Today is the feast day of St
Thomas Becket of Canterbury, venerated as a saint and martyr by both
the Catholic and Anglican Churches. His conflict with Henry II, King
of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church led to his
murder by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral. T.S. Eliot's
play Murder in the Cathedral, tells his story.
- St Thomas Becket was born in Cheapside, London, on 21 December, the feast day of St Thomas the Apostle.His father was Gilbert Beket, who was a textile merchant and property owner who served as Sheriff of London at one point. It's possible he was also a knight. He was from Normandy, as was his wife, Matilda. She was not, as one legend states, a Saracen princess who met and fell in love with his English father while he was on Crusade or pilgrimage in the Holy Land, followed him home, was baptised and married him.
- Becket went to school at Merton Priory and then to a grammar school in London, possibly even the one at St Paul's Cathedral. He studied in France for a while too, when he was about 20.
- He had to give up his studies when his family suffered financial problems. He worked as a clerk, first for a relative, Osbert Huitdeniers, and then for Theobald of Bec, then Archbishop of Canterbury.
- It was while Thomas was working for Theobold that his interest in the church developed. Theobold must have been impressed by him as he sent him on missions and also to Bologna and Auxerre to study canon law. Thomas became a priest and was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury by Theobald in 1154. It was also on Theobald's recommendation that Thomas became Lord Chancellor to Henry II.
- That job went well enough at first. Becket made sure all the churches and bishoprics paid their taxes and even fostered the king's son Henry for a while. The younger Henry allegedly said that Becket showed him more fatherly love in a day than his father did for his entire life.
- When Theobald died, Becket succeeded him as Archbishop of Canterbury. This was when things started to go wrong. Becket now worked to restore the rights of the church and resigned as Lord Chancellor. He and the king argued over such things as whether clergymen should be tried in secular courts. When the king tried to consolidate what he wanted presiding over the assemblies of most of the higher English clergy at Clarendon Palace on 30 January 1164. Becket was the last dissenting voice against the things the king wanted, and he refused to sign the papers. He was summoned to be tried for contempt of royal authority, and ended up storming out of the trial and fleeing to France. Becket stayed in a monastery in France for two years.
- When the king had his son crowned as heir apparent, he got the the archbishop of York, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of Salisbury to do it. According to protocol, that was a job reserved for the Archbishop of Canterbury, so Becket was somewhat peeved and had the three bishops excommunicated. King Henry was peeved as well, and it's at this point he is supposed to have said "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" although it is disputed whether those were his actual words. Whatever he said, it was overheard by four knights: Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton, who interpreted it as a command to kill Becket. The four of them showed up at Canterbury Cathedral, leaving their swords outside at first and simply asking Becket to go to Winchester to give an account of his actions. Becket refused, so they went and got their weapons, came back in and killed him. Pope Alexander III canonised him just over two years later.
- Becket was known to be somewhat grumpy and legends about him reflect this. He's said to have created a well because he didn't like the taste of the water in Otford, Kent. He's also said to have commanded that no Nightingales ever sing in Otford again because one disturbed his prayers with its singing. In Strood, Kent, the people cut off the tail of Becket's Horse, in support of the king. Becket is said to have caused the inhabitants of the town and their descendants to be born with tails.
- Becket was buried in Canterbury Cathedral under a stone cover to stop people stealing his body. In 1220, Becket's bones were moved to a bejewelled shrine behind the high altar in the Trinity Chapel, where they stayed until Henry VIII had them destroyed in 1538. While Canterbury was already a popular destination for pilgrims, numbers went up significantly after Becket's death. Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is about a company of pilgrims on their way from Southwark to the shrine of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
- St Thomas Becket is patron of Exeter College, Oxford; Portsmouth; Arbroath Abbey; secular clergy. He was also adopted as co-patron saint of London along with St Paul, because of he was born there and his father was a prominent trader. His image appeared alongside St Paul's, on the seals of the city and of the Lord Mayor.
New!
Secrets and Skies
Secrets and Skies
Scientist Desi Troyes has developed a nuclear bomb to counter the ever present threat of an asteroid hitting the planet. When Ward signs the order giving the go ahead for a nuclear test on the remote Bird Island, he has no inkling of Troyes' real agenda, and that he has signed the death warrants of millions of people.
Although the island should have been evacuated, there are people still there: some from the distant continent of Classica; protesters opposed to the bomb test; and Innovians who will not, or cannot, use their communication devices.
Power Blaster knows he must stop the bomb from hitting the island. He also knows it may be the last thing he ever does.
Meanwhile in Innovia, Ward and his staff gather to watch the broadcast of the test. Nobody, not even Troyes himself, has any idea what is about to happen.
Part One of The Raiders Trilogy.
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