Pillorying of Francis Coxe
- When
- 1561
- Where
- London; Cheapside, London
- Episodes
- 2
English astrologer Francis Coxe was summoned before the privy council in 1561 on charges of sorcery. Following severe punishment, he publicly confessed to using 'sinistral and divelysh artes' at the Pillory in Cheapside, London, on 25 June 1561.
Episodes
- Privy Council Summons
Coxe was summoned before the privy council on a charge of sorcery due to his controversial practices.
- Cheapside Pillorying
Coxe publicly confessed to using 'sinistral and divelysh artes' at the Pillory in Cheapside on 25 June 1561.
Background and detail
Background. Francis Coxe, also known as Fraunces Cox, was an English astrologer and quack physician active between 1560 and 1575. His professional practices attracted significant attention, leading to his summons before the privy council on a charge of sorcery.
Punishment and Confession. After being severely punished, Coxe made a public confession at the Pillory in Cheapside, London, on 25 June 1561. He admitted to the 'employment of certayne sinistral and divelysh artes.' His 'Unfained Retractation' was published in a contemporary broadside.
People involved
- Francis Coxe · English astrologer and quack physician
Sources
- Francis Coxe Wikipedia, revision of 2026-03-31
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.