Richard Bayfield

Richard Bayfield (died 1531) was an English Protestant martyr.

A graduate of the University of Cambridge,[1] he became a Benedictine monk. Whilst acting as Chamberlain of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds, he was approached by the Protestant reformer Robert Barnes and given a copy of the New Testament translated into English. He became influenced by Protestant ideas as a result.

This led to Bayfield being imprisoned and interrogated by Bishop Tunstall. He recanted, but escaped to the Low Countries where he joined the English exiles and proved to be of great help to William Tyndale. He then returned to England and was active in circulating the New Testament and other prohibited books, including the works of Luther, Zwingli and Melancthon. He was discovered, imprisoned and tortured, before being burnt at the stake at Smithfield on 4 December 1531, by Thomas More.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ He is not, however, included in Venn's Alumni Cantabrigienses
  2. ↑ Wilting under Tyranny, Greg Walker, Oxford University Press, 2005
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