Marriage and Reformed Faith Awakening
I was born to a good family in Lincolnshire and given in marriage against my will to a man who hated my faith. When I openly professed the Reformed Gospel and refused to accept that the bread and wine literally became Christ's body, my husband cast me out. I took back my maiden name, Askew, and went to London seeking a divorce—and seeking to spread the truth I had found in Scripture.
Teaching Scripture Under Persecution
In London, I studied the Bible diligently and began teaching other women about salvation by faith alone. This brought me to the attention of the authorities. In 1545, I was arrested for heresy and questioned about my beliefs, particularly regarding the Eucharist. I answered my accusers from Scripture, debating with bishops and theologians, refusing to be intimidated.
"I believe that so oft as I, in a Christian congregation, do receive the bread in remembrance of Christ's death," I wrote, "I receive therewith the fruits also of His most glorious passion."
Torture and Unbroken Faith
Released for a time, I was arrested again in 1546. This time, the Lord Chancellor himself came to the Tower of London to interrogate me. They demanded I name the ladies at court who shared my beliefs. When I refused, they did what had never been done to a woman in England before: they placed me on the rack.
The Lord Chancellor ordered the rack master to stretch me more. When he refused, the Chancellor and another lord worked the rack themselves. My joints were pulled apart, my body broken. Still, I would not betray my sisters in Christ.
Christian Martyrdom at Smithfield
So broken I could not stand, I was carried to Smithfield in a chair and tied to the stake sitting down. On July 16, 1546, I was burned alive. I was only twenty-five years old.
They broke my body, but they could not break my faith. I go to Him who gave Himself for me.
