Posted on 7th February 2021
Thomas More was an English lawyer, statesman and writer. He was born on 7 February 1478 in Milk Street, London, the second of six children to lawyer and judge Sir John More and Agnes Graunger.
More was raised in a wealthy family and given an excellent education at St Anthony’s School, then, one of the finest schools in London.
During his youth, between 1490 – 1492 he worked as a household page to John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England.
It was Morton who nominated More for a place at the University of Oxford, where he began his classical studies in 1492, becoming proficient in both Greek and Latin. His time at Oxford was cut short after two years, when his father insisted he begin his legal training. More returned to London in 1494 and in 1496 he joined Lincoln’s Inn, one of the Inns of Court (professional association for barristers/lawyers). Here he stayed until 1502 when he qualified as a lawyer. His political career was to start in 1504 when he was elected as a Member of Parliament.
Shortly after in 1505 he married Jane Colt and they had four children together, however his wife died in 1511 leaving More to care for the young children. Although very unusual at the time More married again less than thirty days after the death of his first wife, maybe to have a mother figure for his children.
More believed in giving all his children a good education, therefore his daughters received the same classical education as his son John, this was also very unusual at the time.
In 1510 More began representing London in Parliament, and he became Undersheriff of London. In 1514 he became Master of Requests and was also appointed a Privy Counsellor (King’s adviser).
More was then knighted and made Under-Treasurer of the Exchequer in 1521, then later named Speaker of the House of Commons. In 1525 he was also named Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Although More refused to endorse Henrys decision to divorce his wife; In 1529 following the downfall of Thomas Wolsey, he became Lord Chancellor.
During his life More was a devout Catholic and a supporter of the Catholic Church. He became Chancellor at a time when Henry continued to strive for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine Of Aragon, and during the English Reformation (religious divide of the Catholic Church) which More believed was heresy.
More continued to support the papacy against Henry and refused to sign a letter by leading English churchmen asking Pope Clement VII to annul Henrys marriage.
As Henry VIII could not secure the Pope’s agreement to an annulment, he decided to break from the Catholic Church and form the Church of England.
By 1531 Henry had removed most of the clergy who continued to support the papacy from senior positions and a royal decree required the clergy to take an oath recognising the King as Supreme Head of the Church of England.
More felt he could no longer support the King and alleging ill-health, asked to be relieved of his office as Lord Chancellor; this was granted by the King.
More would not accept Henry as head of the Church; he was therefore arrested in 1534 for refusing to swear an oath of succession, against the Pope and in support of an annulment for Henrys marriage to Catherine of Aragon, also refusing to acknowledge Anne Boleyn as the rightful Queen.
Thomas More was imprisoned in the Tower of London, tried for treason and executed on 6 July 1535.
While on the scaffold awaiting his execution, he is purported to have said ‘The King’s good servant, and God’s first’.
He is buried in St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London.
