Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of BritaineHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
Being past this we raise another, also in the mouth of the Gowy,
betweene Colsford and Lime, of which for the smalnesse thereof I make no
great account. Wherefore giuing ouer to intreat any farther of it, I
[Sidenote: Iardsey.]
[Sidenote: Gardesey.]
cast about to Iardsey, and Gardesey, which Iles with their appurtenances
apperteined in times past to the Dukes of Normandie, but now they
remaine to our Quéene, as parcell of Hamshire and iurisdiction of
Winchester, & belonging to hir crowne, by meanes of a composition made
betwéene K. Iohn of England and the K. of France, when the dominions of
the said prince began so fast to decrease, as Thomas Sulmo saith.
[Sidenote: Iardsey.]
Of these two, Iardsey is the greatest, an Iland hauing thirtie miles in
compasse, as most men doo coniecture. There are likewise in the same
twelue parish-churches, with a colledge, which hath a Deane and
Prebends. It is distant from Gardsey full 21. miles, or thereabouts, and
made notable, by meanes of a bloudie fact doone there in Queene Maries
daies, whereby a woman called Perotine Massie wife vnto an honest
minister or préest, being great with childe by hir husband, was burned
to ashes: through the excéeding crueltie of the Deane and Chapiter, then
contending manifestlie against God for the mainteinance of their popish
and antichristian kingdome. In this hir execution, and at such time as
the fire caught holde of hir wombe, hir bellie brake, and there issued a
goodly manchilde from hir, with such force that it fell vpon the cold
ground quite beyond the heate and furie of the flame, which quicklie was
[Sidenote: Horrible murther.]
taken vp and giuen from one tormentor and aduersarie to an other to
looke vpon, whose eies being after a while satisfied with the beholding
thereof, they threw it vnto the carcase of the mother which burned in
the fire, whereby the poore innocent was consumed to ashes, whom that
[Sidenote: Gardsey.]
furious element would gladlie haue left vntouched, & wherevnto it
ministred (as you heare) an hurtlesse passage. In this latter also,
there haue béene in times past, fine religious houses, and nine castels,
howbeit in these daies there is but one parish-church left standing in
the same. There are also certeine other small Ilands, which Henrie
[Sidenote: S. Hilaries.]
the second in his donation calleth Insulettas, beside verie manie rocks,
whereof one called S. Hilaries (wherein sometime was a monasterie) is
fast vpon Iardsey, another is named the Cornet, which hath a castel not
[Sidenote: Cornet. Serke.]
passing an arrow shot from Gardsey. The Serke also is betwéene both,
which is six miles about, and hath another annexed to it by an Isthmus
or Strictland, wherein was a religious house, & therwithall great store
of conies.
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