Becket was a 12th century chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury whose murder resulted in his canonisation.
Thomas Becket was born in around 1120, the son of a prosperous London merchant Gilbert Beket and Gilbert's wife
Matilda.. Beginning when he was 10, Becket was sent as a student to Merton Priory in England and later attended a
grammar school in London, perhaps the one at St Paul's Cathedral. Later, he spent about a year in Paris around age
20. He did not, however, study canon or civil law at this time and his Latin skill always remained somewhat
rudimentary.
He was well educated and quickly became an agent to Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him on
several missions to Rome and also sent him to Bologna and Auxerre to study canon law. Theobald in 1154 named
Becket Archdeacon of Canterbury, and other ecclesiastical offices included a number of benefices, prebends at
Lincoln Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral, and the office of Provost of Beverle. His efficiency in those posts led to
Theobald recommending him to King Henry II for the vacant post of Lord Chancellor to which Becket was appointed
in January 1155.who made him his chancellor and the two became close friends.
When Theobald died in 1161, Henry made Becket archbishop. Becket transformed himself from a pleasure-loving
courtier into a serious, simply-dressed cleric.
The king and his archbishop's friendship was put under strain when it became clear that Becket would now stand up
for the church in its disagreements with the king. In 1164, realising the extent of Henry's displeasure, Becket fled into
exile in France, and remained in exile for several years. He returned in 1170.
Becket continued to excommunicate his opponents in the church, the news of which also reached Henry. Upon
hearing reports of Becket's actions, Henry is said to have uttered words that were interpreted by his men as wishing
Becket killed. The king's exact words are in doubt and several versions have been reported. The most commonly
quoted, as handed down by oral tradition, is "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?", Whatever Henry said, it
was interpreted as a royal command, and four knights, set out to confront the Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 29 December 1170 they arrived at Canterbury. According to 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 Becket he was to go to Winchester to give an
account of his actions, but Becket 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. Becket, meanwhile, proceeded to the main
hall for vespers. The four knights, wielding drawn swords, caught up with him in a spot near a door to the monastic
cloister, the stairs into the crypt, and the stairs leading up into the quire of the cathedral, where the monks were
chanting vespers.
Soon after, the faithful throughout Europe began venerating Becket as a martyr and on 21 February 1173 — little
more than two years after his death — he was canonised by Pope Alexander III in St Peter's Church in Segni.Becket
was made a saint in 1173 and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage.
