The Three Protestant Martyrs

Anne Tree, Thomas Dunngate and John Forman were burned as Martyrs on 18 July 1556 because they would not renounce the Protestant Faith.

It should be remembered that the inscribed slabs in the churchyard of St. Swithun's are only a memorial and that the ashes of the martyrs do not lie underneath. It is not known where the actual remains are although it is thought that they are somewhere in the churchyard. There are some ashes under the slabs but these were in fact dug up in the High Street early this century.. People had been finding ashes as far back as the beginning of the 19th Century and each find give rise to the claim that these were the remains of the martyrs.

Clearly this was not so and Lady Musgrave, who was somewhat more pious, arranged for the memorial slabs to be laid and inscribed. (Date not known)

It should also be remembered that they were burned as heretics, not witches. As far as the three having any other common link is concerned, there may possibly have been some inter-connection through marriage links but we do not know for certain of any other connection apart from the obvious one that they were all significant in their single-minded adherence to their faith.

We do not know if there are any descendants of Anne Tree, or John Forman but there are, today, 'Dunngates' who, in tracing their genealogy, are believe to have established a link with Thomas Dunngate.

There is no doubt, however, that the exact spot of the burning was in the High Street, outside of what is now Broadley Brothers and that there were three separate stakes.

The Latin inscription on the Memorial in St. Swithun's Churchyard records that they were “Faithful unto death”.

Source: St. Swithun's