John Boste
English Catholic martyr (1544-1594)
Feast: 24 July (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
John Boste, a fellow of Queen's College, Oxford, was received into the Church in 1576, ordained at Reims in 1581, and became so zealous a missioner in the North that the authorities made extraordinary efforts to catch him.
Betrayed in 1593 and cruelly racked in the Tower, he stayed 'resolute, bold, joyful and pleasant'. At his trial he led a fellow prisoner who had given way through fear to repent. He said the Angelus on the ladder and was brutally executed at Durham on 24 July 1594.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle. Canonised among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Why that counted as sanctity
A joyful missionary who strengthened others to die for Christ.
Connected on this site
- Christopher Robinson Blessed“He witnessed and wrote a vivid account of the martyrdom of John Boste at Durham.” — this site's research
- George Swallowell Blessed“He was tried together with the priests John Boste and John Ingram, and the three were put to death on 24, 25 and 26 July 1594, under Elizabeth I, he himself at Darlington.” — this site's research
- John Speed Blessed“John Speed, also called Spence, used to guide the priest John Boste from one Catholic house to another in the north of England.” — this site's research
- Robert Bickerdike Blessed“Robert Bickerdike, a Yorkshire layman of York, was arrested for giving a glass of ale to the priest John Boste.” — this site's research
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - John Boste
- Wikidata Q532773 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — John Boste (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.