St. Thomas (a) Becket 1118 - 1170
St. Thomas (a) Becket , Born to Norman parents of the merchant class. Born in the family home on the site of the (now) Mercer's Hall off Cheapside. Encyclopaedia Britannica Born in London in 1118, the son of a wealthy Norman merchant, Becket was educated at Merton Priory, trained in knightly skills at Pevensey Castle, studied theology in Paris and became a notary. In about 1142, he entered the household of Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him to study canon law at Bologna and Auxerre. In 1152, at the papal court, Becket prevented the recognition of King Stephen's son Eustace as heir to the English throne, which went to Henry II instead. A year after Henry became king, he appointed Becket, 15 years his senior, as his chancellor – the first Englishman since the Conquest to fill a high office. He displayed such a zealous concern for the king's interests – even when they conflicted with those of the Church – that when Theobald died, Henry decided to make Becket his successor. On 2 June 1162, he was ordained priest and the next day was consecrated archbishop. In his previous life, Becket had been a skilled diplomat and perfect host and, in the Toulouse campaign in 1159, he had demonstrated his knightly prowess. Thus the change in him on becoming archbishop was extreme – and remains mysterious. He resigned the chancellorship, became a rigid ascetic, showed his liberality only in charities and became a champion of the Church in all things – even when this led to conflict with the king. Whatever Becket's motives, Henry was soon feeling bewildered and betrayed. The new archbishop began his reign by excommunicating various courtiers, nobles and laymen for usurping Church property. In 1164, Henry convoked the Council of Clarendon in an endeavour to subordinate the clergy to the state. Becket reluctantly agreed to accept the resulting 'Constitutions' publicly, but then infuriated the king and confused his fellow bishops by trying to wriggle out of this commitment and attempting to flee the country. For this offence, Henry confiscated his goods and sequestered the revenues of his see. A claim was also made on him for 40,000 marks, as the balance due by him to the crown when he had ceased to be chancellor. Becket appealed to Pope Alexander III and escaped, in disguise, to France. He spent the next two years at the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny in Burgundy where he again studied canon law, led an ascetic life and claimed to be defending not only the rights of the archbishop of Canterbury but also those of the Church. Both Louis VII of France and the pope urged a reconciliation, but by then, Henry and Becket had lost all trust in each other. Becket went to Rome and personally pleaded before the pope, who reinstated him to the see of Canterbury. On his return to France, Becket wrote angry letters to the English bishops, threatening them with excommunication. But it was the coronation of Henry the Younger (see above) by the archbishop of York in 1170 that brought matters to a head. In Becket's eyes, crowning the king was one of the privileges of Canterbury. He swiftly agreed terms with Henry and returned to England, entering Canterbury amid the rejoicing of the people, who regarded him as a shield against the oppression of the nobility. However, Becket was intent on punishing those who had infringed his privilege. By November, he had excommunicated the archbishop of York and the bishops of London and Salisbury. When they complained to the king, who was then in Normandy, he angrily uttered the fatal words: 'Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?' Four knights – Hugh de Merville, William de Tracy, Reginald Fitzurse and Richard le Breton – decided to help their king. They crossed the Channel and, on 29 December 1170, murdered Becket within Canterbury cathedral – a crime that shocked Christendom. When Becket's body was prepared for burial, it was discovered that he was wearing a hair shirt. In February 1173, the pope formally canonised Becket, and the following year, Henry paid penance at St Thomas's tomb. In 1220, his bones were moved to a fabulous shrine in the cathedral's Trinity chapel, where they remained until the shrine was destroyed during the Dissolution in 1538. Perhaps the one true beneficiary of Thomas Becket was Canterbury itself, which prospered greatly from the pilgrims who poured into the city for centuries to pray at the great man's shrine.
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| Born: Cheapside, London, , , England 21st Dec 1118 | Baptised:
| | Died: Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England 29th Dec 1170 | Buried:
| | Family: Becket |
Timeline
| 21st Dec 1118 | Born (birth) London, England | | 29th Dec 1170 | Died (death) Canterbury, Kent, England |
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