Thomas Swinerton

was descended from an ancient Family of his name living in Staffordshire, but whether born in that County, I cannot tell, and educated partly in Cambridge, but mostly in Oxon in all good arts, and in the tongues. Afterwards taking holy Orders, he began to see the light of the Gospel, while Sir Tho. More was Lord Chancellour of England, in whose time many Hereticks, as they were then called, were imprison’d and brought into trouble. Whereupon being resolved, to gain what Proselytes he could to his Religion, he changed his name to Joh. Roberts, and under that name, he not only taught God’s word in several places, chiefly at Ipswych in Suffolk, and Sandwych in Kent, but also published and translated several things, as,

A muster of Schismatick Bishops, otherwise naming themselves Popes.—Printed in oct.

The Plots of Papists—entituled by a certain (*)(*) [〈…〉] cent. 11. [〈…〉] Britan. num 99. Author De Papiculorum susurris. And translated into English The History of the life of Hildebrand called Gregory the 7. written in Latin by Beno a Cardinal, and also The life of Hen 4. Emperour of Rome and Almaine. Which Henry was imprison’d and deposed by the said Pope. Both these translations were Printed in oct. and much valued in the time when they were made extant. When Qu. Mary came to the Crown, and Religion thereupon altered, our Author Thom. Swinerton fled beyond the Seas, but being overtaken with a certain distemper at Emden in East Frisland in Fifteen hundred fifty and four, 1554 died, and was there buried the same Year, to the great reluctancy of all those exiles that were there and in those parts.