July 6 - The execution of Sir Thomas More
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- 🕯️📜 On this day in Tudor history, 6th July 1535, Sir Thomas More, former Lord Chancellor and close friend of Henry VIII, was executed on Tower Hill for high treason.
Convicted under the Treason Act of 1534 for denying the King's supremacy and refusing the Oath of Succession, More's sentence was mercifully commuted to beheading.
Join me as I delve into More's final moments, his poignant farewell to his daughter, and the legacy he left behind. 🌿⚔️
#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #SirThomasMore #HenryVIII #TowerOfLondon #HistoricalEvents #HistoryUncovered #TudorDynasty 🕯️📖
Also on this day in Tudor history, 6th July 1553, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI died at Greenwich Palace leaving the throne to his cousin's eldest daughter, Lady Jane Grey. Find out more about Edward's final illness and last days, his “Devise for the Succession”, and Lady Jane Grey's reaction at being told that she was Edward’s successor, in Claire's video from last year - • July 6 - The king is d...
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Sir Thomas More was a true martyr. His brilliance was unmistakable.
So many innocent & faithful servants were executed during Henry VIII’s reign. 😞
Saint and Sir Thomas More resides gloriously in the Grace of The Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven Maryann. He condemned Henry the Eight's adultery and the defiance of the Catholic Church. Namely, divorcing one's wife is grave sin. I claim both Irish and English heritage, and had both grand parents and great grandparents who were Anglican and Catholic. Unfortunately, the Church of England ruled with a heavy hand over Catholics and persecuted them mercilessly. If you're British, you know exactly what I am talking about.
I think that April Wakefield in her comment is right. Sir Thomas Moore was everything Henry VIII wasn't. Especially in being honest, fair, possessed of an exceptional mind and wit, morals, and ethics. Henry was respected because he was the king. Sir Thomas Moore was loved and respected because of the man that he was, true to himself and to others.
I agree totally, Henry was a piece of s--t if you pardon my language.
Yes I agree. Henry was a piece of crap!
Sir Thomas more died with courage I never knew about his head being taken by his daughter. Claire is a mine of information as always 👍
I didn’t know that they would throw the heads into the Thames.
His family must have been distraught (as were all families who had loved ones who ran afoul of Henry VIII’s temper)
I can only imagine (as others have commented) the horror of watching your father’s head on a spike and then bribing the executioner to have your fathers head in your possession.
Thank you for another interesting video and I can’t wait to watch tomorrow’s video
I think at that time they threw a lot more than heads into the Thames. They hadn't yet made the connection between filth, pollution, and disease.
I love the Holbein portrait of Thomas More. Sad end for him. His poor daughter having to retrieve his head.
I understand now, more than ever just how dangerous Sir Thomas was to Henry.
If your close friend and advisor is a lot smarter than you are, and can wield words like a lancet, he is a very dangerous man indeed.
Even more dangerous was that he was honest and good.
Such a man would cast a great shadow over his lesser friend, whom just happened to be the King.
Henry would have known that if he couldn't have such a man working for him, he certainly couldn't take the risk of having him work against him.
Even his family were a threat to Henry and I believe that they also, were threatend, and bullied by Henry.
Henry was such a schmuck!
A spoiled ex-jock, given too much power. What a moral weakling he was!
I've never once thought about Thomas Moore's story from this aspect.🤔🤔🤔 It's quite intriguing to mull over in this light.💯❤👍
More was HVII's Becket.
Only More was killed by law instead of by royal suggestion, as Becket was undone by HII.
Henry had to make an example of well known and esteemed persons of the time who would not agree to the Act of Suppremacy. Thomas More, The London Carthusians, John Fisher, The Observant Friars...these were all well known and highly regarded people not only at home but abroad in Europe.
Remind you of anybody? History always repeats itself!
That's a really good analysis! And "moral weakling" is one of the most appropriate descriptions of Henry I've ever heard.
