en.wikipedia.orgAnne Askew (née Anne Ayscough, married name Anne Kyme) (1520[1] – 16 July 1546) was an English poet and Protestant who was condemned as a heretic. She is the only woman on record to have been tortured in the Tower of London before being burnt at the stake.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Anne Askew
Today's Awesome Woman is Anne Askew. She was a significant player in the English reformation, but a lot of history books barely give her a footnote. This was a strong willed and intelligent woman who fought hard for her beliefs. She memorized the Gospels, so she could share with those who couldn't read and with those who didn't want to risk a Bible in the house (that shit would get you killed for a while under Henry VIII). She left her husband when he didn't support her proselytizing, and lived alone. She refused to name fellow-protestants even under extreme torture. One of the people she might have saved was Katherine Parr, who was married to the King at the time. Anne Askew died determined to remain true to her own values and to protect her friends to the horrible end.
