THOMAS BECKET

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TIME-LINE AND ADDITIONAL FACT OF THOMAS BECKET. THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY UNDER THE FIRST PLANTAGENET MONARCH HENRY II OF ENGLAND

TIMELINE OF THOMAS BECKET

1119

21ST DECEMBER Thomas Becket was born, in Cheapside, Londo, England. The son of Gilbert Beket and Gilbert's wife Matilda

1129

Thomas is a student at Merton Priory in England and began his education

1134

Thomas Becket attended a London Grammar school.

1135

22ND DECEMBER Henry 1st England is dead, and now his nephew takes the throne, Stephen.

1139

Thomas Becket spent the year in Paris.

1140

Thomas began working as a clerk, firstly for Osbert Huitdeniers, a family friend,

1141

Thomas becomes a member of Theobald of Bec, household

1142

Thomas Becket spent the year in Paris.

1143

Round this time Thomas became the provost of Beverley, and canon at Lincoln and St. Paul's Cathedrals

1154

Archbishop of Canterbury,Theobald named Thomas Archdeacon of Canterbury,
25TH OCTOBER King Stephen is dead and now Henry II as King of England.

1155

JANUARY Henry II of England makes Thomas is Lord Chancellor on the advice of Archbishop Theobald

1160

Sometime around these years William Fitzstephen became Thomas personal household clerk. William Fitzstephen in 1170’s wrote a long biography of Thomas Becket - the Vita Sancti Thomae

1161

18TH APRIL Archbishop Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury died.

1162

23RD MAY Thomas election was confirmed by a royal council of bishops and noblemen to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury
24TH MAY Thomas is Archbishop of Canterbury
Herbert of Bosham joins Thomas household. Herbert would be biographer of Thomas life
John of Salisbury becomes Thomas personal secretary
2ND JUNE Thomas was ordained a priest
3RD JUNE Thomas Becket was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury and resigns as Lord Chancellor.
Thomas decrees that Trinity Sunday should henceforth be celebrated in England
Henry accused the clergy of being too lenient in the punishment of wrongdoers within their own ranks. He also ordered that appeals to Rome, which had been allowed by Stephen, were to cease.

1163

JULY Council at Woodstock, Henry and Becket disagreed with overpayments to sheriffs.
OCTOBER Henry summoned the ecclesiastical hierarchy to Westminster to hear his complaints about the governance of the English Church. King Henry to influence the other bishops against Thomas
Thomas resists King Henry II's demands to extend the jurisdiction of secular courts to the clergy.
22ND DECEMBER Thomas consecrated Robert of Melun

1164

30TH JANUARY Constitution of Clarendon
This was a clear statement of the King’s customary rights over the church. The document was comprised of sixteen articles that laid out the degree to which the pope had the authority and also the customary rights enjoyed by the King over the church. The document required that the bishops promise to observe these customs in good faith.
Thomas was involved in an argument over lands. King Henry II ordered Thomas to appear before his courts. When Thomas refused, the king confiscated his property. Henry also claimed Thomas had stolen £300 from government funds when he had been Chancellor. Thomas denied these charges,
AUGUST Thomas, attempted to go to France without permission and was caught.
8 TH OCTOBER King Henry II of England summoned Becket to appear before a great council at Northampton Castle
2ND NOVEMBER Thomas took a ship to the continent reaching a resting spot at Sens, where both sides presented their cases to Alexander.
Thomas joined his former secretary, John of Salisbury in Rheims
King Louis VII of France offered Thomas protection. He spent nearly two years in the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny

1166

SPRING Thomas began to threaten the king with ecclesiastical punishments if he did not settle with him
MAY Thomas excommunicated a number of Henry's advisers and clerical servants, including John of Oxford, Richard of Ilchester, Richard de Lucy, and Jocelin de Balliol,
The council sent letters both to the pope and to Thomas, appealing against the excommunications.
OCTOBER Thomas ordered Robert of Melun and Roger of Worcester to attend him in France, so they could give him guidance on his dispute with the king, The king forbade them to leave the country.

