Who was Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket is one of the most documented individuals of the twelfth century and the Middle Ages. His rather messy death and subsequent canonisation, made him the subject of multiple hagiographies and legends that quickly grew up around his life. The murder in the cathedral in 1170, overshadowed the man’s remarkable talents and meteoric rise from commoner to Chancellor of England.

Thomas was born on 21st December 1119 or 1120 in Cheapside, London, to modest Norman parents only sixty years after the conquest. His father, Gilbert, owned some property in London that provided rents for the family to live on, and also at some point served as Sheriff. Gilbert’s status meant that Thomas was provided with an education at Merton Priory, and probably later at St Paul’s Cathedral School. He then spent time as a student in Paris, although his studies were cut short due to family finances, but his father’s connections gained him a place as a clerk for a family friend and later in the service of Theobald of Bec (Archbishop of Canterbury).

It is in Theobald of Bec’s service that Thomas’s inexorable rise began. He was soon appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury, a post which gave authority and prestige (as well as incomes), but did not require Thomas to become a priest. His efficiency and success with missions to Rome, as well as further studies in Bologna and Auxerre soon saw him as Theobald’s most trusted advisor and servant.

The death of King Stephen, and the accession of Henry II ended three decades of intermittent civil warfare in England, and Thomas’s successes for Theobald led the Archbishop to recommend him as Chancellor to the new King.  As Chancellor of England, Thomas became Henry’s most trusted advisor as well as the King’s close personal friend. Thomas accompanied the King on campaign in Toulouse  (see Becket: Warrior), and took his eldest son and heir into his own household as a ward. The relationship between the King and his Chancellor looked to be unbreakable, until Theobald of Bec’s death in 1161.

For King Henry, the obvious solution was to put Thomas in Theobald’s place to have his own man as head of the church in England. Thomas saw his role as Archbishop very differently to the King. He protested in vain at the appointment, clearly foreseeing trouble, but Henry was determined to make Thomas Archbishop. However, It was the church’s rights Thomas would defend against the King who had put him in place. The conflict between the two men grew ever more bitter during the 1160s , until it ended with Thomas’s messy death in Canterbury at Christmas 1170.

If you would like to find out more about Thomas Becket’s murder and legacy, here’s an article that I did for Historia Magazine.