Tagged as: Junior Tudors
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Thomas More alikuwa mwanasheria, mwanasiasa na mwandishi wa Kiingereza. Alizaliwa tarehe 7 Februari 1478 katika Milk Street, London, akiwa mtoto wa pili kati ya watoto sita wa mwanasheria na hakimu Sir John More na Agnes Graunger. More alilelewa katika familia tajiri na alipewa elimu bora katika Shule ya St Anthony, wakati huo, mojawapo ya shule bora zaidi huko London. Wakati wa ujana wake, kati ya 1490 na 1492, alifanya kazi kama ukurasa wa nyumbani kwa John Morton, Askofu Mkuu wa Canterbury na Lord Chancellor wa Uingereza. Morton ndiye aliyemteua More kwa nafasi katika Chuo Kikuu cha Oxford, ambapo alianza masomo yake ya kale katika 1492, na akawa mtaalamu wa Kigiriki na Kilatini. Wakati wake katika Oxford ulipunguzwa baada ya miaka miwili, wakati baba yake aliposisitiza aanze mafunzo yake ya kisheria. Alianza kazi yake ya uandishi wa vitabu mnamo 1494 na akajiunga na Lincoln's Inn, shirika la uandishi wa vitabu la Uingereza. Alikaa huko hadi mwaka 1502 alipopata sifa za kuwa mwanasheria. Alianza kazi yake ya kisiasa mwaka 1504 alipochaguliwa kuwa Mbunge wa Uingereza. Mwaka 1505 aliolewa na Jane Colt na wakawa na watoto wanne, lakini mkewe alikufa mwaka 1511, na kumwacha More kuwaangalia watoto wadogo. Ingawa ni jambo lisilo la kawaida wakati huo, More aliolewa tena chini ya siku thelathini baada ya kifo cha mke wake wa kwanza, labda ili kuwa na mfano wa mama kwa watoto wake. Aliamini kwamba watoto wake wote walipaswa kupata elimu nzuri, kwa hiyo binti zake walipata elimu ileile ya kawaida kama mwanawe John, jambo ambalo lilikuwa lisilo la kawaida wakati huo. Mwaka 1510 More alianza kuwakilisha London katika Bunge, na akawa Naibu Sheriff wa London. Mwaka 1514 akawa Mwalimu wa Maombi na pia aliteuliwa kuwa Mshauri wa Kifalme (Mshauri wa Mfalme). Baada ya hapo, More alipewa cheo cha Knight na kuwa Under-Treasurer of the Exchequer mwaka 1521, kisha baadaye akaitwa Spika wa Bunge la Commons. Mwaka 1525 aliteuliwa kuwa Kansela wa Duchy ya Lancaster. Hata hivyo, baada ya kuachana na mkewe, Henry alikataa kumruhusu, na baada ya kuanguka kwa Thomas Wolsey, akawa Lord Chancellor. Wakati wa maisha yake More alikuwa Mkatoliki mwenye kujitoa na msaidizi wa Kanisa Katoliki. Alipata nafasi ya kuwa Kansela wakati Henry alipokuwa akijitahidi kufuta ndoa yake na Catherine wa Aragon, na wakati wa Marekebisho ya Kidini ya Uingereza (ugawanyiko wa kidini wa Kanisa Katoliki) ambayo More aliamini ilikuwa uzushi. "Mosi aliendelea kuunga mkono upapa dhidi ya Henry na alikataa kusaini barua ya viongozi wa kanisa la Kiingereza wakimwomba Papa Clement VII ""kufuta ndoa ya Henry.""" Kwa kuwa Henry wa Nane hakuweza kupata idhini ya Papa kwa ajili ya kufutwa kwa ndoa hiyo, aliamua kujitenga na Kanisa Katoliki na kuunda Kanisa la Uingereza. Kufikia mwaka 1531, Henry alikuwa amewaondoa wengi wa makasisi ambao waliendelea kuunga mkono upapa kutoka nafasi za juu na amri ya kifalme ilihitaji makasisi kuchukua kiapo cha kumtambua Mfalme kama Mkuu Mkuu wa Kanisa la Uingereza. Alipoambiwa kuwa hawezi kumsaidia mfalme, alidai kuwa anaugua na aliomba kuondolewa katika cheo chake cha Lord Chancellor, jambo ambalo lilimruhusu. Henry II alikataa kuidhinisha Anne Boleyn kuwa malkia wa Aragon, na kwa hivyo akafungwa mwaka 1534 kwa kukataa kutoa kiapo cha urithi dhidi ya Papa na kuunga mkono kufuta ndoa ya Henry na Catherine wa Aragon. Thomas More alifungwa katika Tower ya London, akahukumiwa kwa uhaini na kuuawa Julai 6, 1535. Alipokuwa kwenye mlingoti akingojea kuuawa, inasemekana kwamba alisema: "Mfalme ni mtumishi mwema, na Mungu ni wa kwanza". Amezikwa katika St Peter ad Vincula katika Mnara wa London. Tagged as: Junior Tudors Share this post: