We know relatively little about John Keme the man, other than that, in his Will, he requested burial in the chancel of Great Sampford and left a small bequest to the parson of Little Sampford, (Sir) Thomas Myrfield (‘Sir’ being a common courtesy title for priests at that time).
He is however of interest because of his dates, which span a period of intense religious conflict. He held office under the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and nearly the whole reign of Mary Tudor. But how much of a feat of survival was this?
Henry VIII’s break with Rome was not motivated by reforming dogma: rather, it was a pragmatic solution to his marital difficulties and an opportunity simultaneously to challenge the power of the Pope and to access the huge wealth of the monasteries and religious houses. However, Henry’s Reformation did involve a measure of religious reform, with the introduction of a Book of Common Prayer to improve understanding and a downgrading of ceremonial and imagery. It also created the conditions for a more zealous Protestant Reformation under those leading the government of the young Edward VI (who was nine years old when he came to the throne).
As we know, the Reformation came to an abrupt, but temporary, stop when Edward died and was succeeded by his sister, the Catholic Mary Tudor. Catholic ritual was restored, there was a wave of high profile burnings for heresy and many priests were dismissed from their livings. However, this Counter-Reformation did not last and after Mary’s death the reforms continued under Elizabeth I, albeit coupled with a religious settlement which resulted in more stability.
Although the traditional picture is one of huge volatility, many social historians believe that life at parish level continued broadly as normal. Some parishioners never managed to learn the English prayers and returned to the Paternoster with relief when Mary came to the throne. In one village, parishioners hid all the images and painted scenes in the rood loft and brought them out again years later. One can imagine much the same level of grudging compliance and slow acclimatisation happening under Elizabeth.
What on the face of it looks like a considerable balancing act by Keme may simply have been a matter of not rocking the boat. His colleague at Little Sampford, Thomas Myrfield, was not so lucky, being deprived of his living when Mary came to the throne in 1553. However, this may not be related to his religious views but simply to the fact of his being married;