Tragic end for the last abbot of St John's


 The south side of the great entrance to St John's Abbey Colchester, above, would have been familiar to its last abbot John Beche. Adam of Colchester YAC writes:-

"John Beche was a member of the Colchester Beche family, who were renowned pewter smiths in the town. He studied at Oxford and graduated in 1515. He eventually became abbot of St John's Abbey in 1530.
 In 1534 he took a seat in the House of Lords. The same year the reformation began with the Act of Supremacy. He agreed to the act, as he considered Henry Vlll to be head of the church in all temporal matters.
In 1538 Beche denied Henry's right to seize his abbey.
Beche was arrested tried and executed in front of his own abbey in 1538"

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