Mathew Hamont
Matthew Hamont (died 20 May 1579) was a Hethersett ploughwright, accused of heresy, who was burnt at the stake in Norwich Castle by the Church of England.
The Bishop of Norwich, Edmund Freke, accused Hamont of denying Christ to be a Saviour. On 19th May, 1579, Hamont's ears were cut off and the following day he was burned to death.
There are a number of alternative spellings of his name which include Hamonte, Hammonte, and Hammante. It is likely that his family were od Dutch Dutch origin.
Early in 1579 he was cited before Edmund Freke on a charge of denying Christ. The articles exhibited against him represented him as "a coarse kind of deist," holding the Gospel to be a fable, Christ a sinner, and the Holy Ghost a nonentity. Theologian William Burton had this to say about Hamont.
"I haue knovven some Arrian heretiques, whose life hath beene most strict amongest men, whose tongues haue beene tyred with scripture upon scripture, their knees euen hardned in prayer, and their faces wedded to sadnesse, and their mouthes full of praises to God, while in the meane time they haue stowtly denied the diuinitie of the Sonne of God, and haue not sticked to teare out of the Bible all such places as made against them; such were Hamond, Lewes, and Cole, heretikes of wretched memorie, lately executed and cut off in Norwich."
Hamont was condemned in the consistory court on 13th April, and handed over to the custody of the sheriff of Norwich. His offences were aggravated by a further charge of 'blasphemous words' against the Queen and council, for which he was sentenced to lose his ears, and for his heresy to be burned alive. On 20th May, 1579, his ears were cut off in the Norwich market-place, and he was burned in the castle moat.
Hamont left a widow, who died in 1625; he had a son Erasmus.
The Bishop of Norwich, Edmund Freke, accused Hamont of denying Christ to be a Saviour. On 19th May, 1579, Hamont's ears were cut off and the following day he was burned to death.
There are a number of alternative spellings of his name which include Hamonte, Hammonte, and Hammante. It is likely that his family were od Dutch Dutch origin.
Early in 1579 he was cited before Edmund Freke on a charge of denying Christ. The articles exhibited against him represented him as "a coarse kind of deist," holding the Gospel to be a fable, Christ a sinner, and the Holy Ghost a nonentity. Theologian William Burton had this to say about Hamont.
"I haue knovven some Arrian heretiques, whose life hath beene most strict amongest men, whose tongues haue beene tyred with scripture upon scripture, their knees euen hardned in prayer, and their faces wedded to sadnesse, and their mouthes full of praises to God, while in the meane time they haue stowtly denied the diuinitie of the Sonne of God, and haue not sticked to teare out of the Bible all such places as made against them; such were Hamond, Lewes, and Cole, heretikes of wretched memorie, lately executed and cut off in Norwich."
Hamont was condemned in the consistory court on 13th April, and handed over to the custody of the sheriff of Norwich. His offences were aggravated by a further charge of 'blasphemous words' against the Queen and council, for which he was sentenced to lose his ears, and for his heresy to be burned alive. On 20th May, 1579, his ears were cut off in the Norwich market-place, and he was burned in the castle moat.
Hamont left a widow, who died in 1625; he had a son Erasmus.