Person

Thomas Becket

c. 1119–1170 · 12th century · Also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London, Thomas à Becket

Thomas Becket was an English cleric and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162 and as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. Born in London to a Norman family, he rose in the household of Archbishop Theobald of Bec, who recommended him to Henry II. As archbishop he resisted the king's attempt to reassert royal prerogatives over the Church; convicted in 1164 of contempt of royal authority, he spent six years in exile under the protection of Louis VII of France. Soon after his return in 1170 four knights loyal to Henry killed him in Canterbury Cathedral. Pope Alexander III canonized him in 1173, and he is venerated as a saint and martyr.

Thomas Becket
Image: Unknown Miniaturist, English (active 1170s in Cirenchester) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Thomas Becket. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-becket
MLA
“Thomas Becket.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-becket. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Thomas Becket.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-becket.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Thomas Becket’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-becket (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