Thomas à Becket

Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his death in 1170. He is considered a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was involved in disputes with Henry II of England over the rights and priviliges of the church. Because of this, he was assasinated by some of Henry's followers in the Canterbury Cathedral. He was canonized soon after his death by Pope Alexander. He was put into a marble casket then placed in the crypt of the Cathedral, and eventually was put into a shrine-like tomb. The "à" in his name is thought to have been an imitation of Thomas à Kempis, a well known Catholic monk.