Church of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Chideock, Dorset
The Venerable Anthony Brooksby (or Brookby or, even, Brorbey) was a theological lecturer at Magdalen College, Oxford.
He was critical of the actions of Henry VIII and even more so of his dissolute style of living. As a result he was arrested and thrown into prison where he was put on the rack.
This is an account of his sufferings:_
"...Here he was placed on the rack in order to induce him to retract his words. But he bore all the tortures with wonderful courage and constancy, and, far from yielding a single point, he only expressed an ardent desire to suffer yet more cruel torments for the love of God.
So unusually barbarous was his racking that every joint in his body was dislocated, and he could not move or even raise his hands to his mouth...."
He was fed and cared for by an old woman (presumed to be on the prison payroll) for several weeks until the King signed the warrant for his execution.
Presumably, because he was still virtually helpless due to his tortures they sent the executioner to his cell where he strangled the Friar in his bed with the cord from his habit.
Venerable Anthony Brooksby - Ora pro nobis!
Posted by Richard Collins - Linen on the Hedgerow
"critical of the actions of Henry XVIII "
ReplyDeleteUmmm... didn't realise that we had 18 of them...
;-p
Mac - you can tell the state I'm in - thank you.
ReplyDelete