Sir Randle Brereton and Eleanor Dutton

DEANE. But what can ye tell of Brerton ? GEORGE. By my troeth, yf any of them was innocent, it was he. For other he was innocente or els he dyed worst of them all. DEANE. How so ? GEORGE. Apon thursdaye afore Maye daye in the mornynge I spake with hym abowt nyne of the clocke, And he tolde me that there was no waye but one with any matter. For I did aske hym & was bold apon hym because we were borne within foure myles together, And also we wente to grammar scole together. And the same daye afore ij of the clock was he in the towre as ferre as the best. What was layed against hym I know not nor never hearde. But at his deeth these were his wordes : I haue deserved to dye if it were a thousande deethes, But the cause wherfore I dye judge not: But yf ye judge, judge the best. This he spake iij or foure tymes. If he were gyltie, I saye therfore that he dyed worst of them all.

Source: Amyot, Thomas, "Transcript of an original Manuscript, containing a Memorial from George Constantyne to Thomas Lord Cromwell," (read 21 and 28 Jan 1830), Archaelogica, or Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquity, Vol. 23, London: J.B. Nichols and Son, 1851, p. 65. This book can be found online at Archive.org.

Item, the 12th daie of Maie, 1536, being Fridaie, their were arraygned at Westminster Sir Frances Weston, knight, Henrie Norris, esquier, Brerton, and Markes, being all fower of the Kinges Privie Chamber, and their condempned of high treason against the Kinge for using fornication with Queene Anne, wife to the Kinge, and also for conspiracie of the Kinges death, and their judged to be hanged, drawen, and quartered, their members cutt of and brent before theim, their heades cutt of and quartered ; my Lord Chauncelor being the highest Commissioner he geving their judgment, with other lordes of the Kinges Counsell being presente at the same tyme.

And the morrowe after, being Satterdaie, and the thirtenth daie of Maie, Maister Fittes-Williams, Treasorer of the Kinges howse, and Mr. Controoler, deposed and brooke upp the Queenes househoulde at Greenewich, and so discharged all her servantes of their offices clearlye.

Item, on Munday, c the 15th of May, 1536, there was arreigned within the Tower of London Queene Anne, for treason againste the Kinges owne person, and there was a great scaffold made in the Kinges Hall within the Tower of London, and there were made benches and seates for the lordes, my Lord of Northfolke sittinge under the clothe of estate, representinge there the Kinges person as Highe Steward of Englande and uncle to the Queene, he holdinge a longe white staffe in his hande, and the Earle of Surrey, his sonne and heire, sittinge at his feete before him holdinge the golden staffe for the Earle Marshall of Englande, which sayde office the saide duke had in his handes ; the Lord Awdley, Chauncellour of England, sittinge on his right hande, and the Duke of Suffolke on his left hande, with other marqueses, earles, and lordes, everie one after their degrees.

And first the Kinges commission was redd, and then the Constable of the Tower and the Lieutenant brought forthe the Queene the barre, where was made a chaire for her to sitt downe in, and Tower of then her indictment was redd afore her, whereunto she made so wise and discreet aunsweres to all thinges layde against her, excusinge herselfe with her wordes so clearlie, as thoughe she had never bene faultie to the same, and at length putt her to the triall of the Peeres of the Realme, and then were 26 of the greatest peeres there present
chosen to passe on her, the Duke of Suffolke beinge highest, and, after thei had communed together, the yongest lorde of the saide inquest was called first to give verdict, who sayde guiltie, and so everie lorde and earle after their degrees sayde guiltie to the last and so condemned her. And then the Duke of Northfolke gave this sentence on her, sayinge : Because thou haste offended our Sovereigne the Kinges grace, in committinge treason against his person, and here attaynted of the same, the lawe of the realme is this, that thou haste deserved death, and thy judgment is this : That thow shalt be brent here within the Tower of London on the Greene, els to have thy head smitten of as the Kinges pleasure shal be further knowne of the same; and so she was brought to warde agayne, and two ladies wayted on her, which came in with her at the first, and wayted still on her, whose names were the Ladie Kingstone and the Ladie Boleyn, her aunte.

