Preservation Of George Crow And His Testament

This poor man, of Malden, May 26, 1556, put to sea, to lade in Lent with

Fuller's earth, but the boat, being driven on land, filled with water,

and every thing was washed out of her; Crow, however, saved his

Testament, and coveted nothing else. With Crow was a man and a boy,

whose awful situation became every minute more alarming, as the boat was

useless, and they were ten miles from land, expecting the tide should in

few hours set in upon them. After prayer to God, they got upon the

mast, and hung there for the space of ten hours, when the poor boy,

overcome by cold and exhaustion, fell off, and was drowned. The tide

having abated, Crow proposed to take down the masts, and float upon

them, which they did; and at ten o'clock at night they were borne away

at the mercy of the waves. On Wednesday, in the night, Crow's companion

died through fatigue and hunger, and he was left alone, calling upon God

for succour. At length he was picked up by a Captain Morse, bound to

Antwerp, who had nearly steered away, taking him for some fisherman's

buoy floating in the sea. As soon as Crow was got on board, he put his

hand in his bosom, and drew out his Testament, which indeed was wet, but

no otherwise injured. At Antwerp he was well received, and the money he

had lost was more than made good to him.



June 6, 1556, the following four martyrs suffered at Lewes, in Sussex:

J. Harland, of Woodmancote, carpenter; John Oswald, of the same place,

husbandmen; Thomas Avington, of Ardingly, turner; and Thomas Read.



June 20, at the same place, were burnt the Rev. Thomas Whood, and Thomas

Mills. June 24, the Rev. Wm. Alderhall; and June 28, John Clement,

wheelright, died in the King's Bench prison, and were buried on the

dunghill in the backyard. June 21, a young man, the servant of a

merchant, was burnt at Leicester.