Oxford Inscriptions: The Protestant Martyrs’ Memorial
This inscription is on the north-facing side of the Martyrs' Memorial, underneath the statue of Thomas Cranmer. At the top are the coats of arms of the Archbishop of Canterbury and of Cranmer
TO.THE.GLORY.OF.GOD
AND.IN.GRATEFUL.COMMEMORATION
OF.HIS.SERVANTS
THOMAS.CRANMER
NICHOLAS.RIDLEY
HUGH.LATIMER
PRELATES.OF.THE.CHURCH
OF.ENGLAND
WHO.NEAR.THIS.SPOT
YIELDED.THEIR.BODIES
TO.BE.BURNED
BEARING.WITNESS
TO.THE.SACRED.TRUTHS
WHICH.THEY.HAD
AFFIRMED.AND.MAINTAINED
AGAINST.THE.ERRORS
OF.THE.CHURCH.OF.ROME
AND.REJOICING.THAT
TO.THEM.IT.WAS.GIVEN
NOT.ONLY.TO.BELIEVE.IN.CHRIST
BUT.ALSO.TO.SUFFER.FOR.HIS.SAKE
THIS.MONUMENT.WAS.ERECTED
BY.PUBLIC.SUBSCRIPTION
IN.THE.YEAR.OF.OUR.LORD.GOD
M.DCCCXLI
The Martyrs’ Memorial was erected in 1841 at the south end of St Giles’ in memory of three Protestant martyrs who were burnt at the stake in Broad Street in 1555/6.
The stone below is in the pavement in front of the memorial, and records the memorial’s restoration in 2002.
THE /
MARTYRS’ /
MEMORIAL
WAS RESTORED IN /
2002
TO MARK THE /
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF /
OXFORD PRESERVATION TRUST
An inscription on a shield on the Memorial facing south (left) commemorates Cranmer’s Authorized Version of the Bible of 1541. It reads:
| THE BYBLE IN ENGLYSH |
AUTHO RIZED MAYE MDXLI |