Foxe, John (1516–87). Martyrologist. Born in Lincolnshire, educated at Oxford, he was fellow of Magdalen College (1539). Though, as an extreme protestant, he resigned in 1545, he was ordained deacon by Bishop Ridley of London (1550) and was tutor (1547–53) to the children of the recently executed catholic earl of Surrey. One of these, for whom as 4th duke of Norfolk he retained affection, he later attended on the scaffold (1572). After exile under Mary, he returned, was ordained priest in 1560, and, despite objecting to the surplice, became vicar of Shipton. Foxe's reputation rests principally on his Actes and Monuments (Latin 1554, English 1563) or Book of Martyrs, dedicated to Elizabeth, a best seller which reinforced the concept of England as God's elect nation. ‘A database for the justification of the Elizabethan ”godly” reformation’, it was based on massive, but unashamedly biased and often inaccurate protestant scholarship.

Revd Dr William M. Marshall

Foxe, John (1516–87) English Anglican clergyman and historian, whose writings promoted Protestantism and influenced policy towards Roman Catholics. He returned from exile in France during Elizabeth I's reign and wrote Actes and Monuments of these latter and perillous Dayes, better known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs (1563).

Foxe, John (1516–87). Author of ‘Foxe's book of martyrs’. Foxe wrote the book, Acts and Monuments of matters happening in the Church, while in exile in Europe during the reign of Queen Mary. Its chief purpose was to draw attention to the sufferings and endurance of the Protestant martyrs of Mary's reign.