Thomas More

Thomas More was born in London on Feb. 7, 1478. His father was Sir John More, a prominent barrister. While in his early teens, young More entered the household of Cardinal Morton as a page. Later he attended Canterbury Hall, Oxford. The great Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus became his close friend. More, Erasmus, and John Colet, the distinguished dean of London's St. Paul's Cathedral, were leaders of a group of scholars and religious reformers.

This group, which became known as the Oxford Reformers, did much to promote the Renaissance in England. Thomas More entered the profession of law, in which he gained distinction. His religious piety led him to fast, pray, and do penance. For a time he hoped to enter the priesthood. Throughout his life More's deep religious convictions dominated his actions. Thomas More was executed as a traitor for his refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII's supremacy over the church. The story of More's life and death became familiar to many through Robert Bolt's play, 'A Man for All Seasons', first performed in 1960.

Return