August 1 - A young blind woman is burnt for heresy

On this day in Tudor history, 1st August 1556, a blind woman named Joan Waste was burnt in Derby for heresy after she refused to recant her Protestant faith.

 

Joan was just twenty-two when she died and had learnt the New Testament by having people read it to her. 

 

Find out more about Protestant martyr, Joan Waste, her short life and her sad end, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:

https://youtu.be/BUmhF-nFVUE

 

Also on this day in history, 1st August 1555, Sir Edward Kelley, apothecary, alchemist and medium, was born in Worcester. Kelley was a fascinating man. He worked with Dr John Dee and the men believed that they communicated with angels. Kelley also claimed that he was an alchemist and he wrote a treatise on the Philosopher's Stone. You can find out more about him in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/s6pCLEyHex8