Richard Bayfield (died 27 November 1531) was an English

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

. A graduate of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, he became a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk and Chamberlain of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds. At some time in 1522, an Augustinian rector at Cambridge, Robert Barnes visited Edmund Rougham, an acquaintance from their days at Leuven. Barnes gave Bayfield a copy of a Latin translation of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...

. After two years of study, Bayfield's interpretations brought him into trouble with his superiors and he was imprisoned in the house. Barnes eventually secured his release and brought him back to Cambridge. Bayfield was later imprisoned and interrogated by

Bishop Tunstall Cuthbert Tunstall (otherwise spelt Tunstal or Tonstall; 1474 – 18 November 1559) was an English Scholastic, church leader, diplomat, administrator and royal adviser. He served as Prince-Bishop of Durham during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edwar ...

. He recanted, but escaped to the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

where he joined the English exiles and proved to be of great help to

William Tyndale William Tyndale (; sometimes spelled ''Tynsdale'', ''Tindall'', ''Tindill'', ''Tyndall''; – ) was an English biblical scholar and linguist who became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation in the years leading up to his execu ...

. He then returned to England and was active in circulating the New Testament and other prohibited books, including the works of

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (gi ...

Zwingli Huldrych or Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system. He attended the Univ ...

and Melancthon. He was discovered, imprisoned and tortured, before being

burned at the stake Death by burning (also known as immolation) is an execution and murder method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment f ...

at Smithfield on 27 November 1531, by

Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...

.Writing under Tyranny, Greg Walker, Oxford University Press, 2005

References

* Rainer Haas, Allerlei Protestanten – Christus-Zeugen aus der Tudor-Zeit: 3.Richard Bayfield, der das Bücher-Verbreiten mit seinem Leben bezahlte, Nordhausen, 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bayfield, Richard 1531 deaths 16th-century Christians 16th-century English people 16th-century Protestant martyrs Alumni of the University of Cambridge English Benedictines English Christian monks Executed British people People executed under Henry VIII Year of birth unknown People executed by the Kingdom of England by burning 16th-century Christian monks Protestant martyrs of England

See also

References