After this, immediatlie, the Lord of Rocheforde, her brother, was arreigned for treason, which was for knowinge the Queene, his sister, carnallie, moste detestable against the lawe of God and nature allso, and treason to his Prince, and allso for conspiracie of the Kinges death: Whereunto he made aunswere so prudentlie and wiselie to all articles layde against him, thatmarveil it was to heare, and never would confesse anye thinge, but made himselfe as cleare as though he had never offended. Howbeit he was there condemned by 26 lordes and barons of treason, and then my Lord of Northfolke gave him this judgment: That he should goe agayne to prison in the Tower from whence he came, and to be drawne from the saide Towre of London thorowe the Cittie of London to the place of execution called Tyburne, and there to be hanged, beinge alyve cutt downe, and then his members cutt of and his bowells taken owt of his bodie and brent before him, and then his head cutt of and his bodie to be divided in 4 or peeces, and his head and bodie to be sett at suche places as the King should assigne ; and after this the court brake up for that tyme. The Major of London with certeyne Aldermen were present at this arreignment of the Queene and her brother, with the wardeins and 4 persons more of 12 of the principall craftes of London.

Allso the 17th day of May, beinge Weddensday, the Lord of Rochforde, Mr. Norys, Mr. Bruton, Sir Francis Weston, and Markys, were all beheaded at the Tower-hill ; and the Lord of Rocheforde, brother to Queene Anne, sayde these wordes followinge on the scaffold e to the people with a lowde voyce : Maisters all, I am come hither not to preach and make a sermon, but to dye, as the lawe hath fownde me, and to the lawe I submitt me, desiringe you all, and speciallie you my maisters of the Courte, that you will trust on God speciallie, and not on the vanities of the worlde, for if I had so done, I thincke I had bene alyve as yee be now; allso I desire you to helpe to the settinge forthe of the true worde of God; and whereas I am sclaundered by it, I have bene diligent to reade it and set it furth trulye; but if I had bene as diligent to observe it, and done and lyved thereafter, as I was to read it and sett it forthe, I had not come hereto, wherefore I beseche you all to be workers and lyve thereafter, and not to reade it and lyve not there after. As for myne offences, it can not prevayle you to heare them that I dye here for, but I beseche God that I may be an example to you all, and that all you may be wayre by me, and hartelye I require you all to pray for me, and to forgive me if I have offended you, and I forgive you all, and God save the Kinge. Their bodies with their heades were buried within the Tower of London; the Lord of Rochfordes bodie and head within the chappell of the Tower, Mr. Weston and Norys in the church yeard of the same in one grave, Mr. Bruton and Markes in another grave in the same churche yerde within the Tower of London.

And the same day, in the after-noone, at a solemne court kept at Lambeth by the Lord Archbishoppe of Canterburie and the doctors of the lawe, the King was divorsed from his wife Queene Anne, and there at the same cowrte was a privie contract approved that she had made to the Earle of Northumberlande afore the Kings tyme ; and so she was discharged, and was never lawfull Queene of England,
and there it was approved the same.

The Fridaye followinge, beinge the 19th day of May. 1536, and the 28 th yeare of King Henry the VIII^th, at eight of the clocke the Tower with in the morninge, Anne Bulleyn, Queene, was brought to execution on the greene within the Tower of London, by the great White Tower; the Lord Chauncelloure of England, the Duke of Richmond, Duke of Suffolke, with the moste of the Kings Councell, as erles, lordes, and nobles of this realme, beinge present at the same; allso the Major of London, with the Alldermen and Sheriffs, and certayne of the best craftes of London, beinge there present allso. On a scaffolde made there for the sayde execution the sayde Queen Ann sayde thus: Maisters, I here humblye submitt me to the lawe as the lawe hath judged me, and as for myne offences, I here accuse no man, God knoweth them; I remitt them to God, beseechinge him to have mercye on my sowle, and I beseche Jesu save my sovereigne and maister the Kinge, the moste godlye, noble, and gentle Prince that is, and longe to reigne over yow; which wordes were spoken with a goodlye smilinge countenance; and this done, she kneeled downe on her knees and sayde: To Jesu Christe I commend my sowle; and suddenlye the hangman smote of her heade at a stroke with a sworde; her bodye with the head was buried in the Chappell within the Tower of London, in the queere there, the same daye at afternoone, when she had reygned as Queene three yeares, lackinge 14 dayes, from her coronation to her death.

Source: Wriotheseley, Charles (died 1562) and Hamilton, William Douglas (ed.), A Chronicle of England during the Reigns of the Tudors, from A.D. 1485 to 1559, Vol. 1, Westminster: J.B. Nichols and Sons, 1875, pgs. 36-42. This book can be found online at Archive.org.