Katherine Knyght or Tynley, was a protestant martyr who was burned as a heretic on the night of (d. November 10th, 1558), on the order of Queen Mary I.^[1] She was burned alongside another woman named Alice Snoth who was employed as a maid. historical accounts, particularly those written by John Foxe, highlight their unwavering commitment to their faith even in the face of death.^[2] These executions took place at Canterbury, England. These two women were also burned alongside three other unnamed men, about whom little is known, This is credited as being the last human fire of Queen Mary's reign. All of the people executed in what is known as the Canterbury Martyrs were condemned by order of the Queen with approval by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was at the time, Reginald Pole.^[3]

Katherine Knyght is described as an aged women, meaning she was likely a widow, she is the mother of a man named Robert Tynley, whom John Foxe, (one of the premier Historians of Martyrs) seems to have spoken with in gathering his information for his book The Three Conversions.^[4] Detailing this portion of her life, Katherine's son is largely credited with converting her to the protestant faith following a conversation that they had over passage of scripture or a crafted prayer that Catherine found in a prayer book. According to Foxe, Robert was also under heavy persecution for his faith during Mary's rule.^[4] One important note is John Foxe, his research and conversations that he had with these people is largely the reason that they still exist in the historical record today. Further according to Foxe's record of these executions The charges against Katherine and her fellow martyrs were rooted in their rejection of several Catholic practices, including the veneration of the Virgin Mary, the belief that an unworthy man could receive the body of Christ, and the act of creeping to the cross. They held these practices to be idolatrous, aligning themselves with the scriptural warning to "beware of images."^[4]

One of the saddest facts about their death, is with Queen Mary being ill and close to death, the papists and those who were loyal to the Catholic faith knew their time in power was running out, so they quickly made plants to execute as many heretics as they could in the final days of Queen Mary's life. Meaning these martyrs were mere days away from potential liberation. These women and martyrs have largely been described as ignorant and presumptuous by those defending the executions.^[3] Their willingness to surrender meekly and profess their faith even with a torch held to their feet is noble and should be remembered.