author
John Foxe
1516–1587
Best known for the work later called Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, this 16th-century English writer turned stories of persecution into one of the most influential books of the Reformation. His vivid history helped shape how generations of readers understood religious conflict in Tudor England.
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About the author
Born in Boston, Lincolnshire, in 1516, John Foxe became an English clergyman, theologian, and historian whose life was closely tied to the upheavals of the Reformation. He studied at Oxford, where he moved toward Protestant beliefs, a choice that would shape both his career and his fortunes.
During the reign of Mary I, Foxe went into exile on the Continent, spending time in places including Strasbourg and Basel. In exile he continued researching and writing about the suffering of reformers and other Christians, gathering material that would grow into his most famous work.
Foxe is remembered above all for Actes and Monuments, later widely known as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. More than a chronicle, it was a powerful Protestant account of faith, persecution, and memory, and it became one of the best-known books in early modern England. He died in London on April 18, 1587.