Adrian Fortescue was an English courtier and member of the Knights Hospitaller who lived during the reign of Henry VIII. Born in Hertfordshire around 1476, he served as a Knight of the Bath and participated in military campaigns against France. He was also a Dominican Tertiary. Following his arrest for suspected opposition to the King's religious policies, he was condemned for treason and executed at the Tower of London in 1539. He is recognized as a blessed martyr within the Catholic Church.