1168

7TH JANUARY Thomas and King Henry II of England met at Montmirail but they failed to reach an agreement

1169

6TH JANUARY Henry and Becket met at Montmirail in France and Becket paid homage to Henry. Henry agreed that Becket should return to England.
13TH APRIL Thomas excommunicated Gilbert Foliot,

1170

14TH JUNE Roger de Pont L'Évêque, the archbishop of York, along with Gilbert Foliot, the Bishop of London, and Josceline de Bohon, the Bishop of Salisbury, crowned the heir apparent, Henry the Young King, at York. As coronations were traditionally carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury this was seen as an insult to Thomas
22ND JULY Thomas and King Henry II met at Montmirail but they failed to reach an agreement
NOVEMBER Thomas excommunicated Gilbert Foliot, the Bishop of London, and Josceline de Bohon, the Bishop of Salisbury, for breach of Canterbury's privilege of coronation
1ST DECEMBER Thomas returned to England wanting to punish all those who had played a part in the young king’s coronation. He brought with him an authorisation from the Pope for the excommunication of all bishops who had supported Henry during Becket’s exile and all barons who had profited from his exile.
Richard of Dover was employed by Thomas to meet with Henry the Young King but was unsuccessful in the attempt
29TH DECEMBER Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, Kingdom of England
Four nights burst into the cathedral choir at Canterbury clad in armour and carrying swords determined to capture or kill Thomas. Reginald Fitzurse appeared to be their ringleader and delivered the first but non-fatal blow to Becket's head and the other knights followed suit until Becket lay dead.

Thomas Becket was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, Kingdom of England

EXTRA FACTS ON THOMAS BECKET

Saint Thomas Becket, also called Thomas Becket, or Thomas Of London was a chancellor of England and Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thomas was from an only son of Gilbert Becket, a wealthy Norman merchant living in London,.Thomas four sisters that lived to adulthood. Gilbert his father, had served a term as sheriff of the City, but later he suffered heavy losses when his properties were destroyed by fire

Thomas Becket was given a privileged education at the Augustinian priory at Merton. He then went onto a school in the City, and finally in Paris. Thomas later became an agent to Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him on several missions to Rome

Thomas and King Henry II of England originally had a very good and close relationship. People declared that "they had but one heart and one mind". "Often the king and his minister behaved like two schoolboys at play."Henry even sent his son Henry to live in Thomas hold, it being the custom then for noble children to be fostered out to other noble houses.

King Henry II put faith in Thomas, that when Thomas became Archbishop, that he would support him in his cause against the Church. However, things did not play out that way. The Becket controversy or Becket dispute was the quarrel between Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and King Henry II of England, from 1163 to 1170

After Thomas became Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas began to show a concern for the poor. Every morning thirteen poor people were brought to his home. After washing their feet Becket served them a meal. He also gave each one of them four silver pennies. Instead of wearing expensive clothes, Becket now wore a simple monastic habit. As a penance (punishment for previous sins) he slept on an in cold stone floor, wore a tight-fitting hairshirt that was infested with fleas and was scourged (whipped) daily by his monks.

Empress Matilda, the mother of King Henry II, got involved in the dispute between Her son and Thomas. Matilda attempted to mediate between both men.

Sir Reginald FitzUrse, Sir Hugh de Moreville, Sir William de Tracy and Sir Richard le Breton was the four knights who murdered Thomas Becket. The men believed that they're actions were under the orders of King Henry II, due to the king's harsh words toward Becket. According to the accounts left by the monk Gervase of Canterbury and eyewitness Edward Grim, they placed their weapons under a tree outside the cathedral and hid their mail armour under cloaks before entering to challenge Becket. The knights informed Thomas he was to go to Winchester to give an account of his actions, but Thomas refused. It was not until Becket refused their demands to submit to the king's will that they retrieved their weapons and rushed back inside for the killing.

Thomas' death, the monks prepared his body for burial..In some accounts, it was discovered that Becket had worn a hairshirt under his archbishop's garments. This was a sign of penance
Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is set in a company of pilgrims on their way from Southwark to the shrine of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral

Thomas Becket was made a saint in 1173 and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage.

THOMAS BECKET

TIME-LINE AND ADDITIONAL FACT OF THOMAS BECKET. THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY UNDER THE FIRST PLANTAGENET MONARCH HENRY II OF ENGLAND

TIMELINE OF THOMAS BECKET

1119

21ST DECEMBER Thomas Becket was born, in Cheapside, Londo, England. The son of Gilbert Beket and Gilbert's wife Matilda

1129

Thomas is a student at Merton Priory in England and began his education

1134

Thomas Becket attended a London Grammar school.

1135

22ND DECEMBER Henry 1st England is dead, and now his nephew takes the throne, Stephen.

1139

Thomas Becket spent the year in Paris.

1140

Thomas began working as a clerk, firstly for Osbert Huitdeniers, a family friend,

1141

Thomas becomes a member of Theobald of Bec, household

1142

Thomas Becket spent the year in Paris.

1143

Round this time Thomas became the provost of Beverley, and canon at Lincoln and St. Paul's Cathedrals

1154

Archbishop of Canterbury,Theobald named Thomas Archdeacon of Canterbury,

25TH OCTOBER King Stephen is dead and now Henry II as King of England.

