.

Luckily for the Protestant faith and the reform movement Queen Mary's reign was short. If it had continued probably the whole protestant movement would have been snuffed out for years. Queen Elizabeth acceded to the throne late in 1558. Being a Protestant she reversed everything and the churches were once again ordered to remove all the "Papist Trappings".

In the period of Protestant acceptance after Queen Mary died and was followed by Queen Elizabeth, the splintering of Protestantism assumed bewildering proportions. There were Levellers, Diggers, Ranters, Seekers, Muggletonians, Fifth Monarchists and Lollards, none of which survived into the next century. Then there were the Quakers, Independents (Congregationalists) Baptists and Presbyterians. All of these survived in some form. And the original Church of England which had originally been Catholic changed to what we would know later as Anglican. How the average person sorted all this out is hard to understand.

So it must have been a time of tremendous turmoil and confusion. All of the Suffolk County Church registers of baptisms, marriages and burials start in the late 1550s. It was King Henry VIII who in the 1540s issued orders to the churches to keep a record of baptisms, marriages and burials. However the paper and ink were so poor that most of the records disintegrated by the 1550s. They were then ordered to use parchment so that is why most of the English church records start during that period. In the case of Hadleigh Parish Church the baptisms start in 1558, the marriages in 1559 and the burials in 1558. Some history about Hadleigh might be appropriate. It is a very ancient town. The first Danish king of East Anglia, King Guthrum, is said to have been buried in Hadleigh in 890 AD. He had become a Christian and there must have been a church in Hadleigh at that time.

Moving up to Norman times we can find Hadleigh in the Domesday Book. After his conquest of England in 1066 William the Conqheror spread his Norman knights around the country especially on the west and the north, to form a protective buffer zone. In 1085 he gave orders for a census to be taken to assess who was on the land and what resources were available for possible taxation. The resulting books were known as the Domesday Books and they were very thorough. He even sent a second person into each district to check up on the first person and make sure they were doing it correctly. The books were written in Latin and told who was holding the land at the time and who had been there before. It gave the number of men, acreage, cattle, ploughs and slaves. This book has now been translated and republished for historians and I have the two volumes for Suffolk County in my library. The original Latin is shown on the left page and the translation opposite on the right page.

Hadleigh was in the Half-Hundred of Cosford. The Hundreds and Half-Hundreds were just a way to divide the country into sections as we would think of Townships within a County. In the Domesday Book for Suffolk County it shows the following. " Holy Trinity held Hadleigh before 1066; 5 carucates ( a carucate was approximately 120 acres or another name was a "hide") of land as a manor. Always 22 villagers. Then 26 smallholders, now 19. Always 2 slaves. 2 ploughs in lordship. Then 15 men's ploughs, now 10. Always 2 mills, meadows, 16 acres. Now 2 cobs12 cattle, 120 sheep and 20 pigs. Value then �12, now �15. A church with 1 carucate of free land, 1 plough, 1 mill value 12s. 1 freeman before 1066; 60 acres. Now 3 freemen dwell on the same land. they have always had 1 plough. Meadows, 1 acre. 1 freeman under patronage and in jurisdiction before 1066; 60 acres. Now 3 freemen dwell on the same land. They have 1 plough, meadows, 2 1/2 acres. Value then 8s; now 10s. The whole has 1 league in length and 7 furlongs in width; 1 1/2 p in tax."

Hadleigh was granted by King William to the Archbishop Lanfranc. Although the Domesday Book did not list the names of the Freemen or Smallholders it does show in the general area 3 persons who were "smiths" by trade. In Latin the trade was known as "faber". The three men in this trade were Bondi, Edwin and Godric.

We have the history of Hadleigh from the very late medievil times held in the Hadleigh Guild Hall Archives. In 1438 William Clopton, Lord of Toppesfield Manor in Hadleigh, granted his rights to the market and fairs to the town. This gave the citizens of Hadleigh economic independence from Manorial juridiction.

Parliament granted King Henry VIII a Lay Subsidy in April 1523 to support his war with France. In the Archives are the Lay Subsidy Returns for Hadleigh for 1523-1527.

There were five Guilds in Hadleigh at this time. They were not Trade Guilds as we might suppose. They were voluntary semi religious institutions. They were taxed by the Lay Subsidy of King Henry VIII in 1523 based on their "stock" or worth. The five Guilds were Trinity, Corpus Christi, Saint John, Saint Thomas and Our Lady. They were societies in which associated members pledged themselves to defend each other against injury, to receive each other at times of distress and to secure the offering up of masses for the souls of each other after death. They were dissolved in 1547 because of their religious aspect at the time King Henry VIII closed all the monasteries. Their funds were then used as a financial co-op where former members could borrow money.

Evidently the town had been trying to obtain a Charter so it could be incorporated as a Borough. In 1571 the old parish book shows the following entry. It was not granted at that time as again in 1586 we find the following entry.

"That there resteth in the hands of William Forthe, gent, xl (�10), which dew to the towne, and is parte of that money which was gathered for the Charter".

It wasn't until 1618 that they succeeded in obtaining the Charter which was granted by King James I. They raised a fund of �205 15s 9d most of which was used in paying fees in London.The Charter of Incorporation provided for a Mayor, 7 Aldermen and 16 Burgesses and these together would form the Common Council. It is interesting to note that if a person refused a nomination to the mayoralty he was fined �40 and if he didn't pay this he was imprisoned without bail until he paid his fine. The penalty for an Alderman or Burgess refusing the nomination was �10.

On 18 February 1619 a grant of arms and crest was made to Hadleigh by William Camden, Clarenceux King of Arms. The wording of this grant not only confirmed Hadleigh in its new position as a Borough but it highlighted the importance of the manufacture of woollen cloth by incorporating 3 woolsacks in the crest.

The first Mayor was John Gaell and the first council met on 30 December 1618 in the Guild Hall. As Clerk of the market the Mayor regulated weights and prices of controlled goods such as ale and bread. The population of Hadleigh in 1618 would have been about 2200 having grown from about 1400 in 1523.

Many of the town's regulations passed by the Council were concerned with the town's trading activities on which its affluence depended. They also wanted to keep out "foreigners" (paupers from other parishes) who might become a drain on the town's poor rates. Fines were imposed for "annoying" the streets with hogs, logs, blocks of wood and timber, muck, dung or earth.. In the central area of town where the houses were close together, all new roofs or repaired roofs had to be covered with tiles or slates and not straw or reed thatch, while chimneys had to be brick-built from foundation to top. These regulations were a fire precaution By becoming a Borough, Hadleigh was able to set up a Court of Record for the recovery of small debts. The first "Book of the Peace" dating from 1619-1625 still survives.

King Charles II wanted to gain more power over the Boroughs and started to revoke charters in 1683. Hadleigh escaped this until 1687. They thought it would be a good idea to voluntarily surrender their charter before they were forced to do so. They petitioned the Attorney General for a writ of "Quo Warranto" basing their claim on the fact the Corporation had been guilty of using their funds for their own purposes rather than for charitable objects. This idea backfired when the Privy Council hastily accepted their surrender. When most other towns had their Charters restored by King James II in 1689 Hadleigh was not granted theirs.

Hadleigh made a renewed application in 1701 and raised �100 but it was to no avail. A very complete history of Hadleigh is contained in the book written by W.A.B.Jones, Hadleigh Thhough the Ages.

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Last revised 11-28-2005