POLITICAL HISTORY Camberwell parishes, for the same offence. It was one of the favourite spots for executions, being on a frequented road into London and there- fore valuable as a place for advertising the vigour of the Government. Chaucer's pilgrims had ridden past the ' Watering of Seint Thomas.' Pilgrims no longer passed it since 1538, when the shrine of St. Thomas was destroyed. The holiday crowd of mediaeval tourists, who no doubt had been dwindling for years, no longer passed along the great central Surrey highway, intent on devotion, pleasure and business combined. The ruin which according to Lambarde overtook the inns, lodging- houses and shops of Canterbury must in a minor degree have been felt through Surrey from Farnham to Tatsfield. But whatever discontent may have been stirred in the county by Henry's policy there was no popular outbreak. The disturbances of Edward's reign were no doubt partly religious in Surrey as elsewhere. Nor at this period do we find many sufferers for new religious opinions in Surrey. 1 Under the Act of the Six Articles, which outran in threatened severity the old Act De Heretico comburendo, not many people were executed anywhere. Foxe says that it was under this Act that one Saxy, a priest, was hanged in the porter's lodge of the Southwark house of the Bishop of Winchester. Some more evidence would be desirable before accepting so singular an execution as a fact at all. In the reign of Mary, Surrey was of course affected as usual by a rising in the southern counties, which aimed at entering London. This was the insurrection of Sir Thomas Wyatt against Mary's Catholic and Spanish policy. The brief usurpation of Queen Jane had been accepted in Surrey, as in London, for the moment. On July 8, 1553, two days after Edward had died at Greenwich, the Lords of the Council wrote to the deputy lieutenants, sheriff and justices of Surrey a letter to be delivered to
- Mr. Garden and Mr. Saunders ' was it mere inadvertence and hurry
which caused them so to designate Sir Thomas Cawarden and Sir Thomas Saunders ? to the effect that the Lady Mary is ' sodenly departed with her trayne and famyly toward the sea coast of Norfolk,' ' eyther to flye the realme or to abide there some foreyne power.' They were required to take measures for the defence of the county and for suppressing dis- turbances. 2 The Council drew their attention to the fact that they are required to stand fast by such ordinances ' as be prescribed unto us by his Majestic, signed with his own hande and sealed with the great Scale of England.' The Council was acting in the name of a dead king whose death was ignored. The ordinances and decrees to which they appeal are ' sett foorth and established for the succession of the imperiall crowne of this realme after his deceasse if God shall call him out of this lief without issue of his owne body.' On July 1 1 the death of the king was no longer concealed. It had been in fact known for several days. A writ under the sign manual and signet of Jane the queen was 1 Stowe says that in 1540 three Anabaptists were burnt near Newington. Two were foreigners by their names.
- Loseley MSS. July 8, 1553. The letter is among the bundles of Cawarden papers at Loseley.
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