40. #Robert Boreman of Stevenage# (1538-1539). This Abbot was a nominee of the King, and was chosen by him because Henry knew that he would be willing to surrender the Abbey. This he did on December 5th, 1539. It was part of the policy of Henry VIII. to make it appear that the monasteries were _voluntarily_ surrendered by the abbot and chapter, and it was generally made worth their while to do so by a liberal pension. In some cases the abbots refused, among them the last Abbot of Glastonbury, who paid dearly for his refusal, as he was hanged on a hill commanding a view of the possessions of the Abbey, which not being his to part with he had refused to surrender, though, of course, the nominal charge against him was not the real one. Abbot Boreman, however, made no objection, and received a yearly pension of L266 13s. 4d., so was a rich man for the rest of his days. Pensions of varying amounts were given to his monks. Boreman and twenty of the monks were in receipt of them when Mary came to the throne. Mary wished to revive the Abbey and put Boreman over it, but did not live to carry out her intended plan. The monastic buildings very rapidly disappeared; the church became parochial, and has been served by the following sixteen rectors: George Wetherhall, appointed 1553. Archdeacon William East. Archdeacon James Dugdale, 1556. Edward Edgeworth, 1578. Roger Williams, 1582. John Brown. Archdeacon Edward Carter, 1662. Archdeacon John Cole, 1687. Archdeacon John Cole (II.), 1713. Benjamin Preedy, 1754. Joseph Spooner, 1779. John Payler Nicholson, 1796. Henry Small, 1817. Henry J.B. Nicholson, 1835. Sir John C. Hawkins, Bart., 1866. Archdeacon Walter John Lawrance,[12] 1868. [12] Dean since July, 1900. The Church of St. Albans was in the diocese of Lincoln until 1845, when it was handed over to Rochester. In 1877 Parliament passed a bill for the division of the populous diocese of Rochester into two parts; the northern to be called the see of St. Albans, the southern to retain the name of Rochester. The Right Rev. Dr. Claughton, then Bishop of Rochester, elected to take the northern division of his old diocese and became Bishop of St. Albans. He was succeeded in 1890 by John Wogan Festing, D.D., who died in 1903. Both of these bishops are buried in the churchyard on the north side of the nave. On Dr. Festing's death the Right Rev. Edgar Jacob, D.D., was translated to St. Albans from the diocese of Newcastle, and was enthroned in May, 1903.