Robert Testwood of London was an English Protestant martyr during the reign of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

, one of the

Windsor Martyrs The Windsor Martyrs were English Protestants martyred at Windsor in 1543. Their names were Robert Testwood, Anthony Pearson and Henry Filmer. In 1543, during the reign of Henry VIII, the three Windsor Martyrs were arrested by Bishop Gardiner' ...

. Testwood was a moderately well-known musician and gained a place as a chorister at Windsor College. He became embroiled in a number of arguments with the Windsor clergy, as well as the congregation. One, with a chantry priest, Mr. Ely, was about whether laymen should read the scriptures and whether the Pope should be the supreme head of the church in England. After asserting that men should read the scriptures and that the King should lead the church in England, Testwood was called 'the greatest

heretic Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

that ever came into Windsor' by Ely.''Testwood and His Companions'', p.171-176, ''Foxe's Book of Martyrs'',

John Foxe John Foxe (1516/1517 – 18 April 1587), an English historian and martyrologist, was the author of '' Actes and Monuments'' (otherwise ''Foxe's Book of Martyrs''), telling of Christian martyrs throughout Western history, but particularly the su ...

Ambassador Publications The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC) is the sixth largest Lutheran church body in the United States. The AFLC includes congregations from the former Lutheran Free Church in 27 different U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. The ...

, 2000 However, Testwood became particularly hated for berating the pilgrims in St George's Chapel and for smashing the nose off the statue of the Virgin Mary there. He came to the attention of Bishop Gardiner who sent his agent, Dr John London, to arrest him. On the evidence of a former Mayor of Windsor, William Simonds, he and four others were condemned to death on 26 July 1543. However, only Testwood, Anthony Pearson and

Henry Filmer Henry Filmer (died 1543) was a 16th-century English Protestant martyr, one of the Windsor Martyrs, during the reign of Henry VIII. Filmer was a Protestant tailor and church warden of St John the Baptist Church, Windsor, Berkshire who complaine ...

were executed by burning at Windsor.

References

External links

Royal Berkshire History: The Windsor Martyrs
People executed under Henry VIII 1543 deaths 16th-century Protestant martyrs People executed for heresy Executed British people Executed people from London English male singers People executed by the Kingdom of England by burning Year of birth unknown Protestant martyrs of England {{England-reli-bio-stub