Blessed John Beche

Blessed John Beche
Blessed John Beche
    Blessed John Beche
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Blessed John Beche
    (Alias THOMAS MARSHALL).
    English Benedictine abbot and martyr; date of birth unknown; d. at Colchester, England, l December, 1539. Educated at Oxford (probably at Gloucester Hall now Worcester College) he took his degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1515, and within the next fifteen years ruled the Abbey of St. Werburgh, Chester, his name appearing as twenty-sixth on the roll of abbots of that foundation. He was elected Abbot of St. John's, Colchester, 10 June, 1530, and, with sixteen of his monks, took Henry VIII's Oath of Supremacy, 7 July, 1534. The year 1535 brought the martyrdoms of the three Carthusian priors (4 May), of BI. John Fisher (22 June), and of St. Thomas More (6 July), all five for the Divine right of the Roman Church to universal supremacy in spirituals. Beche was so deeply affected by these examples that his unguarded expressions of reverence and veneration for the martyrs, reported by spies, drew down upon him the resentment of the schismatical king. In November, 1538, the Abbot of St. John's further exasperated Henry and his ministers by denying the legal right of a royal commission to confiscate his abbey. Within a year of this he was committed to the Tower on a charge of treason, was discharged from custody, and rearrested some time before the 1st of November, 1539. Witnesses were found to testify how the abbot had said that God would "take vengeance for the putting down of these houses of religion", that Fisher and More "died like good men and it was pity of their deaths", and that the reason for the king's revolt from Catholic unity was the king's desire to marry Anne Boleyn. In his own examination the abbot yielded to human weakness and tried to explain away his former assertions of Catholic truth. In spite of these lapses he eventually received the crown of martyrdom. Tried at Colchester, by a special commission, in November, 1539, he no longer pleaded against the charge of contumacy to the newly established order of things. He was convicted and executed. An anonymous contemporary partisan of Henry's schism, quoted by Dom Bede Camm in "Engl. Martyrs", I, 400, says of Abbot Beche and others who died at that time for the same offences, "It is not to be as these trusty traitors have so valiantly jeopardized a joint for the Bishop of Rome's sake...his Holiness will look upon their pains as upon Thomas Becket's, seeing it is for like matter". The decree of Pope Leo XIII by which Abbot John Beche received beatification bears date 13 May, 1895.
    CAMM, Lives Of the Eng. Martyrs (London, 1904), I; GASQUET, Henry VIII and the English Monasteries (London, 1899), I, 398 and II, 373; GAIRDNER, Preface to Calendar of Papers and Donestic (London, 1895 : MOORE ed. Cartularium Monasterii S. Joannis de Coleceatria (London, 1897); Record Office: Crumwell Correspondence, VI, 145.
    E. MACPHERSON
    Transcribed by Michael Christensen

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


Catholic encyclopedia.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Beche, Blessed John — • Benedictine abbot. When Beche refused to grant that the king had any authority to confiscate St. John s Abbey, Colchester, he was thrown in the Tower on charges of treason. Though weak, he gained the crown of martyrdom in 1539 Catholic… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • John Beche —     Blessed John Beche     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Blessed John Beche     (Alias THOMAS MARSHALL).     English Benedictine abbot and martyr; date of birth unknown; d. at Colchester, England, l December, 1539. Educated at Oxford (probably at… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • John Beche, Blessed — • Benedictine abbot. When Beche refused to grant that the king had any authority to confiscate St. John s Abbey, Colchester, he was thrown in the Tower on charges of treason. Though weak, he gained the crown of martyrdom in 1539 Catholic… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Chronological list of saints and blesseds in the 16th century — A list of 16th century saints: Name Birth Birthplace Death Place of death Notes Blessed Columba of Rieti 1467 Rieti, Umbria, Italy 1501   Blessed Jerome Garibo 1440   1502   Bl …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas Marshall (abbot) — Thomas Marshall (the Blessed John Beche) (? 1 December 1539) was the Last Abbot of Colchester Abbey.He was educated at Oxford University(probably Gloucester Hall now Worcester College) where he took his degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1515. he… …   Wikipedia

  • Richard Whiting (Abbot) — Richard Whiting was the Last Abbot of Glastonbury, date of birth unknown, executed 15 November 1539. LifeWhiting graduated as M.A. (Cambridge) in 1483 and Doctor of Divinity in 1505. He was ordained deacon in 1500 and priest in 1501. After the… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation — The Catholic martyrs of England are men and women who died for the Catholic faith in the years between 1535 and 1680. They have officially been recognized as martyrs by the Roman Catholic Church. The vast majority were executed under treason laws …   Wikipedia

  • English Confessors and Marytrs (1534-1729) —     English Confessors and Martyrs (1534 1729)     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► English Confessors and Martyrs (1534 1729)     Though the resistance of the English as a people to the Reformation compares very badly with the resistance offered by… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Mary Anning — with her dog Tray, painted before 1842. The Golden Cap outcrop can be seen in the background Born 21 May 1799 …   Wikipedia

  • April 13 — It is also the Ides (middle day) of April.Events*1111 Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. *1204 The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople. *1250 The Seventh Crusade is defeated in Egypt, Louis IX of France is captured. *1256 The Grand Union of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”