Life

He was born in Evesham

Evesham

Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...

, Worcestershire

Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

 England, the son of Thomas Watson and Agnes nee Weeks. Thomas Watson was born in Evesham around 1491 and in 1544 purchased part of the former Evesham Abbey lands and the lordship of Bengeworth, across the River Avon from Evesham town. On those lands he built a fine Tudor house as the family home. It was named the Mansion House, and though much modified, retained that name until about 1970, when it was re-named the Evesham Hotel, which name it still bears in 2010.

He qualified with a Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from Oxford University in June 1539. In 1540 he was elected Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford

All Souls College, Oxford

The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....

. On 25 June 1544 he qualified with the Master of Arts . He graduated as Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...

 at Oxford 27 July 1573. Between 1572 and 1580 he was Master of the Hospital of St. Cross and Dean of Winchester.

He became a prebendary of Winchester Cathedral on 14 December 1551 and 26 August 1559.
On 7 February 1557/58 he was Collated to the Chancellorship of St Pauls Cathedral, London. In 1559 he was appointed Archdeacon of Surrey. In 1580 he lived in Wolvesey Castle

Wolvesey Castle

Wolvesey Castle is a ruined castle in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was erected by the Bishop of Winchester Henry of Blois between 1130 and 1140....

 Winchester.

He was admitted as Dean of Winton

Winchester

Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...

 on 14 February 1572/3 after Dr Frank Newton died. He served in this position until he became a bishop. He resigned from being a prebendary of Langford Manor in the church of Lincoln before 1574. Watson paid Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...

 200 pounds to lobby for him not being made a bishop. The earl lobbied the Queen Elizabeth I saying "how otherwise it would be £200 out of his way". The Queen responded "Nay, then, Watson shall have it, he being more worthy thereof, who will give £200 to decline, than he who will give £2000 to attain it."

Queen Elizabeth I bestowed the position of bishop to Watson. He was consecrated as bishop on 15 September 1580.

Between 1580 and 1584 he was Bishop of Winchester.

Death

The Bishop died on 23 January 1583/84 in Winchester

Winchester

Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...

).
He was buried on the 17 February 1583/84 in the Nave of Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...

, adjoining the 8th bay of the North aisle 1

His will dated 22 October 1584 was proved citing Sir Francis Walsingham as Chief Overseer.

The burial stone of Bishop Watson is in Winchester Cathedral on the north side of the nave in the 5th, bay westward from the tower pillars. It is of a shelly limestone polished to resemble marble. The inscription in Latin is:-

JOHANNES WATSON HVIVS ECCLESIAE WINTON
PRAEBENDARIVS DECANVS AC DEINDE ESPICOPVS
PRVDENTISSIMVS PATER, VIR OPTIMVS
PRAECIPVE ERGA INOPES MISERCORS
OBIT IN DOMINO JANUAR 23 ANNO AETATIS 63, ERISCOPATVS 4, 1583

John Watson, Prebendary Church In Winchester, Dean and then Bishop , a very wise father, A very good man, tender especially towards the Needy. He died in the Lord January 23rd. In the 63rd, year of his age, the 4th of his Bishopric, 1583