Read Online Ancient and Medieval Traitors - Back-stabbers, turncoats and conspirators (True Crime) by Gordon Kerr - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gordon Kerr
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from the king when he managed to suppress an uprising and in 1518 was rewarded by becoming a member of the Privy council. Clearly, More was a very talented man and his knowledge of politics and law suited Henry VIII perfectly. What most appealed to the king were More’s writing skills. With his assistance the king was able to draw up his ‘Defence of the Seven Sacraments’ in response to Luther’s protestant teachings. As chancellor, More was also asked to spearhead a campaign to enforce laws against heretics, which proved to be quite unsuccessful – only four people ever suffered the penalty for this crime.
More’s talents were constantly recognised by Henry VIII and he was duly rewarded. Firstly, he was knighted by the king in 1521 and was then made speaker in the House of Commons in 1523. More’s influence helped to establish the parliamentary privilege of free speech, which left politicians free to express their views in parliament. The last of More’s promotions came in 1529 when he became Lord Chancellor after Cardinal Wolsey had fallen out of the king’s favour. Henry VIII was proving himself to be a frightening opponent to any who spoke against him, and More would have been wise to pay attention to this.
T HE B REAK W ITH R OME
In 1527 Henry made a decision that Sir Thomas More felt he could not support. He sought to seek a divorce from his wife, Katherine of Aragon, as she had failed to produce an heir and, more importantly, he was in love with his mistress Anne Boleyn. The religious beliefs that More had held so closely to him could not be observed if the king was to allow a divorce between himself and his wife, expressly as a way of legitimising his infidelity. Henry did not act against More at first, but it was noted that the reason behind the politician’s resignation was given as poor health. This was unlikely to be the primary cause of his resignation from Henry’s service and he made no secret of his disdain for the king’s new marriage.
The relationship between the two men became increasingly strained when More refused to attend the coronation of the new queen, Anne Boleyn, in 1533. His absence was enough for Henry to consider him a traitor and, more importantly, acted to undermine the king’s authority. Although More had never committed any concrete acts of treason against the king, Henry was now determined to implicate him in a plot against him led by Elizabeth Barton, the nun of Kent. Barton was in great opposition to Henry’s decision to break with Rome and she sought to pass a bill through parliament, stressing the sympathy of others to this point of view. Henry’s plan to link the innocent More to this plot backfired when the Lords refused to pass the bill until More’s name was removed from it.
The king’s frustrations grew as he failed to convict More of any treasonable acts, but More’s ultimate downfall came when he refused to swear to the Act of Succession and Oath of Supremacy in 1534, legitimising Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as the rightful monarchs of England. More tendered his resignation and was forced to relinquish his complete income minus only £100 allowance per year. In addition to this, he was thrown into the Tower of London and reported by the king’s solicitor general to have denied parliament’s power to confer ecclesiastical supremacy on Henry. Whether or not this conversation actually took place is questionable, but Henry now had the concrete evidence he needed to sentence More to death. On the 1 July he was indicted for high treason at Westminster Hall and sentenced to beheading on Tower Hill. He was executed on 6 July 1535, alongside Bishop Fisher who had also opposed Henry’s break with Rome.
More’s legacy lived on for many years and he was remembered by the Catholic church by being canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1935. His literature has also stood the test of time with Utopia often being read by students around the world even to this day. More
More’s talents were constantly recognised by Henry VIII and he was duly rewarded. Firstly, he was knighted by the king in 1521 and was then made speaker in the House of Commons in 1523. More’s influence helped to establish the parliamentary privilege of free speech, which left politicians free to express their views in parliament. The last of More’s promotions came in 1529 when he became Lord Chancellor after Cardinal Wolsey had fallen out of the king’s favour. Henry VIII was proving himself to be a frightening opponent to any who spoke against him, and More would have been wise to pay attention to this.
T HE B REAK W ITH R OME
In 1527 Henry made a decision that Sir Thomas More felt he could not support. He sought to seek a divorce from his wife, Katherine of Aragon, as she had failed to produce an heir and, more importantly, he was in love with his mistress Anne Boleyn. The religious beliefs that More had held so closely to him could not be observed if the king was to allow a divorce between himself and his wife, expressly as a way of legitimising his infidelity. Henry did not act against More at first, but it was noted that the reason behind the politician’s resignation was given as poor health. This was unlikely to be the primary cause of his resignation from Henry’s service and he made no secret of his disdain for the king’s new marriage.
The relationship between the two men became increasingly strained when More refused to attend the coronation of the new queen, Anne Boleyn, in 1533. His absence was enough for Henry to consider him a traitor and, more importantly, acted to undermine the king’s authority. Although More had never committed any concrete acts of treason against the king, Henry was now determined to implicate him in a plot against him led by Elizabeth Barton, the nun of Kent. Barton was in great opposition to Henry’s decision to break with Rome and she sought to pass a bill through parliament, stressing the sympathy of others to this point of view. Henry’s plan to link the innocent More to this plot backfired when the Lords refused to pass the bill until More’s name was removed from it.
The king’s frustrations grew as he failed to convict More of any treasonable acts, but More’s ultimate downfall came when he refused to swear to the Act of Succession and Oath of Supremacy in 1534, legitimising Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as the rightful monarchs of England. More tendered his resignation and was forced to relinquish his complete income minus only £100 allowance per year. In addition to this, he was thrown into the Tower of London and reported by the king’s solicitor general to have denied parliament’s power to confer ecclesiastical supremacy on Henry. Whether or not this conversation actually took place is questionable, but Henry now had the concrete evidence he needed to sentence More to death. On the 1 July he was indicted for high treason at Westminster Hall and sentenced to beheading on Tower Hill. He was executed on 6 July 1535, alongside Bishop Fisher who had also opposed Henry’s break with Rome.
More’s legacy lived on for many years and he was remembered by the Catholic church by being canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1935. His literature has also stood the test of time with Utopia often being read by students around the world even to this day. More
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