[5] He most serious offence, which he managed to escape, was not reading out King Henry VIII's latest religious doctrine, which carried the penalty of death.

Later in 1581, it was reported to the Queen that the village's vicar, Reverend Richard Kyrby, refused to conduct the service in English after the introduction of her new Prayer Book, which he claimed should remain in Latin.

In 1650, Reverend Gregory Holland was called before the Committee for Scandalous Ministers for preaching Royalist sermons during the Civil War, along with drunkenness and swearing in Church.

The result of this hearing was that he was allowed to continue in his post as vicar at Bergholt, but that the parishioners elect him a curate, who would pay him the majority of his stipend.

It was not only the vicars that were in trouble, but in 1556 a member of the parish, Agrees George, was out of favour with Queen Mary, for refusing to attend church until the service was no longer conducted in the Roman Catholic tradition.

During her time at Newgate Prison she wrote a letter attacking the Pope for being the Anti-Christ and that she was baptised in Christ's Church not Rome.

The motto on the arms reads "Exurgat Deus Dissipenter Ininice", this is the opening line of Psalm 68[8] (Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered).