Thomas More, about what he did in his life and why he was so hard to put down by the Catholic Church and many of his former friends in the English government

Essay by tric87High School, 10th gradeA, February 2003

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Thomas More

Thomas More was born in London, England in 1478. He was

truly one to represent the age he lived in, a lawyer, statesman,

humanist, ascetic, advocate for equal rights for women, an

enlightened teacher, Henry the 8ths Lord Chancellor, author of

Utopia. Thomas more was born the son of a Judge, and finally (as

some see him) a Roman Catholic Martyr and (as i see him) a true

defender of his morals

Sir Thomas fathered four children with his first wife Jane Colt between 1505 and 1510. Jane Colt died during Childbirth in 1510. Sir Thomas remarried in

In 1503 Sir Thomas became a member of parliament. One of

his first acts was to urge a decrease in a proposed appropriation for

the King (Henry VII). Taking revenge for this, the King imprisoned

Mores father for a debt until it was paid. He then forced More to

retire to public life until the kings death in 1509.

In 1518 he became

a member of the privy council and was knighted in 1521. He helped

the King write his defence of "The Seven Sacriments", and wrote an

answer to Luther's reply under a pseudonym.

In 1529 More became Lord Chancellor of England, this was not to last long for the Kings dispute with the Catholic Church, and his need for More's approval. Henry came to him more than once for an answer on his position on Henry's divorce, Sir Thomas stayed quiet giving no answer. He resigend his office in 1532, citing reasons of ill health, but almost definitely because of Henrys oblate defiance of the church. Sir Thomas refused to attend the coronation of Queen Anne Boleyn in June 1533, something that did not aid his stance with the King. In 1534 he was one of the people...