2. Early Life
Beckett was born in 1118 or 1120, depending
on the source, in Cheapside, London. His
parents were not wealthy. His father was a
petty knight and his mother was a housewife.
He started off as a merchant but then went to
school and got educated.
He made some friends and became the
assistant to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
3. Rise to Power
After being educated in England
and becoming an assistant to
Theobald, Archbishop of
Canterbury (leader of the church
in England), King Henry the II asked
Theobald for advice on who to
choose for a government advisor
position. Theobald chose Becket.
After Becket was appointed
Chancellor, he was involved in the
distribution of charter and letters,
becoming close friends with the king.
4. Election to Archbishop
When Theobald died in 1162, Henry chose
Becket to be Archbishop of
Canterbury. Although Becket
was quite under qualified, with a
reputation of cruelty and material
greed, he was appointed because
he was good friends with the king.
Despite these under qualifications,
he turned out to not be too bad of an
archbishop, slowing down his
hedonistic behavior in his old age.
5. Archbishopship
Henry elected
Thomas because he
believe Thomas would
put the government
before the Church. He
was mistaken: Thomas
turned his life around
and gave up material
pleasures, instead
choosing a life of simplicity
and helping others.
6. Disputes with the Crown
In 1163, Becket began to resent the King for
holding too much power over the church.
He stopped defending royal interests within
the church and began promoting ecclesiast-
ical rights.
The biggest problem was with what to do
with clerics and clergymen who committed
crimes. Since there were quite a high number
of church messengers and clerks, all considered
within the employ of the church, there were a high number of
crimes that needed punishment. Thomas believed that the
church had the right to try and punish them, while Henry said
it was the right of the government.
7. Disputes Continued
Another issue that Thomas cited
frequently was the King’s seizing of
church lands. Thomas frequently
complained to Henry about this, and it
was only a matter of time
before Henry exploded.
8. Exile
Thomas was caught in 1164 trying to get
into France without Royal permission. This
provided the King with a reason to kick him
out. He was taken to royal court and found
guilty of multiple constitutional crimes. He
fled in November of 1164,
leaving to continental Europe.
While in exile, out of spite, he
excommunicated a few of
Henry’s closest friends.
9. Return and death
The Pope allowed Thomas to return in the middle of
1170. Thomas still continued all of Henry’s friends.
This led to Henry making the famous statement: "Will
no one rid me of the turbulent priest?”
4 of his knights took this
literally and conspired to
kill him. On December 29,
1170, they rode out to
Canterbury, found him in the
church, and cut the top of his
head out, spewing his brains
about the church.
10. Aftermath
Thomas Becket became a martyr symbol
within the church and a hero to the people
for standing up against the king. He was
even canonized as a saint by the pope.
King Henry humbled himself to perform a
public penance in 1174. He
walked through the streets on
Canterbury in beggar’s clothing,
being symbolically whipped.
