Following the creation of a Protestant church in England under Edward VI, his Catholic successor Mary I made attempts to quickly reverse the English Reformation. This included the passing of legislation during her third Parliament to criminalise heresy against the Catholic Church under punishment of death.[1]
Cooper was the wife of a pewterer.[2] It is not clear how she first encountered or embraced Protestantism.[1] She appears to have initially recanted her Protestant beliefs,[2] though this it not clear; she may have not publicly renounced her faith and instead have considered a conformity to the new laws against Protestantism as a rejection of her faith.[3]
One day in 1557, Cooper went into St Andrew's Church,[1] interrupting a service to publicly repudiate her recantation, which had also happened "in that place".[3][2] She stated that her actions had caused her to be "greatly troubled inwardly", that she was "heartily sorry" for them, and that they should not "take her doings before for an example".[3] She then left the church,[1] and returned to her home.[3]
Following her announcement, a member of the congregation only referred to as "one Bacon," and thus not definitely identifiable,[1] demanded that Thomas Sotherton, the Sheriff of Norwich and a parishioner of St Andrew's, take her into custody,[2][1] exclaiming, "Master sheriff! Will you suffer this?"[1] It appears that she was only arrested as a result of this demand.[2] Sotherton came to Cooper's house;[3] she came down to the door when he knocked, and he placed her under arrest before turning her over to the local ecclesiastical authorities.[1] Shortly after her arrest,[3][1] Cooper was condemned to death by the chancellor of Norwich diocese Michael Dunning.[1]