Claire at The Anne Boleyn Files gives a fantastic, if grotesque, account of the horrible and hideous death of Anne Askew, a young Protestant convert savagely tortured and then executed for her beliefs during the last years of the already-bloody reign of King Henry VIII. Whatever one might think of Anne Askew's beliefs, there can be no real doubting her incredible bravery.
To quote Claire: -
"There is no doubt that Anne Askew was a martyr and an incredible woman. She was just 25 years old when she died but what an amazing life she had led. In an age where women were supposed to be submissive, and have no voice or opinions of their own, she was an outspoken preacher and died for her faith, remaining true to her friends and beliefs, whatever the cost. I admire her."
Read the full article here.
Thank you so much for linking to my article, Gareth. I find Anne Askew's story so moving and I admire her hugely. Although I have a strong faith and would love to think that I would die for it and would not betray my friends, I'm not sure that I could stay silent like that on the rack. I found the actions of Rich and Wriothesley chilling, it wasn't just Henry who had changed into a monster methinks.
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