¶A note of Gertrude Crokehay.
IN the late dayes of queene Mary, among other straūge dealinge of the Papistes with the faythfull,* 1.1 this is not with the rest to be forgotten that a godly Matrone named Gertrude Crokhay, the wife of Mayster Robert Croke∣hay dwellinge then at S. Katherins by the Tower of London, absteyned her selfe from the Popish church. And she being in her husbands house it happened in an. 1556. that the foolish popishe Saynt Nicholas went aboute the Parish, which she vnderstanding shut her doores agaynst him, and would not suffer him to come within her house. Then Doctor Mallet hearing therof (and being thē mai∣ster of the sayd Saint Katherins) the next day came to her with xx. at his tayle, thinking belike to fray her, and asked why she would not the night before let in Saynt Nicho∣las, and receiue his blessing. &c. To whom she aunswered thus. Syr, I know no Saynt Nicholas, sayd she, that came hither, Yes quoth Mallet, here was one that repre∣sēted S. Nicolas. In deed sir, sayd she, here was one that is my neighbours childe, but not S. Nicholas. For S. Nicholas is in heauen, I was afrayd of them that came with him to haue had my purse cutte by them. For I haue heard of men robbed by Saint Nicholas Clerkes. &c. So Mallet perceiuing nothing to be gotten at her handes, went his way as he came, and she for that time so escaped.
Then in an. 1557. a litle before Whitsontide, it hap∣pened that the sayd Gertrude aunswered for a childe that was baptised of one Thomas Saunders, whiche childe was christened secretly in a house after the order of the ser∣uice booke in king Edwardes time, and that being shortly knowne to her enemies, she was sought for, which vnder∣standing nothing therof, wēt beyond the sea into Gelder∣land for to see certayne lands that should haue come to her childrē in the right of her first husband, who was a straū∣ger borne. And being there about a quarter of a yeare, at the length comming homeward by Antwarpe, chaunced to meet with one Iohn Iohnson, a dutch man, alias Iohn Dewille of Antwarpe, shipper, who seing her there, went of malice to the Margraue, and accused her to be an Ana∣baptist, whereby she was taken and caried to prison. The cause why this noughtye man did thus, was for that hee claymed of Mayster Crokhay her husband a piece of mo∣ney which was not his due, for a shippe, that the sayd ma∣ster Crokhay bought of him: and for that he could not get it, wrought this displeasure. Well, she being in prison, lay there a fortnight: in whiche time she sawe some, that were Prisoners there, who priuily were drowned in Renishe wine fattes, and after secretly put in sackes and cast into the Riuer. Now she, good woman, thinking to be so ser∣ued, tooke thereby such feare that it brought the beginning of her sickenes, of the which at length she dyed.
Then at the last she was called before the Margraue and charged with Anabaptistrye, which shee there vtterly denyed, & detested the error, declaring before him in dutch her fayth boldly, without any feare. So the Margraue hearing the same, in the ende being well pleased with her profession, at the sute of some of her frendes deliuered her out of prison, but tooke away her booke, and so she came o∣uer into England agayne. And being at home in her hus∣bandes house, he thinking to finde meanes to gette her to go abroad, made one Uicars a yeoman of the Tower hys frend, who was great with Boner, to worke that liberty for her. Now this Uicars making meanes to Boner for the same, Boner put the matter ouer to Darbishyre hys Chauncellour, who enioyned her to geue certeyne money to poore folkes, and to goe on the Wednesday and sonday after to Church to Euensong, which she so did, and after∣ward had such trouble in her conscience thereby, that shee thought verely God had cast her off, and that she shoulde be damned and neuer saued, so not long after this it hap∣pened mayster Rough of whom mention is made Page 2034. came to her house,* 1.2 vnto whō she made mone of her vnquietnes for going to Church, and desired his counsell what she might doe, that should best please God and ease her troubled soule &c. Unto whō M. Rough replied ma∣ny comfortable sentences of scripture to comfort her, and in the end gaue her counsell to goe to the christian congre∣gation, which secretly the persecuted had, and confesse her fault vnto them, and so to be receiued into theyr felowship agayne: which hearing that, was glad and entended so to do, and so would haue done if sore sicknes had not imme∣diatly preuented the same. But when doctor Mallet heard by one Robert Hemminges, Woodmonger, that she laye very sicke in deed, which Hemminges was her great ene∣my, he came to her twise to perswade her to recant and to receiue (as the Papistes terme it) the rites of the Church. Unto whom she aunswered she could not, nor would, for that she was subiect to vomet and therfore he would not, (she was sure she sayd) haue her, to cast vp theyr God a∣gayne, as she should do if she did receiue it. And so imme∣diatly vometed in deed, wherfore he seing that, went frō her into the hall to her daughter named Clare sacke, and tolde her, if her mother would not receiue, she should not be buryed in christian burial, as he termed it. Then Clare went and tolde her sicke mother what he sayde vnto her. Which hearing the same, spake these wordes following. Oh (sayd she) how happy am I, that I shall not rise wyth them, but agaynst them. Well (quoth she) the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is, and therfore I commit the matter to him. &c.
Shortly hereupon, that is the 27. day of March 1558. the sayd Doctor Mallet came agayne to her with one D. West Queene Maryes Chapleyne. And comming in, hee saluted her, and tolde her that he had brought her a good learned man to perswade her, who was one of ye queenes Chapleines. &c. and therefore he desired her to heare and beleue him, in that he should say. &c. Then D. West exhor∣ted her to receiue theyr Sacrament, and to be aneled, for he sayd, she was strong enough for it. &c. Unto whom she aunswered, that shee was able and strong enough to re∣ceiue it in deede, but she woulde not, for that it was abho∣minable. &c. Then sayd West, ye be in an ill minde: doe ye thinke to dye a christian woman? yea sayd she that I do. I pray you sayd West, how came you first into that opinion. Mary (sayd she) there he is that first taught it me (mea∣ning D. Mallet) at the mariage of my brother & his sister, where I heard him earnestly preach this doctrine, whiche I now do holde. And if God shall lay our sinnes to our charge, if we repent not, muche more damnable is his of∣fence, being once a publicke Preacher of the same, & nowe to turne from it. Then Mallet tolde her he was then de∣ceiued, by little newfangled two peny bookes, as you bee now (sayd he) but now I am otherwise perswaded, as I would haue you, and to receiue the Sacrament, whiche if you would, you should, I warrant you be saued, my soule for yours. At those wordes she earnestly desired them to be content, for sayth she, ye be come to rob and to draw me from my Christ, which I tell you truth you shall not doe, for I will neuer consent to you while I liue. When West heard her saye so, he drewe his stoole nigher to heare her speake, and being dronken, he fell downe, whereby Mal∣let was fayne to helpe him vp agayne, and so immediatly after they departed thence. And the xiij. day of Aprill next after that, she dyed constantly in the Lord, and yelded her soule and life into his holy handes, with these wordes. Oh Lord into thy handes receiue my soule, and so imme∣diatly gaue vp her life vnto the Lord, to whome be prayse for euer. Amen.
While she was beyond sea, as is sayd before, Mayster Crokhay her husband, by the procurement of D. Mallet,