St. Thomas of Canterbury
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Saint Thomas Becket |
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| Archbishop of Canterbury | |
Illumination from an English Book of Hours presenting a spirited account of the murder of Becket, c. 1390, National Library of Wales
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| Appointed | 24 May 1162 |
| Installed | 3 June 1162 |
| Term ended | 29 December 1170 |
| Predecessor | Theobald of Bec |
| Successor | Richard of Dover |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1154 (deacon) 2 June 1162 (priest) |
| Consecration | 3 June 1162 by Henry of Blois |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 December c. 1119 Cheapside, London |
| Died | 29 December 1170 Canterbury Cathedral |
| Buried | Canterbury Cathedral |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents |
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| Previous post | Archdeacon of Canterbury |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 29 December |
| Venerated in | |
| Title as Saint | Bishop and Martyr |
| Beatified | 21 February 1173 by Pope Alexander III |
| Canonized | 21 February 1173 St Peter's Church in Segni by Pope Alexander III |
| Attributes | Sword, martyrdom, episcopal vestments |
| Patronage | Exeter College, Oxford; Portsmouth; Arbroath Abbey; secular clergy |
| Shrines | Canterbury Cathedral |
| Lord Chancellor | |
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In office 1155–1162 |
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| Monarch | Henry II |
| Preceded by | Robert of Ghent |
| Succeeded by | Geoffrey Ridel |
Thomas Becket (/ˈbɛkɪt/; also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London, and later Thomas à Becket; 21 December c. 1119 (or 1120) – 29 December 1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He engaged in conflict with Henry II, King of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after his death, he was canonised by Pope Alexander III.
The main sources for the life of Becket are a number of biographies that were written by contemporaries. A few of these documents are by unknown writers, although traditional historiography has given them names. The known biographers are John of Salisbury, Edward Grim, Benedict of Peterborough, William of Canterbury, William fitzStephen, Guernes of Pont-Sainte-Maxence, Robert of Cricklade, Alan of Tewkesbury, Benet of St Albans, and Herbert of Bosham. The other biographers, who remain anonymous, are generally given the pseudonyms of Anonymous I, Anonymous II (or Anonymous of Lambeth), and Anonymous III (or Lansdowne Anonymous). Besides these accounts, there are also two other accounts that are likely contemporary that appear in the Quadrilogus II and the Thómas saga Erkibyskups. Besides these biographies, there is also the mention of the events of Becket's life in the chroniclers of the time. These include Robert of Torigni's work, Roger of Howden's Gesta Regis Henrici Secundi and Chronica, Ralph Diceto's works, William of Newburgh's Historia Rerum, and Gervase of Canterbury's works.
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