Saint Thomas More, pray for us!
At this time Henry VIII would be called a mass murderer! Terrible person.
More certainly lived up to the ideal 'of making a good end': no hesitation, a couple of macabre jokes, some pieties, and then the reference to God, a true reproach to Henry.
I hope Henry was told in minute detail how his friend Thomas died and was plagued by the memory until he himself died.
Then he shit his pants 😂
It has been 495 years since he walked this earth yet his wisdom and grace still guides me. I used to hold public office and I prayed to him every day to guide me. I'm quite sure there were times I let him down.
I went to Catholic grammar school remember watching the movie A Man For All Seasons with my classmates when we studied Sir Thomas More. It was very moving!
That's well worth a watch and holds up. Robert Shaw's King Henry was so convincingly zesty and unpredictable, he made me a little nervous.
More was no saint he tortured and executed those who were found with a bible in English.
@@joehardy9610 No, he's a Saint.
More was a traitor to England, good riddance to bad shit
St. Thomas More's Statue stands at the entrance of the Ateneo de Manila Law School, a Jesuit run school in the Philippines.
Just horrible. Thee execution of More disturbs me more than any other murder Henry committed.And they were murders as far as I'm concerned. More was such a pious man and a brilliant man of the church. There was nothing to be gained by his death, except to smooth over Henry's ego. Thanks Claire.
He burned protestants....
Exactly right. Henry was a thug and if he wasn't a king, he would have been nothing more than a criminal as he was a selfish, petulant bully.
I don't know why, but his death always saddened me, because he and Henry were very close, and it kind of represents, in my opinion, Henry's final transition to the dark side. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
I hope Henry had nightmares of St Thomas Moore for the rest of his miserable life😢
I doubt he had nightmares! Of all the people he condemned to death, he would never sleep again!
Poignant video, Claire. For those of you who want to know more about Sir Thomas More and his daughter Margaret Roper, there is Dr. John Guy's book "A Daughter's Love: Sir Thomas More and His Dearest Meg", which tells the story of More's relationship with his eldest daughter. I have it and it's a great dual biography.
I too purchased this excellent book. It is very revealing and moving.
How horrible it must have been to live under the rule of Henry VIII, a stupid, megalomaniacal, sociopathic sadist. He was loyal only to himself. Friendship meant nothing to him, not to mention marriage vows
You're absolutely correct!!! nothing to admire about this excuse for a King. Next time I'm in England I will take great delight in walking over his grave in St Geroge's Chapel Windsor (if I can?).
Colin Lavelle Yes, you can. I did it myself.
Killing good ppl was Henry thing. Often have to wonder if he expected God to receive him greatly.?
Although he died as a “traitor”, he is remembered as a saint!❤️
Although he was a traitor
@@invisibleray6987 I don't think that mattered to him. He gave his life to defend the Faith, and his souls salvation was all that mattered
He wasn't a "saint" until 1935.
@@invisibleray6987
In fact no.
He was catholic and the only true faith was his defense.
Henry VIII was the heretic king and condemed with him all UK till now.
@@invisibleray6987 He was no Traitor, He died the King's faithful servant who was being ruled by passions and yesmen.
Sad that he had to die as he was a much loved and highly respected figure. I wonder if King Henry VIII ever regretted beheading such a good friend.
Janyce Imoto it is said that he did regret his actions almost immediately after More’s execution, but More’s dogged adherence to his beliefs painted Henry into a corner and he obviously felt he had no option but to proceed as he did
I doubt if Henry had any scruples about any of his actions. After all he had 2 of his wives executed.
Henry the 8th England's very own Josef Stalin
Sad day! Thomas More was certainly a martyr!
Thank you, Claire, for a really interesting video. I found to the information about the fate of More's head fascinating. I wasn't aware it lies buried in Canterbury.
Shame on Henry for having his faithful servant More killed
So would Trump be a great Henry save (for now) a Constitution!
