“Upon the massacre at Paris, Protestants fly into England, whereof a brief account was sent up of those that fled to Rye from Rouen and Dieppe. Soon after that massacre came over from Rouen and Dieppe to Rye 641 persons, men, women, and children — families 85. They came over at several times in the months of August and September, and some few in October; but some few came over in August somewhat before the massacre. Besides in the beginning of November, the 4th, 7th, and 9th days, 58 persons more, most of them for religion; several, Monsieur Le Vidame of Chartres's servants. The view was taken of these French and other strangers, within the town of Rye by the appointment of Henry Seymer, Mayor of that town, and the jurats there. John Donning, Custos of Rye, sent up the catalogue, Nov. the 22nd, to the Lord Treasurer, according to order sent to him. In this catalogue are the names of divers entitled ministers, clerks, schoolmasters; many merchants, mariners and of all trades, and some gentlemen, with their children, wives, and servants.”
Lord Burghley was the principal proprietor of the town of Stamford, and through his enlightened patronage,[1] a colony was founded there this year, to consist of “estraungers beinge for conscience sake, and for the trewe and mere Religion of Christe Jhesu, fledde into her Grace's Reaulme, and willinge to go to Stanford, and theire to keep theyre Residence.” Their spokesmen were Isbrand Balkius, their minister, and Casper Vosberguis; the colony consisted of manufacturers, silk-weavers, hatters, cutlers, dyers, and other industrial people. [Strype in 1711 says, “This Walloon congregation and manufacture continued a great while in Stamford, but now is in effect vanished. In the Hall, where they used to meet for their business, the town feasts are now kept; the place where they exercised their religion is not known. Yet their last minister, a long-lived man, was known to many now alive.” (Strype’s “Life of Parker,” page 367, and Appendix Nos. 72 and 73).]
English popular sympathy with the victims of the St. Bartholomew massacre and with their refugee kindred contributed to bring to a formal settlement the overtures made in Canterbury for manufacturing and trading liberties. On 15th March 1574, the Mayor (Mr Rose), Alderman Alcock, and Mr John Boys signed the “Articles agreed by the Worshipful Magistrates of the City of Canterbury unto the Strangers under their protection, to pursue the confirmation under the patent of her Majesty.” The trading and other working articles may be studied in Burn's History (p. 274), prefaced by, “In primis, they shall have full and free exercise of theire religion, as all other congregations of this realme have, with competent church for their assemblies.”[2]
The date of the horrible “sacking of Antwerp” was the beginning of November 1576. The Spaniards stripped all merchants, native and foreign, and massacred Walloons indiscriminately. And simultaneously the French king increased his rigour against the Huguenots; and at the same time “prohibition was made that no Frenchman should be suffered to fly into England,” according to information sent to the Earl of Sussex, by his brother, the Hon. Henry Radclyff, from Portsmouth, January 15th, 1576 [?—1577, new style]. This information, which includes information as to the watching of the French coast in order to intercept fugitives, is printed in Strype’s “Annals of Elizabeth,” vol. ii. page 406.
During all these years, until 1588, plots were hatching for the overthrow of Protestant England and the dethronement of Queen Elizabeth. The Armada of 1588 was the Royal Spaniard’s discomfited attempt to destroy England both as a Protestant nation, and as a sanctuary for Protestant refugees. Wrath and revenge were specially due to the kingdom in its latter function. In a bull, dated 5th
- ↑ Out of gratitude to the English Government, a Huguenot refugee named Bertrand, Seigneur de La Tour, gave information (dated at Spaa, near Aix-la-Chapelle, nth Aug. 1573) of a Foreign Conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth. It was forwarded to Lord Burghley by Sir William bromheld, an officer of her Majesty’s Guards, to vthom the communication had been made in presence of Stephen Bochart, Seigneur Du Menillet. The Seigneur de La Tour described himself as one “bound on many accounts to the most illustrious Queen of the English, on account of her hospitality shewn to all the refugees lrom France for the Word of God, and esteeming the benefits conferred by her Majesty upon all the brethren professing the same religion, to be common to him and all the French exiles in Germany or in any other part of the world,” [devinctus multis nominibus illustrissimae; Reginae Anglorum propter hospitalitatem exhibitam omnibus profugis ex Gallia propter Verbum Dei, existimans benelicia a suâ Majestate collata omnibus Fratribus eandem religionem profitentibus, sibi et omnibus Exulibus Gallis, in Germaniâ, sive in quâcunque Orbis parte, esse communiaj. For the Latin original, see Strype’s “Life of Parker,” Appendix, No. 91; for an abstract in English, see his “Annals of Elizabeth,” vol. ii. page 254.
- ↑ I quote from Bunce’s Abridgement the two other orders of the Canterbury Burghmote during Elizabeth’s reign: — 15th July, 22d Elizabeth [1580] — “Agreed that the strangers inhabiting within this city shall pay to the Chamberlain to the use of the House, £15 in discharge of a taxation which should have been made upon them towards repairing Westgate Tower, and other charges presently to be disbursed.”
10th July, 24th Elizabeth [1582] — “From henceforth no more strangers shall be suffered to inhabit within this city, unless allowed by the Mayor and three Aldermen, by Warrant under their hands.”
