(© Unknown Artist – The National Portrait Gallery)
Sir Thomas More was a prominent scholar and statesmen during the reign of Henry VIII. In 1529, Thomas More became the Chancellor of England after the death of Thomas Wolsey who had failed to grant an annulment on Henry and Catherine of Aragon’s marriage. The post would be short lived though as in 1532; he would resign in protest against Henry’s decisions. This would go further as he was executed on 6th July 1535 for not signing the Oath of Supremacy which recognised Henry as the head of the Church of England. Ultimately, he died for his Catholic faith. This blog article will explore his life and legacy.
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Thomas More was born on 7th February 1478 as the son of a lawyer. This differed from Henry’s other two prominent statesmen; Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell, who came from working class backgrounds. It could be argued that this was why he was more supported at court whereas Wolsey would often be criticised for rising to a court position from a poor background. However, they all met similar ends as Cardinal Wolsey was arrested for treason but died in captivity and Thomas Cromwell was also executed like Thomas More.
Growing up, Thomas More had an excellent education. He attended St Anthony’s and went on to study at Oxford in 1492. He was surrounded by humanist teachings which would remain for the rest of his life. Therefore, he was a great friend of Erasmus who had once said that More had considered being a monk due to his strong religious beliefs. He studied Latin and Greek which would be useful for his future court position.
Then, he began legal training and qualified as a lawyer before leaving the profession and standing for Parliament in 1504. However, he was unsuccessful. In terms of family life, he married Jane Colt in 1505 and had four children, 3 daughters and a son. Disaster struck the household in 1511, when Jane died. More would remarry a widow, Alice Middleton. He would have no children with her, but she cared for his children like her own and More cared for her son like his own. Thomas More would be known as family man by those who met him, and he believed in educating his daughters to the highest standards. This came at a time when women did not often receive formal education and it is thought Henry looked favourably on this idea and sought to do the same for Mary, his daughter with Catherine.
His career changed in 1510, when he was eventually elected to parliament for London and he became a member of the Privy Council in 1514 which brought him in close contact with Henry VIII. He would soon become Henry’s closest advisor, and he was a liaison between him and Wolsey, which would cause consequences when Wolsey was accused of treason.
His social status increased as in 1523 when he became a knight, and again in 1525 when he became the Chancellor of Lancaster, and for a third time in 1529, as he became Lord Chancellor. This role would mark as a turning point for More, especially at a time when religious turmoil was increasing, and the rise of Protestantism was occurring. More was a staunch Catholic and he saw Protestantism as a threat to society and the English translation of the bible as a sin. There were rumours that he used violence and torture against those accused of heresy and some were burnt at the stake. More denied these allegations and historians do see them as untrue. After Henry VIII broke from Rome, More was private with his opinions at first but soon, Henry’s patience was tested. More resigned as Chancellor and refused to attend Anne Boleyn’s coronation, who had married the King in 1533.
A significant turning point occurred in 1534 when More was accused of supporting Elizabeth Barton, also known as the Mad Maid of Kent. She was executed for speaking out against the marriage of Henry and Anne and created prophecies. More had met her and was therefore accused of treason. He was arrested but the charges were dropped. Then, he was again accused of treason for refusing to sign the Oath of Supremacy. Cromwell had visited him and asked him to sign the oath to be spared but More refused. This occurred several times as he was also offered a pardon if he signed the oath. This highlights how there was a willingness to be lenient towards More in the hope that he would sign it. However, he remained true to his faith.
During the trial, it could be argued More had the upper hand as he was a lawyer and knew what to say to not incriminate himself. However, it was all in vain as the jury took fifteen minutes to find him guilty. He was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, a traitor’s death. However, Henry VIII changed the sentence to beheading which was seen as an act of mercy as it was often seen as a quick death. His execution took place on Tower Hill. More stated in his speech that he was the King’s servant but died as God’s first. This indicates how his faith was important to him. His daughter was the only one to attend his execution. Thomas More was buried in St Peter ad Vincula church in the grounds of the tower and his head was placed on London Bridge for a month. His head was then interred in the Roper Vault of St Dunstan’s Church, Canterbury.
In terms of representation, Thomas More was played by Jeremy Northam in The Tudors. In this portrayal, Thomas More was seen as family man who also deeply cared about Henry. However, he wished to die a martyr despite pleas from his family to sign the Oath of Supremacy. Most importantly, Henry VIII deeply regretted More’s death in the show. We are unsure if this was true in real life. Overall, Thomas More is remembered as a man who rose through the ranks, but his downfall was refusing to sign the Oath of Supremacy. He is seen as a family man today but the allegations of torture of Protestants still haunt many.
To conclude, he would be known to history as a man who strongly believed in his faith. In 1886, Pope Leo XIII canonised More so he became a saint and that is part of his legacy.
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