At the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII of England, Faringdon was accused of high treason and executed.

While Henry was searching for authorities to support his views on matrimonial laws, Faringdon sent him books which he thought would serve the purpose.

[5] He sat in Parliament from 1523 to 1539 and, in 1530, he signed, with other members of the House of Lords, a letter to the Pope pointing out the evils likely to result from delaying the divorce desired by the King; and, again in 1536, he signed the Articles of Faith drawn up in Convocation which virtually acknowledged the supremacy of the Crown over the Church.

[5] In 1539, Faringdon was indicted for high treason after being accused of having assisted the Northern rebels with money.

He was tracked down at Bere Court, his manor at Pangbourne, and taken back to the Tower of London, where he spent two months.

John Rugg had been charged with taking and concealing one of the Abbey's celebrated relics, being the purported hand of St. Anastasius.

[2] Hugh Faringdon was declared a martyr of the Catholic Church and beatified by the Pope Leo XIII in 1895 and his feast day is 15 November.