Askew, Anne

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Askew, Anne (1521–46). Protestant martyr. A Lincolnshire gentlewoman devoted to biblical study, Anne Askew regularly entered into textual debates with the clergy and was ultimately dismissed by her husband for offending them. Examined in London for heretical views on the sacrament in 1545, she was arraigned again the following year and sentenced to burn. She was racked in the Tower, her prosecutors vainly seeking evidence against suspected reformists at court, including Catherine Parr. Weakened by torture, she was carried by chair to the stake and supported there by a chain, refusing a final offer of pardon for recantation.

Audrey MacDonald

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