John Foxe - Martyrologist (7 of 9)

An account of his life taken from The History and Antiquities of Boston by Pishey Thompson (1856) [continued].

the Canons. He also disliked some of the ceremonies of the Church. When Archbishop Parker summoned the London clergy to Lambeth, Mr. Fox refused his subscription to the Injunctions relative to the habits; and is stated, by his son, to have produced a Greek Testament, saying, “To this I will subscribe.” Chalmers adds, in a note, “One of his biographers states, that, in 1572, he was collated to a prebend in the Church of Durham, but quitted it the same year, probably on account of his nonconformity.” The Prebend of Skipton not only gave him a respectable maintenance, but afforded him the means of transmitting a valuable lease to his descendants, which was enjoyed by the family until Sir Richard Willis married the heiress of the family, the daughter of Robert Fox, the physician, the younger son of the Martyrologist. The remainder of Fox’s life appears to have been a good deal employed in controversy, and advising persons who applied to him upon points of conscience, as appears from his papers in the Harleian MSS. In 1572, he attended the execution of his friend and patron the Duke of Norfolk; Sir Henry Lee, the Dean of St. Paul’s, and Mr. Fox, were on the scaffold. About this time he removed into Grub Street, his letters being there directed. In this year also appeared the third edition of the “Acts and Monuments.” Mr. Fox appears to have produced few works after this period. Among the letters addressed to him at this time is one from his friend, Lawrence Humphries, exhorting him to proceed with a work which he had long before undertaken. This was the completion of Dr. Walter Haddon’s answer to Osorius. Mr. Fox complied with this wish, although he was then much engaged with the fourth edition of his “Acts and Monuments,” which appeared in 1584. Mr. Fox’s latter days were employed in preparation for his departure; he died April 18th, 1587. There is no account of the circumstances which attended his last hours; but it is stated the whole city lamented his death, and great numbers of people attended his simple and unpretending funeral.1 He was buried in the chancel of St. Giles’s, Cripplegate;2 where, on the south side, on an upright stone, erected to his memory by his son, Samuel, is the following inscription, recorded by STOW, but at present partly hidden by the wainscoting of the chancel:— “Johanni Foxo Christi S. S. Ecclesiae Anglicanae, Martyrologo fidelissimo Antiquitatis Historiae Indagatori sagacissimo; Evangelicae veritatis propugnatori acerrimo; Thaumaturgo admirabili. Qui Martyres Marianos, tanquam Phoenices ex cineribus restivivis praestitit: Patri suo omni pietatis officio imprimis colendo, Samuel Fox, illius primogenitus, hoc Monumentum posuit, non sine lachrymis. “Obiit die 18 mens. April. An. Dom: 1587, jam septuagenarius. Vita vitae mortalis est. Spes vitae immortalis.” It is believed, that John Fox was the only child of his parents, as none other are mentioned by any of his biographers. Dr. MAITLAND says he had a sister, but does not give her name, or whether the daughter of the first or second marriage, or when she died. There is very little known respecting his family. Nothing can be found even relative to the time and place of the death of his

1 The Gentleman’s Magazine, April 1735, p. 207, gives a quotation from a small monthly publication of the period called Questions and Answers, from which it is inferred, that towards the end of his life he resided in Grub Street. “One very remarkable writer lived in ‘Grub Street,’ and that was JOHN FOX, who compiled the Book of Martyrs; and it is very likely the appellation, Grub St writer, took

its rise from him. The Papists often calling him, by way of contempt, ‘The Grub Street author,’ and his work, ‘The Grub Street writings.’ It is believed that Mr. Fox died in this street.”—B. 2 It is said, but on what authority is not known, that he once held the vicarage of this church, but this is doubted by WOOD.—B.

Page last updated 18 March, 2004

If you have any comments on my pages, please contact me on

Genealogy Home