1155

JANUARY Henry II of England makes Thomas is Lord Chancellor on the advice of Archbishop Theobald

1160

Sometime around these years William Fitzstephen became Thomas personal household clerk. William Fitzstephen in 1170’s wrote a long biography of Thomas Becket - the Vita Sancti Thomae

1161

18TH APRIL Archbishop Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury died.

1162

23RD MAY Thomas election was confirmed by a royal council of bishops and noblemen to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury

24TH MAY Thomas is Archbishop of Canterbury

Herbert of Bosham joins Thomas household. Herbert would be biographer of Thomas life

John of Salisbury becomes Thomas personal secretary

2ND JUNE Thomas was ordained a priest

3RD JUNE Thomas Becket was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury and resigns as Lord Chancellor.

Thomas decrees that Trinity Sunday should henceforth be celebrated in England

Henry accused the clergy of being too lenient in the punishment of wrongdoers within their own ranks. He also ordered that appeals to Rome, which had been allowed by Stephen, were to cease.

1163

JULY Council at Woodstock, Henry and Becket disagreed with overpayments to sheriffs.

OCTOBER Henry summoned the ecclesiastical hierarchy to Westminster to hear his complaints about the governance of the English Church. King Henry to influence the other bishops against Thomas

Thomas resists King Henry II's demands to extend the jurisdiction of secular courts to the clergy.

22ND DECEMBER Thomas consecrated Robert of Melun

1164

30TH JANUARY Constitution of Clarendon

Thomas was involved in an argument over lands. King Henry II ordered Thomas to appear before his courts. When Thomas refused, the king confiscated his property. Henry also claimed Thomas had stolen £300 from government funds when he had been Chancellor. Thomas denied these charges,

AUGUST Thomas, attempted to go to France without permission and was caught.

8 TH OCTOBER King Henry II of England summoned Becket to appear before a great council at Northampton Castle

2ND NOVEMBER Thomas took a ship to the continent reaching a resting spot at Sens, where both sides presented their cases to Alexander.

Thomas joined his former secretary, John of Salisbury in Rheims

King Louis VII of France offered Thomas protection. He spent nearly two years in the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny

1166

SPRING Thomas began to threaten the king with ecclesiastical punishments if he did not settle with him

MAY Thomas excommunicated a number of Henry's advisers and clerical servants, including John of Oxford, Richard of Ilchester, Richard de Lucy, and Jocelin de Balliol,

The council sent letters both to the pope and to Thomas, appealing against the excommunications.

OCTOBER Thomas ordered Robert of Melun and Roger of Worcester to attend him in France, so they could give him guidance on his dispute with the king, The king forbade them to leave the country.

1168

7TH JANUARY Thomas and King Henry II of England met at Montmirail but they failed to reach an agreement

1169

6TH JANUARY Henry and Becket met at Montmirail in France and Becket paid homage to Henry. Henry agreed that Becket should return to England.

13TH APRIL Thomas excommunicated Gilbert Foliot,

1170

22ND JULY Thomas and King Henry II met at Montmirail but they failed to reach an agreement

NOVEMBER Thomas excommunicated Gilbert Foliot, the Bishop of London, and Josceline de Bohon, the Bishop of Salisbury, for breach of Canterbury's privilege of coronation

Richard of Dover was employed by Thomas to meet with Henry the Young King but was unsuccessful in the attempt

29TH DECEMBER Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, Kingdom of England

Four nights burst into the cathedral choir at Canterbury clad in armour and carrying swords determined to capture or kill Thomas. Reginald Fitzurse appeared to be their ringleader and delivered the first but non-fatal blow to Becket's head and the other knights followed suit until Becket lay dead.

Thomas Becket was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, Kingdom of England

EXTRA FACTS ON THOMAS BECKET

Saint Thomas Becket, also called Thomas Becket, or Thomas Of London was a chancellor of England and Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thomas was from an only son of Gilbert Becket, a wealthy Norman merchant living in London,.Thomas four sisters that lived to adulthood. Gilbert his father, had served a term as sheriff of the City, but later he suffered heavy losses when his properties were destroyed by fire

Thomas Becket was given a privileged education at the Augustinian priory at Merton. He then went onto a school in the City, and finally in Paris. Thomas later became an agent to Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him on several missions to Rome

Empress Matilda, the mother of King Henry II, got involved in the dispute between Her son and Thomas. Matilda attempted to mediate between both men.

Thomas' death, the monks prepared his body for burial..In some accounts, it was discovered that Becket had worn a hairshirt under his archbishop's garments. This was a sign of penance

Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is set in a company of pilgrims on their way from Southwark to the shrine of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral

Thomas Becket was made a saint in 1173 and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage.

THOMAS BECKET IN FICTION

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