Moore was happy to persecute other innocent people on the grounds of their religious beliefs. I know we can't take these things out of historical context, but I don't understand why someone who was involved in rooting out so called 'heretics' (some of whom I assume were burned alive) is venerated in the way Moore is. In this day and age he would probably be labelled a religious extremist and his opinions and actions abhored.
It was English Law...hersesy was a crime punishable by death.
Colin Lavelle True but James makes a point. There are a lot of comments celebrating him on here but at least by today’s standards, he shouldn’t be. 😑
Colin Lavelle As a protestant, I know he enforced the law at the time but the persecution of Protestants at that time were barbaric.
@@tkrc1888 As a catholic I would also say that the brutal butchering of catholic priests by Queen Elizabeth in the latter years of her reign was brutal.
Colin Lavelle I totally agree. Persecution of any religion is bad.
So, therefore, the Thames riverbed downstream from old London bridge must be full of skulls?
I think Henry VIII regretted the behaviour of those he beheaded, rather than his own actions. He did not consider he was responsible for their opinions and actions when they were at variance with his. This vain man used the act of treason to his advantage and anyone who he killed, like Thomas More or John Fisher, were in the wrong for not acquiescing or denying their principles. Henry always thought he was right and like a spoilt child wanted his own way.
He also sent Thomas Cromwell, another loyal servant, to be beheaded. This man had done everything humanly possible to further Henry's wealth and happiness. Wasn't it Wolsey who said "Put not your trust in princes."?
I cannot possibly fathom the strength it takes to keep a daily tab on ones father’s decapitated head mounted in a very public space to make sure it wasn’t disposed of. I would love to read a biography of “my dearest Meg” as More referred to this strong woman.
Even in the somewhat more civilised 18th century, some Jacobites were hung, drawn and quartered although first hanged until dead. Their severed heads were put on display. The son of one of them avoided the street where his father's head was displayed but one day he accidentally walked on that street. He saw his father's head and took off his own hat as a gesture of respect. He was spotted and fined for this minor act of sedition.
I haven't heard anything about the beard jibe, that was funny, or would be in other circumstances.
Thank you so much Claire Ridgway for your brilliant episodes on Tudor History. Did you know that Sir Thomas More was Secular Franciscan (3rd order Franciscan? Joan Larsen, Denmark
Horrible to relate, in order to preserve them the heads were parboiled before exhibition on London Bridge, which probably lessened the stink. After being on display the stipulated time, the heads were thrown into the Thames (unless the victim had a particularly devoted relative like More's daughter who bribed the keeper to throw the head down to her while she passed underneath the bridge in a boat. She kept the head for the rest of her life.)
Wasn't Henry truly a horrible man. Thomas More was his friend. But what would we expect from a man who worked his way through 6 wives executing two of them. Terrible times. All the monarchs of those medieval times had to fight their way to the throne and then were very violent
Henry was a disgusting pig and deserving the fate that " he liberally proscribed of those who ran afoul of him."Not being Catholic , it is still quite obvious to identify with the wit / grace of Thomas More...
More was executed for good reason. He chose a foreign pope over his friend, the King. He also chose his ego over staying alive to provide for his family. A selfish, egotistical man.
@@goldenboyproductions2740 he was executed because he remained faithful to his religion, Catholic, so yes the Pope is head of the Cathol8c religion. Henry would've been Catholic but for his lust for a male heir
Fionnuala Murphy He also chose his religion over his own family. He can't have loved them very much when all he had to do was say a few words he didn't mean.
@@goldenboyproductions2740 I can see your point of view.
It is good to see things from another angle.
I've always wondered, do you think Henry ever regretted executing him? Or anyone for that matter?
Yes he regretted executing Thomas Cromwell saying he had lost a very useful servant in Cromwell.
Yes, Henry regretted many executions during the reformation later on & of course he laid the blame on Anne. Remember though, Henry was king & lamented on very little.
