Henry Brinkelow

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Henry Brinkelow (d. 1546), a vocal English Protestant reformer, was for a time a Franciscan friar. At some point, he left the order and married. He claimed to have been for a time exiled from England for his outspoken criticism of the bishops.

In 1544 or 1545 he published the work "The complaynt of Roderyck Mors, somtyme a gray fryre, vnto the parliament howse of Ingland his natural cuntry for the redresse of certen wicked lawes, euel customs ad cruell decreys".

The work includes sections on economic reform ("Of inhansing of rent ys by land lordes &ce."), land management ("Of the incolosing of parkys, forestys, chasys. &ce."), church reform ("A lamentacyon for that the body and tayle of the pope is not banisshed with his name"), and militant enforcement of Biblical law ("Of the sellyng of wardys for mariage, wher of ensueth adultery, which owght to be ponysshed by deth").

Upon his death, Brindelow left £5 to "the godly learned men who labor in the vineyard of the Lord and fight against Antichrist."

Perhaps Brinkelow's most lasting contribution is the aphorism, "first come, first served."