Picture: unknown artist · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
John Story
English politician and Roman Catholic martyr
BlessedResearchedKingdom of England
Feast: 1 June (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
1504
verified
Died
1 June 1571
verified
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
—
not yet
Who they were
John Story, an Oxford scholar and member of Parliament, was imprisoned for opposing the Bill of Uniformity and later incurred Elizabeth's displeasure by opposing the Bill of Supremacy.
He escaped to Flanders, but in 1570 was kidnapped by Cecil's agents, brought to the Tower and frequently racked. He was executed at Tyburn on 1 June 1571.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
A lawyer and statesman who stood for the Catholic faith in Parliament.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - John Story
- Wikidata Q6259322 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — John Story (martyr) (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.