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St Thomas More was born in Milk Street, London, England. His father was a lawyer (John More) and his mother (Agnes Graunger). During his early education, he attended St. Anthony’s school in London.
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He continued his studies at Oxford University and studied law.
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He was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn to further his legal studies.
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After the completion of St Thomas More’s studies, he started working as a barrister.
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St Thomas More became a member of the parliament.
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More was 27 when he married Jane Colt, a girl of seventeen. She gave birth to four children (Margaret, Elizabeth, Cecily, John). But tragically after 6 years of their marriage, Jane died.
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He gained a reputation as a scrupulously honest man when appointed under-sheriff of London.
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Thomas More needed someone to take care of his children, so he got married to a widow, older than him with a name of Alice Middleton. His second wife had a daughter called Alice who More adopts.
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He began to write his book ”Utopia”.
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“Utopia” was first published at Louvain; this book describes an ideal, if not impossible, social world.
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Thomas More becomes “personal servant” and counsellor under the service of King Henry VIII.
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King Henry VIII falls madly in love with Anne Boleyn.
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Sir Thomas More was made Lord Chancellor of England.
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Sir Thomas refuses to sign a letter asking the Pope to annul the marriage of King Henry VIII to Katherine of Aragon.
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Sir Thomas was forced to take an oath declaring the king the supreme head of the English Church, but didn't.
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Sir Thomas was unable to support Henry’s attempts to divorce Katherine and marry Anne Boleyn. Therefore Sir Thomas asks to resign his office and King Henry VIII grants his request.
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Henry marries Anne Boleyn and is excommunicated by Pope Clement VII.
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Pope Clement VII declared that the marriage between Katherine and Henry was indeed valid.
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Sir Thomas More was tried and convicted for treason and on the 6th of July he told the crowd of spectators that he was dying as “the King’s good servant- but GOD’s first” and was then beheaded in Tower Hill.
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Thomas More was formally beatified by Pope Leo XIII.
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400 years after his death, St Thomas More was canonized by Pope Pius XI and was later declared the patron saint of politicians and statesmen by Pope John Paul II.v
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