More

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House Colour: Sky Blue

Feast Day: 22nd June

Thomas More was born on 7 February 1478 in London, the son of a successful lawyer. As a boy, More spent some time in the household of John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury. He later studied at Oxford, and qualified as a lawyer, although he did contemplate becoming a monk. He later was made a chancellor to Henry VIII.

Whilst serving as Henry’s secretary, speech-writer, chief diplomat, advisor and confidant, More also was a passionate defender of Catholic orthodoxy. He also was a writer, his most famous work being ‘Utopia’, a book that started a whole genre of fiction. When Henry declared himself head of the Church of England, More refused to acknowledge him. More offered to keep quiet about his views but Henry thought he might be an example to others. He was tried for treason at Westminster and on 6 July 1535 was executed on Tower Hill.