Mary’s government needed to deal with the stubbornly Protestant bishops and decided upon public trials in St Mary’s where the students and scholars would see the dreadful errors of such obstinate heretics. The climax of Mary’s campaign came with the execution of Archbishop Cranmer in March 1556 when Cranmer was brought to this Church before being taken to the fire on Broad Street. [Here we see the damage done to the pillar when a stage was erected for the trial.] Like his fellow bishops, Latimer and Ridley, and like Christians martyrs before and after him, Cranmer was willing to die for the beliefs he held dear.
