Richard Fetherston was an English Roman Catholic priest who served as the Archdeacon of Brecon. During his career, he acted as a chaplain to Catherine of Aragon and provided Latin instruction to her daughter, Mary Tudor. Due to his vocal support for the marriage of the King and Queen, he was eventually imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was executed in 1540 at Smithfield, dying for his religious convictions and his defense of the royal marriage.
Life and service
After earning a doctorate in divinity at Cambridge, Fetherston was appointed archdeacon in South Wales in 1523. He spent several years tutoring Princess Mary in Latin. His loyalty to the Queen led to legal trouble when he defended her marriage during the Convocation of Canterbury in 1529. Consequently, he was sent to the Tower of London in late 1534, where he remained until his death.
Death and veneration
Fetherston was executed at Smithfield in July 1540 alongside several other theologians. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered for his refusal to yield to the religious changes of the era. He was later recognized as a martyr by the Catholic Church and was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.