During her imprisonment, Mrs. Prest’s resilience continued to shine with amazement. She was offered the chance to recant and to return to her family and live a quiet life if she would only renounce her beliefs and submit to the Roman Catholic mass. But she refused. To one who encouraged her to reconsider, she replied, “Though I am not learned, I am content to be a witness of Christ’s death… my heart is fixed, and I will never say otherwise.” When money was offered to her, she turned it down, saying she was “going to a city where money bears no mastery.” Even when she was finally sentenced to death, Mrs. Prest’s spirit did not falter.

The hallways of history are replete with stories of the faithful who walked in the footsteps of Jesus and endured much suffering for the praise and glory of King Jesus. We were warned by Jesus that to follow in his footsteps would result in suffering and persecution (Matt 5:10-12; 10:22). The Apostle Paul likewise warned that to follow Jesus would require suffering (2 Tim 3:12).

Not only did the early band of disciples suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ, but so did many others throughout church history. We know the story of the Scottish Covenanters and those who were slain in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh. We also know the name of William Tyndale, John Rogers, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, Thomas Cranmer, and other faithful souls who walked the pathway of persecution and gave their life’s blood for the sake of the true gospel of Jesus.

Many faithful names are lost to the shuffle of history, but they’re not forgotten or forsaken by God. Time passes and their names are forgotten, but they didn’t die in vain. One such person who was an unlikely martyr was a woman who we simply know as Mrs. Agnes Prest. Her story matters. We must not forget those who have gone before us and finished their course while holding firm to the trustworthy Word.

The Background of Agnes Prest

Born in Cornwall, England, Mrs. Agnes Prest lived a simple life, yet one marked by an extraordinary devotion to her faith. Little is known about her early years, but her adult life reveals a woman profoundly affected by the shifting religious tides of her time. Married and with children, she found herself bound to a family that held fast to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, her conscience compelled her toward a different path—a path aligned with the teachings of the Reformation, which preached salvation by faith alone and a rejection of what she viewed as the “abominations” of the Romish Church.

he tension in her household grew as her commitment to Protestant beliefs intensified. Her family pressured her to conform, but she was resolute in her embrace of the gospel. Eventually, she made a heart-wrenching decision because of the fact that she was being persecuted in her own home. She left her home and family, choosing to live independently by earning a modest living as a spinner. For Mrs. Prest, the call to serve Christ outweighed even her closest earthly ties. She sought solace in the simplicity of her faith, rejecting the empty rituals of the Roman Catholic Church and embracing a life she believed was in line with the pure teachings of Scripture. This dedication would soon set her on a collision course with the powerful religious authorities of her day.

The Persecution of Agnes Prest

Mrs. Prest’s firm stance on matters of faith did not go unnoticed. Accused of heresy, she was eventually brought before Dr. Troubleville, the bishop’s chancellor, and other officials in Exeter.

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