Thomas Gerrard

Thomas Gerard (1498–1540) (Gerrard, also Garret or Garrard) was an English Protestant reformer. In 1540, he was burnt to death for heresy, along with William Jerome and Robert Barnes.

Life He matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, on 9 August 1517, graduating B.A. in June 1518, and M.A. in March 1524. Some time during his residence at Oxford he moved to Christ Church (then called Cardinal College), and also went to Cambridge, where he took his B.D. and D.D.

Gerrard was one of the first English Protestants, distributing Lutheran books. In December 1525 Erasmus begs his commendations to him among other ‘booksellers.’ In 1526 he became curate to his friend Robert Forman, rector of All Hallows, Honey Lane; but John Foxe says that he was at Oxford at Easter 1527, and had been there since Christmas 1526, selling Latin books and William Tyndale's translation of the New Testament to the scholars. He had also distributed books at Cambridge. Thomas Cranmer recommended him unsuccessfully to Cromwell for the living of St. Peter's, Calais. In June 1536 he was chaplain to the Bishop of Worcester, though in May his old enemy the Bishop of Lincoln had complained of his want of learning and discretion to Cromwell. they were drawn on a sledge through the middle of the city to Smithfield, and burnt at one stake (30 July 1540). Three Catholics were hanged on the same day. In the auto da fe′, Gerard renounced all heresy and begged forgiveness for faults of rashness and vehemence.