Perotine Massey

Biography

Perotine Massey Her mother was Catherine Cauchés (N.N).

Guillemine Gilbert and Perotine Massey were sisters, who lived with their mother, Catherine Cauchés (sometimes given as "Katherine Cawches"). Perotine was the wife of a Norman Calvinist minister, who was in London, possibly to avoid persecution. The three women were brought to court on a charge of receiving a stolen goblet. Although they were found to be not guilty of that charge, it emerged that their religious views were contrary to those required by the church authorities. They were returned to prison in Castle Cornet and later found guilty of heresy by an Ecclesiastical court held in the Town Church and handed over to the Royal Court for sentencing where they were condemned to death.

The execution was carried out on or around 18 July 1556. All three were burnt on the same fire; they ought to have been strangled beforehand, but the rope broke before they died and they were thrown into the fire alive. John Foxe recorded that Perotine was "great with child" and that "the belly of the woman burst asunder by the vehemence of the flame, the infant, being a fair man-child, fell into the fire". The baby was rescued by a W. House and laid on the grass, taken by the Provost to the Bailiff, Hellier Gosselin who ordered that "it should be carried back again, and cast into the fire".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernsey_Martyrs

Jacques Amy (1500-1586)

Jacques Amy was the second son of Jean Amy of Rue de Grouville. While his elder brother Philippe and younger brother Thomas pursued a traditional route of parish service in Grouville, Jacques entered the church and eventually became Dean of Guernsey. His period in office came to a controversial end when he clashed with the island's Bailiff over his (Amy's) condemnation of three women as heretics.

Jerseyman Hellier Gosselin became Bailiff of Guernsey in the 16th century and presided over a notorious witch trial and the burning of the three accused.

He was the second son of Thomas Gosselin of St Helier, and Catherine Le Bastard. His elder brother Guillaume Gosselin became Lieut-Bailiff of Jersey in 1551.

The Gosselins were one of the earliest Jersey families to become Protestant. Hellier was born in Jersey in la grande maison do Gosselin en ville. In 1559 he received permission to build a house in Guernsey. In 1546 he was appointed King's Procureur in that island; and on 4 October 1549 was sworn in as Bailiff.

Under Edward VI it fell to him to enforce the Reformation changes. When Mary became Queen, his position was critical. Hence perhaps his severity toward three protestant women, Catherine Massey and her daughters, burnt in 1556.

http://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/Hellier_Gosselin