Memorials
MEMORIALS
The Protestant Alliance has maintained a witness across England of holding annual commemoration services at Martyrs Memorials.
The Roman Catholic Church burned alive an unknown number of Lollards, the followers of John Wycliffe. Others were martyred later: approximately 50 were martyred during the reign of Henry VI and 289 were martyred in 4 years during the reign of Mary I a newborn infant was even burned by priests on Guernsey, a further 112 died of starvation and torture in prison, hence Mary I being known as “Bloody Mary.”
At the unveiling of the memorial at Smithfield the then Chairman of The Protestant Alliance said: “the memorial had not been erected in a spirit of defiance, or to perpetuate the recollection of past wrongs. If those wrongs were not forgotten, it was the fault of the Church of Rome herself. We had received the issues of the martyrs’ deaths in a free Bible, unfettered religious thought and action. The duty of their descendants was to maintain the honour of their blessed names and the integrity of those great principles for which they died.”
In such a spirit we continue this important work. Details of our Commemoration Services are on the left.
The Protestant Alliance owns and maintains three Martyrs Memorials: Smithfield, Amersham and Norwich. Please see below for more information concerning these sites.
The Roman Catholic Church burned alive an unknown number of Lollards, the followers of John Wycliffe. Others were martyred later: approximately 50 were martyred during the reign of Henry VI and 289 were martyred in 4 years during the reign of Mary I a newborn infant was even burned by priests on Guernsey, a further 112 died of starvation and torture in prison, hence Mary I being known as “Bloody Mary.”
At the unveiling of the memorial at Smithfield the then Chairman of The Protestant Alliance said: “the memorial had not been erected in a spirit of defiance, or to perpetuate the recollection of past wrongs. If those wrongs were not forgotten, it was the fault of the Church of Rome herself. We had received the issues of the martyrs’ deaths in a free Bible, unfettered religious thought and action. The duty of their descendants was to maintain the honour of their blessed names and the integrity of those great principles for which they died.”
In such a spirit we continue this important work. Details of our Commemoration Services are on the left.
The Protestant Alliance owns and maintains three Martyrs Memorials: Smithfield, Amersham and Norwich. Please see below for more information concerning these sites.