Rowland Taylor
1510-1555

Wife: Margaret Elizabeth Tyndale (1510-1590) 9 Children: George Taylor (1535-1609) Susan Taylor (1535-1558) Anne Taylor (1536-1565) Ellen Taylor (1537-1579) Robert Taylor (1543-1571) Zachary Taylor (1545-    ) Thomas James Taylor (1548-1588) Mary Taylor (1550-1579) () Elizabeth Taylor (1552-1615) Father: John Taylor II (1480-1550) Mother: Susan Rowland (1482-1582)

Rowland Taylor was an English Protestant minister who was burned at the stake in 1555 for his beliefs. His death was ordered by the Catholic Queen Mary, who was determined to stamp out Protestantism by force. His biography is in Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Much of the information in this article came from the Wikipedia article about him.

Rowland was born on Sun 6 Oct 1510 (Julian) in Rothbury, Northumberland, England. He was born into an upper class family to John Taylor and Susan Rowland. John was himself distinguished as a leading religious figure. Rowland was afforded the privilege of a good education. He received his bachelor's law degree from Cambridge in 1530, at the age of 19. He was the principal of a school from 1531 to 1538, while completing his doctorate degree in law in 1534. One year later in 1535, William Tyndale was tried and denounced as a heretic for his new translation of the Bible from both Greek and Latin into English. Tyndale was burned at the stake in 1536.

In 1534 Rowland married Margaret Elizabeth Tyndale, the daughter of John Tyndale, the brother of William Tyndale who translated the Bible. Both Rowland and William had been at Cambridge, where it is likely that Rowland met his niece Margaret. Very little is known about Rowland's early life.

The martyrdom of Rowland Taylor.

While at Cambridge, he heard the sermons of Bishop Hugh Latimer, who would later also be martyred. He lived with Thomas Cranmer who helped him get started preaching. He was ordained by Cranmer and received his license to preach. These were the days of King Henry VIII and his son Edward VI, who supported Protestants. Taylor became Rector of Hadleigh, a small Reformation town some fifty miles from London. Most people there had read the Bible several times! He spent most of the rest of his life preaching there.

After King Edward VI died, Queen Mary I ("Bloody Mary"), a staunch Catholic, was determined to eliminate Protestantism. She had Rowland Taylor imprisoned within a week after she began her reign in July 1553. He was torn from his wife and nine children. He had supported Lady Jane Grey, Mary's rival, who was queen for 9 days before Mary's supporters had her executed. Jane died as a Protestant martyr too! Her dying testimony was marvelous!

After being imprisoned for two years, Rowland was brought to trial in January 1555. According to John Foxe's biography, his recorded statement was:

And although I know, that there is neither justice nor truth to be looked for at my adversaries hands, but rather imprisonment and cruel death: yet know my cause to be so good and righteous, and the truth so strong upon my side, that I will by God's grace go and appear before them and to their beards resist their false doings.

Monument at place of martyrdom.

His final words to his son Thomas, from whom my family descends, were also recorded:

Almighty God bless thee, and give you his Holy Spirit, to be a true servant of Christ, to learn his word, and constantly to stand by his truth all the life long. And my son, see that thou fear God always. Fly from all sin and wicked living. Be virtuous, serve God daily with prayer, and apply thy boke. In anywise see thou be obedient to thy mother, love her, and serve her. Be ruled by her now in thy youth, and follow her good counsel in all things. Beware of lewd company of young men, that fear not God, but followeth their lewd lusts and vain appetites. Flee from whoredom, and hate all filthy lying, remembering that I they father do die in the defense of holy marriage. And another day when God shall bless thee, love and cherish the poor people, and count that thy chief riches to be rich in alms. And when thy mother is waxed old, forsake her not, but provide for her to thy power, and see that she lacks nothing. For so will God bless thee, give thee long life upon earth, and prosperity, which I pray God to grant thee.

That is still wonderful advice on how to live today!

He was burned at the stake on Sat 9 Feb 1555 (Julian). He was truly a great example of standing up for truth at all costs and being faithful to the end!