John Bostock (c 1390–1465), better known as Abbot John of Wheathampstead, first became the Abbot of St Albans in 1420. In 1423, John was chosen by the Archbishop of Canterbury to travel to Italy as the nominated representative for the English clergy at the general meeting of the Roman church in Pavia. Unfortunately, not only was the meeting moved to Siena due to an outbreak of the plague, but it did also not go well for Abbot John. Frustrated with how the meeting went, John travelled on to Rome to grant an audience with Pope Martin. Following his meeting with the Pope, three papal issues were conferred upon the abbey upon the request of John. The three papal issues granted the following: 1. The monks of St Albans no longer had to adhere to the custom of fasting throughout Lent. 2. The monks were allowed the use of a portable altar. 3. The monks had permission to lease their properties under new terms. The three documents were each sealed with an official lead bulla of Pope Martin V which Abbot John appears to have kept as a memento of these special favours granted to the abbey. These were then buried with John upon his death. It is possible that the original documents were buried with the seals, but these would not have survived and there is no way of knowing if they were included. Excavations by CAT ahead of the development of a Welcome Centre at St Albans Cathedral uncovered the brick-lined tomb and burial within. The tomb was found within the footprint of a lost chapel that lay south-west of the presbytery. Abbot John had connections in high places and was friend to Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester, who was brother to the future Henry V. The duke was a benefactor of St Albans and when he died in 1447, he was buried in the cathedral. John was very successful in making the abbey attractive to great and influential people, which in turn secured funds for the restoration of the abbey building and a large building programme. As part of these works, it is thought that John oversaw the construction of a small chapel on the south part of the abbey church, which he intended to be his final resting place following his death in 1465. However, his chapel was demolished in the late sixteenth or seventeenth century with the ground given over to a parish graveyard. His burial site remained unknown for centuries. Following the discovery of the Abbot’s remains, he was reburied with great ceremony in the cathedral, next to the Shrine of St Alban in 2022. The ceremony was attended by CAT employees who had led the discovery of his remains.