Robert Lollard

Robert Lollard was a young English believer who risked imprisonment to help others read the Bible in their own language. When Matthew Parker was confined in the Tower of London for carrying an English Bible, Robert helped him escape. He belonged to the Lollard movement associated with Sir John Oldcastle and the teachings of John Wycliffe. Their work opposed authorities who treated English Scripture as a crime and tried to burn the books they found. Robert's courage gave Matthew a guide through a world where owning a familiar Bible could bring arrest. Though the larger plan to confront King Henry failed, Robert's part showed that ordinary believers were willing to take dangerous action so God's Word would not remain locked away from the people.