April 5th
  William Body (Murdered in Helston)

Following the death of King Henry VIII, Edward VI, the boy King,  was dominated by a number of Protestant Privy Councillors who introduced the Chantries Act which appointed a Commissioner for each county to create an inventory of each Church’s possession of bells, vestments, ornaments and Church plate. 

The Act also required each Church to keep Parish registers which were viewed by local residents as a potential source of further taxation.  The Commissioner for Cornwall was William Body who headquartered himself at Glasney College in Penryn, required the attendance of all clergy and demanded that all Papist material be removed from the places of Worship. 

Infuriated by the clergy’s refusal to comply with his orders, Body arrived in Helston (pictured left by Thomas Rowlandson (1757 – 1827) to remove the items himself only to be confronted by a furious demonstration of people from all the local parishes and led by Rev. Martin Geoffrey of St. Keverne. 

Body fled to the townhouse of the Godolphins (now the Angel Hotel in Coinagehall Street) but was dragged outside and killed.  Two days later, a demonstration of 3000 people was deemed to be a violent mob intent on insurrection. 

The demonstration was quelled and the leaders, again including Geoffrey, were subsequently arrested.  Most were hanged at Launceston other than William and John Kilter who were hanged, drawn and quartered.  Geoffrey suffered the same fate but at Smithfield in London and his head was displayed on a pike on London Bridge.

   



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