Neil Buckley he regretted the loss of the very useful Cromwell. He did not have to lose him, it was his choice.
@@angiek5233 I forgot about Cromwell. He did out loud more than once.👍
@@angiek5233 Did he not blame his advisors?
🇭🇲🦘 Sir Thomas More - So 'nonchalant' with his words and actions towards those who approached him, prior to his execution.
He forgave all, and met his end bravely. How very sad for those (his family) left behind. 🙏🔔 .. An informative video, as were previous videos about his final days. I learnt much. "Thank you" Claire 👑👍
Deeply moving and so touching that his daughter would run risk to recover his full remains in this way. People are critical of Henry and so have I been over this deed but a King commands loyalty and does not have to return it. I think we are very much better with our constitutional monarch of today. [Am I right, Claire, that there is still sentence of death on statute for treason? I cannot see our present Queen demanding it].
St Thomas More if you please...
In the television series The Tudors Henry Viii is haunted by the memory of the executed sir Thomas more. I don't think he ever recovered from the death of his good friend.
I have to wonder why the Protestant Reformation in England & Wales was so brutal and bloody compared to some of the Scandanavian countries. I have been reading about the reformation in Sweden and (I could be wrong) but I don't find any evidence of the execution of clerics and lay people as happened in England. Even the dissolution of the monasteries in Sweden didn't appear to result in punishment of the religious. The transition from the Catholic church to the establishment of the Church of Sweden didn't appear to involve bloodshed.
I can't get out of my mind that Thomas More arranged the burning of live human beings for transporting and giving out bibles and for not believing as he did. Henry the 8th was a monster but should Thomas More be considered a saint?
That was the law in England at the time....a law enacted by Parliament.
@@colinlavelle7806Yes. It was his job to determine if someone was a heretic or not, then the law took over, much like what happens in the US where a murderer is tried and if found guilty is punished with death.
And murdering disabled people was the law in the 3rd Reich. That didn't save the people who did it from judgment for their monstrous crimes against humanity. And More had considerable discretion over the persecution of heretics, and showed great enthusiasm for exterminating them. He could have spared any or all of the people he had burned alive, but he wanted them burned.
@@brucetucker4847 I think about 6 people were burned at the stake under the chancellorship of Thomas More. Around 12 people suffered the same fate under Henry VII for denying the true presence in the eucharist. How many catholic priests were butchered under Queen Elizabeth....simply for being priests (mostly Jesuits).
@@colinlavelle7806 The Jesuits were actively plotting to assassinate her and telling her subjects that it was their duty to overthrow her. That wasn't a religious crime, it was a political one. Monarchs and other heads of state tend to be very touchy about assassination plots. The people More burned alive weren't trying to overthrow Henry.
In any case, I fail to see how Elizabeth's excesses 70 years later excuse More's.
I had heard Margaret had taken the head, but I never knew if that was fact or fiction. I read she refused to say where it was, but it sounds like that bit wasn't true?
It was true
@@clare5one oh, interesting. That was quite brave, wasn't it. I'd love to know more about her. She sounds like a woman of some mettle!
I absolutely love your channel. I have been searching for a channel like this for a long time you break down the times and dates which I very much enjoy. Over the years tutor history has been mixed up with people s options rather than facts. I am greatful for all your hard work. Thank you from south Boston Massachusetts
I'm so glad to hear that! It really is lovely to know that people enjoy what I do.
So morbid, would not want my parents head in a box.
Thank you for posting this series on St. Thomas More. Really, I think King Henry regretted this loss. It always had me wondering if King Henry wanted Thomas More's daughter Margaret as queen? She was intelligent, beautiful and loved by others. Her father would have defended her honor even to the King of England.
I'm watching this from Brazil. Actually, besides my own country, England's history is one of my major interests.
I never realized that Sir Thomas More and Edward VI died on the same day (years apart). That’s so interesting to me for some reason!
What a criminal Henry was... having this learned, faithful servant put to death.
