BattlefieldsCanterbury Protestant Martyrs Burnings 1555-1558
Tudor

Canterbury Protestant Martyrs Burnings 1555-1558

1555–1558
Kent, England
Also known as: Canterbury Marian burnings · Canterbury martyrs under Mary I
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Kent, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Protestant community
VS
Victor
Crown (Mary I)
Outcome
Multiple Protestant burnings at Canterbury as diocesan centre; Archbishop Pole supervised proceedings
The Battle

History & Significance

Canterbury as the primatial see of England was a key location for Marian martyrdoms under Archbishop Pole. The burning of Protestant clergy and laypeople at the spiritual heart of English Christianity was intended to signal the completeness of the Catholic restoration. The Canterbury burnings included notable victims and were well documented in Foxes Acts and Monuments.

Casualties & Losses

c.8-10 burned in Canterbury area

Forces Involved

Archbishop Poles authority; royal sheriffs

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Kent

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Kent