Thomas a' Becket
Thomas a' Becket was a chancellor of England and archbishop of Canterbury, who became a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. He was made archbishop of Canterbury by King Henry II of England in 1162. Becket resisted Henry’s attempts to control the affairs of the Catholic Church. Over time their conflicts grew bitter. Four of Henry’s knights, acting on their own, murdered Becket. Shortly thereafter the Catholic Church in Rome declared Becket a saint.
Thomas was destined by his parents for the church and was educated at Merton Priory in Surrey, then one of the leading schools of London, and later in Paris. On his return to England he served as secretary to the lord of Pevensey, who inducted him into the life of a gentleman, hunting with hawk and hounds. Because his father had suffered financial reverses, Thomas worked for three years as a clerk and auditor in the City. Then, when he was 25 years old, he determined to apply for a place in the household of the......
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