The people of that time must have thought their king had gone completely mad.
My 15x great grandfather through his great granddaughter Anne Irene Moore. I'm Protestant but proud he is my ancestor. A man willing to die for his beliefs.
This execution has to be the most heartbreaking for me because Sir Thomas More and Henry we're so close for so many years. Thomas was like a big brother and someone of an educator and meant her to Henry since he was a young boy. Certainly after everything was done and the reality hit Henry it still had to have hurt him and there had to be so much regret in the long run. Henry would have people executed because of his selfishness and his temper, & then after it was done he would seem to have some remorse about it. He did so much with Sir Thomas More afterwards and that execution was just a battle of wills.
After so much promise and talent as a young king, Henry turned into the worst of barbarians. Imagine the reign and possibly how the world would have changed had he remained the same king as he was in his younger years. Alas.....kings and queens..
One of my classes in college was a public law and policy course and the topic I chose for my final paper was Sir Thomas More. I had never heard of him until that class. He appeared to be a great public servant, and was extremely intelligent. I really enjoy your videos; they're very educational.
I absolutely love reading the comments put in by everyone they are a joy 😀 thankyou to you all.
It is chilling to think that heads were left on spikes at all, but all the more so when you say that they had to be thrown into the Thames to be replaced with another. What a bloodbath the Tudor court really was!
The thing is, weak kings who _wouldn't_ do that sort of thing were worse for the people because their weakness caused civil wars. People in Henry VIII's day still remembered the Wars of the Roses, in which many thousands of people died and numerous noble lines were made extinct, and no one wanted to return to that.
What he did to protestants is unforgivable.. do saints usually interrogate and torture innocent people and then send them to their deaths... a bigot a religious zealot... an intolerant evil man
Having grown up in 12 years of Catholic school, and 1 of 11 children of deeply devout Catholic parents, I know the story of Sir Thomas Moore. I was reared to admire him from the time I was able to understand language.
Do you admire the fact that he gleefully had people burned at the stake for the crime of translating the Bible into English?
@@brucetucker4847 there's no proof of that. In fact he admits to being present when 2 people were tortured and took no pleasure in it.
So, where did you get "gleefully"?
The first translated English bible was almost two centuries earlier.
Saint Thomas Moore
The patron saint of murderous religious fanatics?
What a terrible life these people endured. I hope the afterlife gave them the peace and security they could not have in their mortal lives.
Thank you ma'am!
I think I have raised this issue in an earlier post but did Thomas More have a duty to save himself for the the sake of his family? Lady Alice his 2nd wife had inherited from her 1st husband and came into the marriage a reasonably wealthy woman. With the death of her husband Sir Thomas their property and their assets were forfeited to the crown....and indirectly to an excedingly greedy and miserably exuse for a monarch King Henry. Although he did see fit to grant Lady Alice some sort of annuity for the remainder of her life. How the rest of the family fared I'm not sure. Margaret Roper died at around 39 years of age whereas her father died at around 57 years of age.
You're right, he chose martyrdom over staying alive for the sake of his family. He was clearly more interested in becoming a catholic martyr. Tells you everything you need to know about the ego of the man.
@@goldenboyproductions2740 I don't agree with that reasoning. What I meant is that he should have saved himself for the sake of his family. So many others signed the required documents including all the spineless English and Welsh bishops with the exception of Bp John Fisher.....to save their own necks.
@@goldenboyproductions2740 Your vitriol tells us all we need to know about you!
More knew where he was going!
I know about Sir Thomas Moore and Henry killed his friend just because he disagreed with him. I think I am correct in thinking that right.
He may have been a martyr but he was also a killer for his religion, and executed others who did not conform to his faith... and it is said that Henry did not know how many he had burned at the stake... today there is still much persecution for the reason of obsessive religion, and I just cant believe that to be Gods will... and I believe that excessive religious views leads to judgement that belongs only to God. So, I do not see More as being the great man that many do.
