The Path to Martyrdom

Book details

Title: The Path to Martyrdom
Genre: Living History
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1904976-05-9
Price: £8.99

Synopsis

The Path to Martyrdom is a story about the short life of Anne Askewe, one of the last heretics to be burned at the stake during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Although her story has been told before this is not just another history book. John Taylor, a retired headmaster, has portrayed Anne’s life in such a way that the reader is totally involved with her conflicts and courage, her beliefs and her relationships. This is Tudor history played in real time - a living history

Extract

Path to Martyrdom Sir William Ayscough had been knighted by the second Tudor monarch, King Henry VIII, during the victorious campaign against the French in 1513 which resulted in England gaining possession of several towns and territories in France. He was a well favoured knight and, in1521, he was appointed Sheriff of Lincolnshire to act as King Henry’s ‘ears and eyes’ in the county.

In the previous year, during the summer of 1520, Anne Ayscough was born into a Tudor society in which women were considered to be significantly inferior to men. This was the belief of the church and its servants used the bible as justification. If the men of God - the Catholic priesthood - said women were inferior, then it had to be true. Even John Knox, a prominent Protestant and social reformer, wrote, ‘Women in their greatest perfection were made to serve and obey men.’

Girls rarely received any formal education but were taught that their sole function in life was to marry, have children, look after their homes and serve their husbands with due humility. The law gave a husband full rights over his wife who, once married, became his property. Similarly, children born of their marriage were also his chattels. Women were not allowed to preach, express opinions about social or religious matters or, during the latter part of King Henry’s reign, even read the bible to themselves or others. Daughters of the wealthy were often the victims of ‘forced’ marriages’ simply to increase the land ownership of their fathers.

Anne Ayscough - more commonly known as Anne Askewe - challenged all these rules and conventions. For the time in which she lived she was a most unusual charismatic lady, full of courage and fortitude.

This is her story.

A note from the publisher

Quite by coincidence, my wife and I visited Fulham Palace in September 2009. This fascinating palace was home to several British bishops during the Tudor period and, while reading the information on display, I came across the name of Bishop Edmund Bonner. The name rang some bells.

Yvonne Lindsey - guide at Fulham Palace As I had recently finished editing John's book, I checked the manuscript when we arrived home. Sure enough, it was the same Edmund Bonner mentioned in The Path to Martyrdom - a rather notorious Bishop of London who had despatched many accused heretics to meet their maker.

After discussing the matter with John, it was decided we should present a signed copy to Fulham Palace and the curator, Miranda Poliakoff, agreed the book should go to our tour guide, Yvonne Lindsey (pictured left).

Yvonne wrote and thanked us with the following comment:

Dear Mike,

Thank you very much for the gift of the book. It is a wonderful window into Tudor Life and must have been meticulously researched. I am currently about half way through reading it and it is putting into place some of the complications of the monarchy/pope conflict.

It was very kind of you to come all that way to give me the book and I am pleased to tell you that phase two of the restoration works at the Palace, involving the gardens and inner courtyard, is now in progress so things are changing as I write.

Again many thanks,

Yvonne

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The Path to Martyrdom by John Taylor

Book details

Synopsis

Extract

A note from the publisher

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