John Boxall

John Boxall (died 1571) was an English churchman and secretary of state to Mary I of England.

He was a native of Bramshott in Hampshire. After studying at Winchester School he was admitted a perpetual fellow of New College, Oxford, in 1542, where he took his degrees in arts. He took orders, but, being opposed to the Protestant Reformation, he did not act as minister during the reign of Edward VI.

On Queen Mary's accession he was not appointed her majesty's secretary of state, but dean of Ely (also archdeacon and prebendary there). He continued to a primary influence in the Marian church first as prebendary of Winchester, and Warden of Winchester College (1554) as successor to John White. Boxall was one of the divines who were chosen to preach at St Paul's Cross in support of the Catholic religion; John Pits relates that on one occasion a bystander hurled a dagger at him, other writers assert that this happened to Dr. Pendleton, but John Stow that Gilbert Bourne occupied the pulpit on the occasion referred to.

On 23 September 1556 Boxall was sworn as a member of the privy council; also as one of the masters of requests and a councillor of that court. Finally elevated by Queen Mary's favour he was appointed Secretary of State in March 1557. In July he was made Dean of Peterborough; on 20 December following he was installed Dean of Norwich, and about the same time Dean of Windsor. He was elected registrar of the Order of the Garter on 6 February 1558, and in 1558 was created Doctor of Divinity and appointed prebendary of York and Salisbury. As the Queen Mary lay dying he was already one of the richest men in England; allowed ten retainers, he was one of the overseers of Cardinal Pole's will.

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