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Secondary sourceDocument1913

St. Thomas Becket, Catholic Encyclopedia

Herbert Thurston · 1913

A 1913 encyclopedia article summarising Becket's life, his conflict with King Henry II, and his veneration as a martyr.

A detailed 1913 reference article summarising Becket's life, education, rise to power, and martyrdom.

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What it is

This is an article written by Herbert Thurston for the Catholic Encyclopedia, published in 1913. It gives a detailed account of Thomas Becket's birth, early life, education, and his eventual martyrdom and death at Canterbury in 1170.

Why it matters

As a long reference entry, this article brings together details from medieval sources about Becket's background, his rise through service to Archbishop Theobald, and the famous conflict between Church and Crown that defined his life. It shows how later writers, including early 20th-century scholars, tried to reconstruct Becket's character and story from older, sometimes contradictory, accounts.

Look closer

  • The article mentions a legend about Becket's mother that it says cannot be trusted — why might writers include a legend only to dismiss it?
  • How does the article describe Becket's social background, and why might that detail have mattered to people at the time?
  • What kind of sources might Thurston have used to write this, almost 750 years after Becket's death?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Becket on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Document

Primary source

Constitutions of Clarendon

Henry II of England · 1164

Exterior view of Canterbury Cathedral under a clear blue sky. A tall Gothic central tower with pinnacles rises above the stone nave and side chapels, with large pointed windows and a sloping roof visible. Grass lies in the foreground.Artifact

Primary source

Canterbury Cathedral

founded 597

A rectangular gilt copper reliquary casket with blue champlevé enamel, set with oval glass gems along its lid and four feet. Front panels show gilded figures in scenes, including a bishop-like figure at an altar with a chalice, and an upper scene of a tomb or bier with mourners.Artifact

Secondary source

Becket Casket

c. 1180-1190

A large semicircular textile, likely a chasuble, displayed flat in a curved glass case mounted on a white wall. Its faded beige fabric has repeating circular medallions containing small figures and patterns, with a vertical band down the center. Lights run along the top of the case.Artifact

Secondary source

Fermo Chasuble of St. Thomas Becket

12th century

Display case in a museum showing a pale cream silk liturgical robe with gold-embroidered borders on a mannequin, a pair of cream shoes, two long red-edged gold-patterned embroidered bands (stoles or orphreys), and a dark purple garment with gold trim at right.Artifact

Secondary source

Becket Liturgical Garments, Sens Cathedral

12th century

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