The Windsor Martyrs

Summary

Name:	Henry Filmer, Anthony Pierson and Robert Testwood
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Died:	28 Jul 1543
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Location:	George V Memorial, Edward VII Avenue, Windsor, SL4 6HX
Famous for:	The Windsor Martyrs – Robert Testwood, Henry Filmer, Anthony Pierson, John Marbeck, and Robert Bennett – whose persecution was recorded by John Foxe. In the 1540s, under Henry VIII’s still‑Catholic regime and the enforcement of the Act of Six Articles, religious dissent was harshly punished. Local figures like Dr John London and his spy William Simons targeted Windsor residents who questioned traditional Catholic practices. Simons collected evidence against Pierson’s preaching, while Filmer, Testwood, and Marbeck were drawn into suspicion through their conversations, criticisms of church practices, or possession of writings deemed heretical. A dramatic series of arrests followed a royal‑approved raid in 1543. While most were taken to London, Marbeck suffered particularly harsh imprisonment, including solitary confinement, because the authorities believed he must have influential sources behind his English Bible Concordance project. After months of interrogation and suffering, the men were returned to Windsor for trial—one conducted with a hand‑picked, biased jury. The evidence used against them was often dubious or based on personal vendettas. Despite their attempts to defend themselves, Pierson, Filmer, and Testwood were convicted of heresy. Marbeck received an unexpected royal pardon, likely due to intercession or his reputation as a musician, while Bennett also eventually received clemency. Pierson, Filmer, and Testwood were executed by burning on 26 July 1543, facing death with notable courage that deeply moved local onlookers. In the aftermath, the corrupt accusers—Dr London and Simons—were themselves punished for perjury, publicly humiliated, and imprisoned. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs later widely circulated the story, preserving the martyrs’ steadfastness and the injustice they suffered. The account highlights not only the men’s personal bravery but also the turbulent religious climate of Tudor England and the dangerous consequences of challenging entrenched doctrine.
Windlesora:	“The Windsor Martyrs” by Jean Kirkwood “The Windsor Martyrs – Burnt at the Stake” by Jean Kirkwood in Windlesora 27 (2011).

Images

Curator's References

Commemorative plaques on the RBWM website.

‘The Windsor Martyrs, from John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs c.1570‘, RCIN 700096, Royal Trust Collection © King Charles III.

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