The Life of Sir Thomas More (1478-1535)

"The King's good servant, but God's first."1

Thomas More was born in Milk Street, London on ebr!ar" 7, 1478, son of Sir #ohn More, a $rominent %!d&e' (e was ed!)ated at St *nthon"+s S)hool in London' *s a "o!th he ser,ed as a $a&e in the ho!sehold of *r)hbisho$ Morton, who anti)i$ated More wo!ld be)ome a -mar,ello!s man'-1 More went on to st!d" at ./ford !nder Thomas Lina)re and 0illiam 1ro)"n' 2!rin& this time, he wrote )omedies and st!died 1reek and Latin literat!re' .ne of his first works was an 3n&lish translation of a Latin bio&ra$h" of the 4talian h!manist 5i)o della Mirandola' 4t was $rinted b" 0"nk"n de 0orde in 1516' *ro!nd 1474 More ret!rned to London to st!d" law, was admitted to Lin)oln+s 4nn in 1478, and be)ame a barrister in 1561' 9et More did not a!tomati)all" follow in his father+s footste$s' (e was torn between a monasti) )allin& and a life of )i,il ser,i)e' 0hile at Lin)oln+s 4nn, he determined to be)ome a monk and s!b%e)ted himself to the dis)i$line of the :arth!sians, li,in& at a nearb" monaster" and takin& $art of the monasti) life' The $ra"er, fastin&, and $enan)e habits sta"ed with him for the rest of his life' More+s desire for monasti)ism was finall" o,er)ome b" his sense of d!t" to ser,e his )o!ntr" in the field of $oliti)s' (e entered 5arliament in 1564, and married for the first time in 1564 or 1565, to #ane :olt'; The" had fo!r )hildren< Mar&aret, 3li=abeth, :i)el", and #ohn' More be)ame a )lose friend with 2esideri!s 3rasm!s d!rin& the latter+s first ,isit to 3n&land in 1477' 4t was the be&innin& of a lifelon& friendshi$ and )orres$onden)e' The" $rod!)ed Latin translations of L!)ian+s works, $rinted at 5aris in 1568, d!rin& 3rasm!s+ se)ond ,isit' .n 3rasm!s+ third ,isit, in 1567, he wrote Encomium Moriae, or Praise of Folly, (1567), dedi)atin& it to More' .ne of More+s first a)ts in 5arliament had been to !r&e a de)rease in a $ro$osed a$$ro$riation for >in& (enr" ?44' 4n re,en&e, the >in& had im$risoned More+s father and not released him !ntil a fine was $aid and More himself had withdrawn from $!bli) life' *fter the death of the >in& in 1567, More be)ame a)ti,e on)e more' 4n 1516, he was a$$ointed one of the two !nder-sheriffs of London' 4n this )a$a)it", he &ained a re$!tation for bein& im$artial, and a $atron to the $oor' 4n 1511, More+s first wife died in )hildbirth' More soon married a&ain, to *li)e Middleton' The" did not ha,e )hildren' 2!rin& the ne/t de)ade, More attra)ted the attention of >in& (enr" ?444' 4n 1515 he a))om$anied a dele&ation to landers to hel$ )lear dis$!tes abo!t the wool trade' to!ia o$ens with a referen)e to this ,er" dele&ation' More was also instr!mental in @!ellin& a 1517 London !$risin& a&ainst forei&ners, $ortra"ed in the $la" "ir Thomas More, $ossibl" b" Shakes$eare' More a))om$anied the >in& and )o!rt to the ield of the :loth of 1old' 4n 1518 he be)ame a member of the 5ri," :o!n)il, and was kni&hted in 15;1' More hel$ed (enr" ?444 in writin& his #efence of the "even "acraments, a re$!diation of L!ther, and wrote an answer to L!ther+s re$l" !nder a $se!don"m' More had &arnered (enr"+s fa,or, and was made S$eaker of the (o!se of :ommons in 15;3 and :han)ellor of the 2!)h" of Lan)aster in 15;5' *s S$eaker, More hel$ed establish the $arliamentar" $ri,ile&e of free s$ee)h' (e ref!sed to endorse >in& (enr" ?444+s $lan to di,or)e >atherine of *ra&An (15;7)' Be,ertheless, after the fall of Thomas 0olse" in 15;7, More be)ame Lord :han)ellor, the first la"man "et to hold the $ost' 0hile his work in the law )o!rts was e/em$lar", his fall )ame @!i)kl"' (e resi&ned in 153;, )itin& ill health, b!t the reason was $robabl" his disa$$ro,al of (enr"+s stan)e toward the )h!r)h' (e ref!sed to attend the )oronation of *nne Cole"n in #!ne 1533, a matter whi)h did not es)a$e the >in&+s noti)e' 4n 1534 he was one of the $eo$le a))!sed of )om$li)it" with 3li=abeth Carton, the n!n of >ent who o$$osed (enr"+s break with Dome, b!t was not attainted d!e to $rote)tion from the Lords who ref!sed to $ass the bill !ntil More+s name was off the list of names' 3 4n *$ril, 1534, More ref!sed to swear to the *)t of S!))ession and the .ath of S!$rema)", and was )ommitted to the Tower of London on *$ril 17' More was fo!nd &!ilt" of treason and was beheaded alon&side Cisho$ isher on #!l" 8, 1535' More+s final words on the s)affold were< -The

>in&+s &ood ser,ant, b!t 1od+s irst'- More was beatified in 1888 and )anoni=ed b" the :atholi) :h!r)h as a saint b" 5o$e 5i!s E4 in 1735'