Elizabeth Barton

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Born probably in 1506; executed at Tyburn, 20 April, 1534; called the "Nun of Kent." The career of thisvisionary, whose prophecies led to her execution underHenry VIII, has been the source of a historical controversy which resolves itself into the question: Was she gifted withsupernaturalknowledge or was she an impostor?

In 1525, when nineteen years of age, being then employed as a domestic servant at Aldington, Kent, she had an illness during which she fell into frequent trances and told "wondrously things done in other places whilst she was neither herself present nor yet heard no report thereof." From the first her utterances assumed areligiouscharacter and were "of marvellousholiness in rebuke ofsin and vice."

Herparishpriest, Richard Masters, convinced of her sincerity, reported the matter to theArchbishop ofCanterbury, who sent a commission of three CanterburyBenedictines,Bocking, Hadleigh, and Barnes, twoFranciscans, Hugh Rich andRichard Risby, adiocesan official, and theparishpriest to examine her again. Shortly after the commission pronounced in her favour, her prediction that the Blessed Virgin would cure her at a certainchapel was fulfilled, when in presence of a large crowd she was restored to health. She then became aBenedictinenun, living nearCanterbury, with a greatreputation forholiness. Her fame gradually spread until she came into wide public notice.

She protested "in the name and by the authority ofGod" against the king's projecteddivorce. To further her opposition, besides writing to thepope, she had interviews withFisher,Wolsey, and theking himself. Owing to her reputation forsanctity, sheproved one of the most formidable opponents of the royaldivorce, so that in 1533 Cromwell took steps against her and, after examination by Cranmer, she was in November, withDr. Bocking, her confessor, and others, committed to the Tower. Subsequently, all theprisoners were made to do public penance at St. Paul's and atCanterbury and to publish confessions of deception andfraud.

In January, 1534, abill of attainder was framed against her and thirteen of her sympathizers, among whom wereFisher andMore. Except the latter, whose name was withdrawn, all were condemned under this bill; seven, includingBocking, Masters, Rich,Risby, and Elizabeth herself, being sentenced todeath, whileFisher and five others were condemned toimprisonment and forfeiture of goods. Elizabeth and her companions were executed at Tyburn on 20 April, 1534, when she is said to have repeated her confession.

Protestant authors allege that these confessions alone are conclusive of her imposture, butCatholic writers, though they have felt free to hold divergent opinions about thenun, have pointed out the suggestive fact that all that is known as to these confessions emanates from Cromwell or his agents; that all available documents are on his side; that the confession issued as hers is on the face of it not her own composition; that she and her companions were never brought to trial, but were condemned and executed unheard; that there is contemporary evidence that the alleged confession was even then believed to be aforgery. For these reasons, the matter cannot be considered as settled, and unfortunately, the difficulty of arriving at any satisfactory and final decision now seems insuperable.

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