Taverner was born at the sea port of Boston in Lincolnshire, by 1525 he was recorded as a lay clerk at the Collegiate choir at Tattershall north west of Boston. In 1526 on the recommendation of the Bishop of Lincoln he was appointed choirmaster of the newly founded Cardinal (later Christ Church) College in Oxford. While at Oxford he was accused with others of heresy for his involvement with a group of sympathetic to Lutheranism, but was pardoned by Cardinal Wolsey "Being but a Musician". At the fall of Wolsey Taverner moved back to Boston to become choirmaster at St. Botolph’s church. A post he held for a short time due to the collapse of the Guild that paid his wages, he became one of Thomas Cromwell’s chief agents in the area for the suppression of the monasteries, the rest of his life was spent in the role of a well-to-do local citizen and was burred beneath the tower of St. Botolph’s church.

Books

• Colin Hand "John Taverner, his life and music" 1978
• E.H. Fellowes, "Taverner, John" article in Groves dictionary 5th. Edition 1954 Vol. VIII, pp.323-4
• David Josephson "John Taverner- Tudor composer" 1975