ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Council were constantly reminding him of the work they expected him 

 to do. 



In August, 1580, when Watson was only bishop elect, the council 

 wrote to him concerning the examination of certain notorious papists 

 lately apprehended in that county, and ordered that they should be 

 committed to Winchester gaol and kept apart from others. He was urged 

 to use his ' best indevours from tyme to time to boulte owte all such 

 matters as he shall thinke may by anie good meanes be gotten at their 

 handes.' 1 In the following October the bishop hears again from the 

 council that they are informed that many of the wives of those who had 

 been reduced to conformity ' do not only contynue obstinate by refusing 

 to come to the Churche to Common Prayer, but also do use at their 

 ordinarie meetinges among themselfes verie unreverende speeches of the 

 Relligion nowe established in this realme, defacing the same as much as 

 in them lieth ; he is therefore required not only to take bandes of every 

 the husbandes of the said offenders that their wifes shall kepe themselves 

 in their houses, and that no corrupte persons of Relligion shall have 

 accesse unto them untill they shall be reduced to follow the example of 

 their husbands in yelding due obedience to her Majesties lawes, but also 

 for the speedy bringing them thereunto it is thought meete that they 

 laye a convenient mulcte upon them from tyme to tyme, which may be 

 imployed either for the setting fourthe of the House of Correction or 

 some suche like charitable use.' 2 



In November, 1580, there was considerable excitement over the 

 arrest in Hampshire of Elizabeth Sanders, ' a professed noone,' and sister 

 of the celebrated Roman controversialist and historian, Dr. Nicholas 

 Sanders. She refused to say where she had been harboured since she 

 came to England, and the bishop was ordered to detain her in the House 

 of Correction and examine her straitly as to the place of her residence 

 when in London. Another of Dr. Sanders' sisters married Henry Pitts 

 of Alton, Hants, a family constantly in trouble for recusancy. 3 



When however the bishop did do his best to please the council by 

 showing zeal against recusancy, he did not always give satisfaction. In 

 compliance with their order of October, 1580, Bishop Watson com- 

 mitted one John Goldsmith of Exton, gentleman, to the common gaol, 

 because his wife was ' obstinate in her Poperie ' and would not come to 

 church, whilst he refused to enter into bonds for her conformity. Gold- 

 smith was sufficiently influential to get the ear of the council, and the 

 result was that in February, 1581, the bishop was ordered to release him 

 for the following quaintly expressed reasons : ' their Lordships are 

 credibly given to understande, that the said Goldsmithe is not hable to 

 overule his wiefes pevish disposicion in that behaulf, he is required to 

 give order presently for his enlargement, and that the correction of her 

 obstanacie be layed uppon her owne carcas, in case she shall contynue 

 willfull disposicion in refusing to come to the Churche.' * 



1 Acts of Privy Council, 1580-1, p. 133. 2 Ibid. p. 244. 



8 Ibid. p. 270 ; Don. State Papers, Eliz. cxlvii. 74. * Ibid, cxvii. 232. 



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