He died with dignity
Someone wrote all over her bicep. What the?
I think that someone is me.
I think the rulers at that time were totally paranoid and yet some of that paranoia had merit. I don't think any of them were really that secure and thus any hint of a threat, perceived or real, had to be swiftly dealt with. Sir Thomas was an honorable man. He was a devoted Christian. I read a book about him and don't know if it's true, but it said that he wore a horse hair shirt most of his adult life. His back was a mass of painful sores. It was part of his daily penance.
I had forgotten and just remembered that Sir Thomas More wrote the warrant for the arrest of John Frist who, in the end, was burned at the stake for heresy. One offense was the denial of purgatory.
Not much has changed over the centuries if you think about it.
A fitting death for a man who had people put on the rack for owning a Bible in English. It wasn't that long ago that he was made patron saint of politicians.
The first English bible was written 2 centuries earlier.
So I doubt that statement has any truth.
And any racking was done under the orders of Henry VIII.
But hey, dont let me get in the way of you enjoying your anti catholic propaganda.
It is a long phase on the way to wisdom that manifests as mocking wit..............
He had the crowd bent over laughing. Such a shame that his comedy act was cut short.
I would like to know more about Margaret Clement (née Giggs). How did she happen to be adopted? Were her parents friends of More?
Although I disagree with his religious affiliation, his courage is unmistakable as he refused to condone Henry’s second marriage and Henry’s role in the Church of England as its self-imposed head.
Wow fid not know that about their heads
How horrible for their families 😢 💔
Very brave man
Patron Saint of my high school 🏫
Henry the 8 was a traitor to Saint Thomas moore
Thank you, very interesting.
Terrific episode.
🌻
A man for all seasons.
More did some horrible things, but you can't deny he also was a cool dude.
😔🖤
Years ago on tv I was watching a tv programme where someone said Thomas Moore wasn’t the good man we all thought he was, he had been responsible for having men tortured for having a bible in English in the house, I didn’t believe it, but I have just recently finished a book where in it Thomas Moore is mentioned being present when these poor men were being racked, I don’t want to believe it as I have always thought of him as being a good and holy man. I know it was horrible times and the punishment unbelievably cruel so I find it hard to believe he could stand by this as it was going on
I know what you mean but that was the punishment of the time according to English Law enactedby Parliament.
@@colinlavelle7806 So was the death penalty for More's treason.
@@brucetucker4847 Yes it was but the act of treason which Thomas More was condemed by was a recent law enacted by a 'submissive' Parliament to suit a greedy tyrannical soverign.
@@colinlavelle7806 And the act of heresy for which More had people burned - translating the Bible into English - wasn't in any statute, it was up to More's discretion whether to have them burned or not.
Thomas More admits to being present at the torture of two people on the orders of king Henry but says he took no pleasure in it.
That doesn't take from the fact that he was a good man, like you say.
Did ever Queen Mary tried to canonice More?
No that was much too early in history. The process was started under Pope Leo XIII who was well known to be an Anglophile & who also made John Henry Newman a cardinal.
Sir Thomas More will get his reward in the next life. Unfortunately, there is no next life. I feel very sorry for Thomas More but as the song goes, "There isn't any god and when you die you're just dead; and Heaven is a fairy tale to put you to bed!" Most grief in human history was caused by religion. We don't need freedom OF religion. We need freedom FROM religion!
He's the one who took queen elizabeth to Walsingham right ???
No, she was only 2 years old when he died.
@@brucetucker4847 ohh ok thanks
Probably a great scholar. But apparently void of Christian mercy.
Just watched “Henry 8” on the channel OVERSIMPLIFIED. Hilarious. I’m still laughing.
I love all the info on them.
Your channel & oversimplified are 2 of my favorite top 5 channels.
Love this channel!
Claire you got the day wrong😄
It's already the 6th where she is. I always get to see her videos a day "ahead" of her date, which I love!