Paul Craw

Paul Craw, known in Czech as Pavel Kravař, was a Hussite diplomat and a lollard who was burnt at the stake at Saint Andrews in Scotland in 1433. He was a native of Tábor in Bohemia. He is known as the first martyr of Saint Andrews.

After the Council of Basel, the Hussites sent diplomats to many different countries in order to possibly gain their alliance. Paul Craw was one of these men. The Scots at Saint Andrews did not burn him for being a Hussite but for spreading the Bible translations of William Tyndale and John Wycliff, both of whom were considered heretics by the Catholic Church.

It is said that because Craw was so charismatic, his killers put a brass ball in his mouth to prevent him from possibly influencing the onlookers at his execution.

Today, the spot where he was executed is very close to the Mercat Cross of Saint Andrews. After the work of the Czech ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dr. Pavel Seifter, a cross of red stones was put on Market Street in Saint Andrews where Craw is thought of to have been executed. Also, it was suggested in the Royal Burgh of St. Andrews Community Council in February of 2004 that the city of St. Andrews be twinned with Tábor because of the link with Paul Craw.

External links

* [http://calvin.st-andrews.ac.uk/external_relations/news_article.cfm?reference=273 Czech Ambassador's Tribute to a Fellow Countryman]
* [http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/crscees/history.html St Andrews and Central and Eastern Europe]