Why was thomas becket murdered in 1170?

Answer 1

Henry did not kill Thomas Beckett, it was four knights. Henry II shouted out in rage "Will no-one rid me of this meddlesome priest" the knights heard him and decided to take matters into their own hands. Henry had a reputation for his anger and did not mean for the knights to go and kill him.

Answer 2

Good answer WW.

I just did research on this question. Four knights were sent to kill Becket.

No, they were not sent by Henry II, they took it upon their own heads to kill Thomas Becket. Henry II and Thomas Beckett were friends, who were clashing over their roles as King and Archbishop. Henry wanted to rule the English Church, and Becket was doing his utmost to stop this from happening. After one of Becket's move to block him, Henry was heard to say something along the lines of those listed below, we will never know what he actually said.

"Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

"Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?"

"Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?"

"Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?"

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"

"Will no one revenge me of the injuries I have sustained from one turbulent priest?"

"Will none of the knaves eating my bread rid me of this turbulent priest?"

"What a band of loathsome vipers I have nursed in my bosom who will let their lord be insulted by this low-born cleric!"

"What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their Lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?"

"Who shall rid me of this troublesome priest?"

Whatever the King said, it was interpreted as a royal command, and four knights, Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Moreville, William de Tracy, and Richard le Breton, set out to consult the Archbishop of Canterbury. On 29 December 1170 they arrived at Canterbury. According to accounts left by the monk Gervase of Canterbury and eyewitness Edward Grim, they placed their weapons under a sycamore tree outside the cathedral and hid their mail armour under cloaks before entering to challenge Becket. The knights informed Becket he was to go to Winchester to give an account of his actions, but Becket refused. It was not until Becket refused their demands to submit to the King's will that they retrieved their weapons and rushed back inside for the killing. Becket, meanwhile, proceeded to the main hall for vespers. The four knights, carrying naked swords, caught up with him in a spot near a door to the monastic cloister, the stairs into the crypt, and the stairs leading up into the quire of the cathedral, where the monks were chanting vespers. Several contemporary accounts of what happened next exist; of particular note is that of Edward Grim, who was himself wounded in the attack.

Answer 3

The murder of Thomas Becket in 1170 hinged on the struggle for power between the King of England, Henry II and the Catholic Church.

Let us investigate briefly the background to the power struggle in England.

1. Earlier in the reign of Henry I (1069 - 1135) the struggle between the King and the Papacy centred on the right of INVESTITURE, that is, who could appoint, or remove from office Bishops, or Abbots, would it be the King or the Pope. In the lengthy struggle that followed it was agreed that

a) the King would give up the right of Investiture

b) that when the King granted landed properties to the Churchman he must render fealty to the King. He was, in this connection to be viewed as a VASSAL like any other secular landholder.

2. The struggle for INVESTITURE and who held the SUPREME POWER did not go away. In 1206 King John of England also bit the bullet.

a) he selected John Gray as his Archbishop of Canterbury

b) the Pope, Innocent III REJECTED John's choice and appointed Stephen Langton instead.

c) John reacted to assert his authority, prohibiting the entry of Langton into England and moving against his supporters

d) the Pope responded by placing England under an INTERDICT and later EXCOMMUNICATING the King.

The eventual result was that John lost the contest and had to concede authority to the Pope stating that he would RULE ENGLAND FOR THE POPE AND IN HIS NAME.

The struggle for power continued into the reign of Henry VIII (1491 - 1547)

With that background let us return to Becket and the SPECIFIC ISSUES that caused him to run into conflict with the King and the subsequent murder of Becket.

In fact, it came as a shock to Henry II who came to the English throne in 1154 that such a situation should ever have occurred at all. For the following reasons:

1. Henry and Becket were close friends prior to 1162. They dined together, hunted together, and enjoyed other forms of amusement together.

2. Henry appointed Becket as Chancellor of England in 1155, the highest SECULAR office in England. As such he was the King's Man. He fulfilled all that the King demanded, even to taking part in military campaigns.

Threfore, when Henry II had Becket appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162 he felt that here was chance to subdue the Church even more. But this was not to be. Becket immediately placed his loyalty to the Church and the Pope above his loyalty to the King. Becket disproved the objections that senior Churchmen had raised as to his appointment. They were:

1. He was not even a priest - Henry had him ordained

2. He was a vicious military commander - he ceased to take part in war for the King

3. He was materialistic, a lover of wine and fine clothes- he immediately parted with his possessions, making gifts to the poor.

4. He was too close a friend of the King and would therefore take sides with Henry II should conflict between the Church and the King arise - he at once distanced himself from the King and his former way of life, even renouncing the Office of Chancellor, a grave INSULT to the King.

Now as to the principal issue that resulted in Becket's murder. It centred on the JURISDICTION of the King's Court.

1. The King insisted that all offences, particularly those of a CAPITAL nature, such as murder fell within the jurisdiction of the King's Court.

2. Becket upheld the decision of the Church that a CHURCHMAN SHOULD NOT BE TRIED IN THE ROYAL COURT, but rather in the Ecclesiastical, or Church Courts.

3. This meant

a) those who professed to be Churchmen, or even having been schooled by the Church could not be punished by the Royal Courts.

b) that whatever the crime, even the cases of murder that had taken place, the punishment would be much more lenient than the Royal Court. The Ecclesiastical Court, for example could not pronounce the death penalty or mutilation. Only the Royal Courts could do this

c) thus the law was seen to be unjust

d) it meant that the King's Court was powerless to act against known criminals

Henry assumed that once he had appointed Becket that such a matter would be resolved in the King's favour. He was wrong. The King now had either to back down, thus losing his authority, or attack Becket. He chose to do the latter. Becket fled out of harm's way into France.

Meanwhile, following ancient custom, in 1169 Henry II had his son, the young Prince Henry, crowned as future King. He chose to use the Archbishop of York. This was a sleight to Becket as the Archbishop of Canterbury normally performed this function.

Eventually things were patched up a little between Henry II and Becket. So, Becket returned to England. Unfortunately, in 1170 he once more incurred the wrath of the King. Becket excommunicated three of King Henry's followers. This aroused the King to furiously exclaim, Who allows "their Lord be treated with with such shameful contempt by a low born clerk."

This exclamation was heard by four of Henry's knights, who at once set off for Canterbury, and there on the altar hacked Becket to death.

So it was all about who rules England: the King or the Church.

Answer 4

He didn't. Becket excommunicated the archbishop of York and the bishops of London and Salisbury. When King Henry II heard about this, he was very ill and angrily stated, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"

It was interpreted as a royal command, and four knights, Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Moreville, William de Tracy, and Richard le Breton, set out to confront the Archbishop of Canterbury. The knights informed Becket he was to go to Winchester to give an account of his actions. When Becket refused, they killed him. Whether King Henry II truly wanted Becket killed is unknown.

For the full story with all of the details, go to Canterbury Cathedral.

Answer 5

Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered in 1170 due to a conflict with King Henry II over the rights and privileges of the church. Becket's refusal to compromise on the church's independence and authority led to tensions with the king, ultimately resulting in his assassination by four of Henry's knights in Canterbury Cathedral.

Answer 6

There are believed to have been four knights who killed Thomas Becket. One was known to be Sir Thomas Tracy, a distant relative of mine.

Answer 7

he got killed for disobeying the king, as he started putting religion before the king