There are many stories about the Lollards and Wycliffites, ranging from court records to tales of martyrdom. While some may be of questionable authenticity (or perhaps more extravagant than the actual event), many are true accounts of men and women who risked everything to spread a Gospel which relied upon the Bible, rather than tradition. Here is one such story:
William White, a priest, appears to have been a learned and upright character; he was a follower of Wycliffe, and resigning his priesthood and benefice, he married a godly young woman; but did not cease from his former office and duty, for he continually laboured in reading, teaching, and writing. The principal points he taught were, "That men should seek forgiveness of their sins from God only; and that the pope was an enemy to Christ's truth; and that men ought not to worship images." After several examinations, he was condemned, and burned at Norwich, in September 1424.
He is related to have been a man of such a devout and holy life, that the people greatly reverenced him, and desired his prayers, notwithstanding he was condemned to suffer as a heretic. One Margaret White [a relative?] said, that if any saints were to be prayed to, she would rather pray to him than any other. When he came to the stake, he was about to exhort the people to stand fast in the truth; but one of the bishop's servants silenced him by a blow upon the mouth. His wife followed her husband's footsteps, and confirmed many in the truth; for which she suffered much trouble.
Text from The Lollards, by George Stokes, 1838, page 30.
Sometime around the year 1400, a Roman Catholic inquisitor named Reinher described the Lollards & Wycliffites in the following manner. For words that border on outright admiration, it is strange that he still believed men of this conduct were highly deserving of censure:
"The disciples of Wycliffe are men of a serious, modest deportment, avoiding all ostentation in dress, mixing little with the busy world, and complaining of the debauchery of mankind. They maintain themselves wholly by their own labour, and utterly despise wealth; being fully content with bare necessities. They follow no traffic, because it is attended with so much lying, swearing, and cheating. They are chaste and temperate; are never seen in taverns, or amused by the trifling gaieties of life. You find them always employed, either learning or teaching. They are concise and devout in their prayers; blaming an un-animated prolixity [the unnecessarily lengthy prayers of the Romish priesthood]. They never swear; speak little; and in their public preaching they lay the chief stress on charity. They never mind canonical hours, because they say, that a paternoster [Lord's Prayer] or two, repeated with devotion, is better than tedious hours spent without devotion. They explain the scriptures in a different way from the holy doctors and the church of Rome. They speak little, and humbly, and are well-behaved in appearance."
Text from The Lollards, by George Stokes, 1838, 7-8.
Where did the term 'Lollard' come from? Interestingly, books, articles, and the internet of full of both correct and incorrect information. While Wikipedia's article on the Lollards is very thorough and slightly flawed at a few points, the section on the origins of the word itself is informative (and aligns with many of the sources that I've read):
The term is said to have been coined by the Anglo-Irish cleric, Henry Crumpe, but its exact origin is uncertain. Possibilities include:
1. From the [Middle] Dutch 'lollaerd', meaning mumbler/mutterer, from 'lollen', "to mutter/mumble".
2. The Latin 'lolium' (the name of Common Vetch or tares, as a noxious weed mingled with the good Catholic wheat).
3. The name of Lolhard, a Franciscan who converted to the Waldensian way and became an eminent preacher in Guienne. That region of France was under English control during the era he lived, and his preaching may have influenced lay English piety. He was burned near Cologne in the mid 1300s.
4. The Middle English term loller (akin to modern, albeit semi-archaic, verb loll), meaning "a lazy vagabond, an idler, a fraudulent beggar". However, this word is not recorded in this sense before 1582.
As a note, not all 'Wycliffites' were Lollards, nor were all Lollards Wycliffites. (I consider myself both.)
