St John Stone was an English Augustinian friar who was executed, probably in December 1539; he was canonised in 1970.
Friar 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.
During the time of the Reformation Parliament, Stone publicly denounced the behaviour of King Henry VIII from the pulpit of the Austin Friars and stated his approval of the status of monarch's first marriage - clearly opposing the monarch's wish to gain a divorce.
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 Ingworth visited Canterbury and called on the Augustinian friary with an order to close it down as part of the dissolution of monasteries in England. Every friar was forced to sign a formal document agreeing to the Act of Supremacy; Stone refused to sign.
After being held in the Tower of London Stone was sent back to Canterbury to be tried under the Treasons Act. He was executed at the Dane John (Dungeon Hill), Canterbury.
"Behold I close my apostolate in my blood, In my death I shall find life, for I die for a holy cause, the defence of the Church of God, infallible and immaculate" he said as the executioners prepared to do their work. Stone was hanged, drawn and quartered; his head and body were placed on display to dishonour his corpse as a traitor.
His name was placed at the top of the list of martyrs of the English Reformation which was presented to Rome for the process of beatification. John Stone was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886, and canonised by Pope Paul VI on 25 October 1970. He is one of the Forty Martyrs chosen to represent Roman Catholics martyred in England and Wales between 1535 and 1679.