John Stone (martyr) place of birth Canterbury
John Stone, OSA was an English Augustinian friar who was executed, probably in December 1539; he was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. He was a doctor of theology from Canterbury.Life
Nothing is known of Stone's early life, education, or activities in the Order, though it is conjectured that he joined the Augustinians at Canterbury since this is the place of his death. Stone was a doctor of theology, living in the Augustinian friary at Canterbury. The place where the Augustinian friary once stood on St George's Street is still called Whitefriars. Stone was a native of Canterbury. After his ordination, he was sent to Droitwich, where he filled the office of professor and Prior for some time before returning to Canterbury.
During the quest for supporters for the contemplated divorce of Queen Catherine, Stone was approached by the agents of the King. Being a doctor of theology, every effort was made to win his influence and to gain the weight of his opinion at the Council convoked at Canterbury; but he was resolute in his denunciation of the divorce as being contrary to the tenets of morality and justice.During the time of the Reformation Parliament, Stone publicly denounced from the pulpit of the Austin Friars the claim of King Henry VIII to spiritual supremacy over the English Church. It may be on account of Cromwell's close intimacy with the Provincial of the Order that immediate proceedings were not taken against him at that time.The Act of Supremacy of 1534 declared the king to be the only supreme head of the Church in England. This was followed by the Treasons Act which enjoined the penalty of high treason on anyone who might maliciously desire to deprive the king of his title of supreme head of the Church. All bishops, priests and religious were required to sign a formal document explicitly acknowledging Henry VIII as head of the church in England.
On 14 December 1538 the Bishop of Dover Richard Yngworth visited Canterbury and called on the Augustinian friary with an order to close it down as part of the dissolution of monasteries in England. He found the Austin Friars to be in great poverty. "Their debts were £40, and their implements not worth £6, except a little plate weighing 126 oz." As each friar was expelled he had to sign two documents: one acknowledging the king as supreme head of the church in England, and another declaring their surrender of their friary to be voluntary. Stone alone among his brothers refused to sign, and spoke in clear terms of his objections to the king's claims over the Church. He was immediately separated from his confreres in order to forestall his influence over them and was urged with threats to alter his position.
The visiting officers sent Stone to Thomas Cromwell in London. Cromwell failed to change Stone's mind and ordered him imprisoned in the Tower. In October 1539 he was sent back to Canterbury for trial. On 27 October 1539 a commission of Oyer et Terminer (Hear and Determine) was addressed to the Mayor of Canterbury, John Starky, and four other worthy gentlemen. Stone was tried for treason under the 1535 Treason Act, which declared that the penalty for high treason was death. There was no appeal allowed.Being in prison Stone had been praying all the time, and it strengthened his soul not to betray his faith.
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