Medieval Europe: Thomas Becket

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Thomas Becket

Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: Medieval Europe
Forum Discription: The Middle Ages: AD 500-1500
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=35633
Printed Date: 28-Apr-2024 at 04:25
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Topic: Thomas Becket

Posted By: LeopoldPhilippe
Subject: Thomas Becket
Date Posted: 02-Jul-2015 at 20:24

King Henry II appointed Thomas Becket as Chancellor of England at the start of his reign in 1154.
Although Becket was 15 years older than Henry, the two men were close friends. They went hunting, gaming, and hawking together.
Henry gave Thomas so many estates and royal grants that Thomas became a very wealthy man.
Thomas had a taste for high life.
In England, Becket kept a personal household of some 700 knights and employed 52 clerks to manage his estates.

Replies:

Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 02-Jul-2015 at 20:32

Then as they say...'he got religion' after religion got him...what's more interesting to me is the controversies between them that developed later.

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Posted By: Mosquito
Date Posted: 03-Jul-2015 at 07:34

There was very similar person and situation in Poland but a century earlier. The Bishop of Cracow who just like Becket also studied in France was in conflict with the king and king has ordered to execute him without trial. Soon after death he was also made saint by the pope. Western historians somtimes call him "Polish Becket" however concerning the fact that such event occured in Poland a century before it happend in England it is rather wrong "nickname".

Here is the wiki article about Saint Stanislaus the martyr, killed by king Bolesław the Bold.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislaus_of_Szczepan%C3%B3w - Polish Becket

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Posted By: TheAlaniDragonRising
Date Posted: 03-Jul-2015 at 18:46

Originally posted by Mosquito

There was very similar person and situation in Poland but a century earlier. The Bishop of Cracow who just like Becket also studied in France was in conflict with the king and king has ordered to execute him without trial. Soon after death he was also made saint by the pope. Western historians somtimes call him "Polish Becket" however concerning the fact that such event occured in Poland a century before it happend in England it is rather wrong "nickname".

Here is the wiki article about Saint Stanislaus the martyr, killed by king Bolesław the Bold.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislaus_of_Szczepan%C3%B3w - Polish Becket

My guess, Mosquito, is that the reason for the term Polish Becket comes from Thomas Becket being far more influential. This would also explain why, even though Stanislaus died earlier, Thomas Becket was canonizes much sooner than Stanislaus.

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Posted By: LeopoldPhilippe
Date Posted: 07-Jul-2015 at 19:56

In 1162, Thomas Becket was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Making Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury was King Henry II's way of putting in place a man who would fend off the Pope's demands.
Thomas resigned as chancellor. He gave away his expensive wardrobe, his fine plates and exquisite furniture.

Posted By: LeopoldPhilippe
Date Posted: 09-Jul-2015 at 20:41

Instead of backing up King Henry II in dealings with the Pope, Becket obstructed the King in every way.
The crunch came when Henry demanded that clerks found guilty of crimes in the independent church courts should be handed over to the ordinary, secular courts for punishment.
Becket turned this down flat. His relations with Henry turned from friendship to hatred.
The King fabricated various criminal charges against Thomas.
This included embezzling public funds while serving as chancellor.