Execution of Edward Wightman for heresy
- When
- 1612
- Where
- Lichfield
- Episodes
- 1
Edward Wightman, an English radical Anabaptist minister, was executed by burning at the stake in Lichfield on 11 April 1612. He was the last person in England to be burned for heresy, a status secured by the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Act 1677.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Edward Wightman (1566–1612) was an English radical Anabaptist minister known for his Nontrinitarian views. His trial occurred against the backdrop of the Vorstius Affair, where King James I opposed the appointment of Conrad Vorstius to the University of Leiden.
Execution. On 11 April 1612, Wightman was led to the stake in Lichfield and executed for heresy. He was the last person in England to be burned at the stake for this crime, a historical position confirmed by the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Act 1677.
People involved
- Edward Wightman · Executed radical Anabaptist minister
Sources
- Edward Wightman Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.