Sir Thomas More

In June 1523 More bought the "very large and beautiful" Crosby Place (Crosby Hall) in Bishopsgate, London, but this was not a simple transaction: eight months later he sold the property (never having lived there) at a considerable profit to his friend and business partner Antonio Bonvisi who, in turn, leased it back to More's son-in-law William Roper and nephew William Rastell; possibly this was an agreed means of dealing with a debt between More and Bonvisi. Because of this the Crown did not confiscate the property after More's execution. Parts of the Crosby Hall survived until demolished in 1909 when some elements, including the hammer-beam roof of the Great Hall, part of a musicians' gallery, a postern doorway and some oriel windows, were placed in storage and eventually incorporated into a new building erected by the Thames in Chelsea, near to the original site of Beaufort House. It is privately owned and closed to the public.

Chelsea Old Church

Across a small park and Old Church Street from Crosby Hall is Chelsea Old Church, an Anglican church whose southern chapel More commissioned and in which he sang with the parish choir. Except for his chapel, the church was largely destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1958. The capitals on the medieval arch connecting the chapel to the main sanctuary display symbols associated with More and his office. On the southern wall of the sanctuary is the tomb and epitaph he erected for himself and his wives, detailing his ancestry and accomplishments in Latin, including his role as peacemaker between the various Christian European states as well as a curiously altered portion about his curbing heresy. When More served Mass, he would leave by the door just to the left of it. He is not, however, buried here, nor is it entirely certain which of his family may be. It is open to the public at specific times. Outside the church, facing the River Thames, is a statue by L. Cubitt Bevis erected in 1969, commemorating More as "saint", "scholar", and "statesman"; the back displays his coat-of-arms. Nearby, on Upper Cheyne Row, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer & St. Thomas More honours the martyr.

Tower Hill

A plaque and small garden commemorate the famed execution site on Tower Hill, London, just outside the Tower of London, as well as all those executed there, many as religious martyrs or as prisoners of conscience. More's corpse, minus his head, was unceremoniously buried in an unmarked mass grave beneath the Royal Chapel of St. Peter Ad Vincula, within the walls of the Tower of London, as was the custom for traitors executed at Tower Hill. The chapel is accessible to Tower visitors.

St Katharine Docks

Thomas More is commemorated by a stone plaque near St Katharine Docks, just east of the Tower where he was executed. The street in which it is situated was formerly called Nightingale Lane, a corruption of "Knighten Guild", derived from the original owners of the land. It is now renamed Thomas More Street in his honour.

St Dunstan's Church and Roper House, Canterbury

St Dunstan's Church, an Anglican parish church in Canterbury, possesses More's head, rescued by his daughter Margaret Roper, whose family lived in Canterbury down and across the street from their parish church. A stone immediately to the left of the altar marks the sealed Roper family vault beneath the Nicholas Chapel, itself to the right of the church's sanctuary or main altar. St Dunstan's Church has carefully investigated, preserved and sealed this burial vault. The last archaeological investigation revealed that the suspected head of More rests in a niche separate from the other bodies, possibly from later interference. Displays in the chapel record the archaeological findings in pictures and narratives. Roman Catholics donated stained glass to commemorate the events in More's life. A small plaque marks the former home of William and Margaret Roper; another house nearby and entitled Roper House is now a home for deaf people.

Conclusion

Sir Thomas More is a play with multiple authors that was heavily censored by the Master of the Revels and is believed to have never been performed at the time. One scene and one monologue are believed to have been written by Shakespeare. The one scene - More quieting a riot - is particularly notable as it is the only example of a manuscript by Shakespeare that we have.

The play tells the story of Henry VIII's chancellor, who fell from favor for failing to arrange a divorce for his master from his first queen, Katherine of Aragon (see Henry VIII) and was later executed for refusing to concede that the king's authority superseded the pope's.

Caveler and Barde attempt to ravish Doll, but are sent on their way by a group of angry Londoners; they promise to complain to their ambassador. The citizens resolve to complain to the Mayor and aldermen, and swear that on May Day they shall go out a make it a bad day for foreigners.

In court, More promises to save the life of a pickpocket if he manages to steal the judge's wallet, as he thinks it would be a fine joke. Lifter does so, and More saves his life.

The Earls of Shrewsbury and Surrey, along with Palmer and Cholmley, discuss the matter of Barde, only to be told that there is rioting in the city and that the Mayor is threatened. They think of More, whom the people like, as someone who might help.

The apprentices riot in earnest, looking forward to cudgeling heads; Doll and Lincoln lead a discussion as to what to do. Hearing that all the Frenchmen have fled, they leave to burn their houses down.

More and the Lord Mayor learn that the rioters are breaking open the prisoners and letting out even dangerous murderers. Shrewsbury, Surrey, Palmer and Cholmley arrive, and they decide to go and speak to the rioters.

The rioters refuse to listen to anyone other than More, shouting down the others as they try to speak. After painting a picture of how wretched the foreigners would be when forced to leave England, with their children on their backs, More asks them what the result of the riot's success would be. He convinces them that it would mean the end of authority, and mere anarchy; and that the king would therefore be in his right to banish all of them just as they banished the foreigners. The rabble is convinced and promise to cease, so long as More will plead for their pardon with the king. Shrewsbury leaves to tell the king, but soon returns and announces that More has been knighted for his success, and has been called to join the privy council.

The Sherriff is impatiently waiting for a gallows to be erected so he can start hanging the leaders of the riot. Lincoln makes a dying speech and jumps off the ladder of his own accord. Doll begs to be the next to hang, but just as she is about to be, Surrey arrives with news that the rioters have all been pardoned, including Lincoln. The crowd cheer More and the king.

More meditates on how he has come up in the world. He hears that Erasmus has arrived. Faulkner is brought in, accused of having started a brawl; More attempts to convince him to cut his hair, promising that if he does, he'll only go to jail for a month, instead of three years. Faulkner, who claims he has vowed not to cut his hair, refuses and is taken away.

Erasmus arrives. More has Surrey try to convince Erasmus that Randall is More. Faulkner is brought back in, having accepted to cut his hair, and is set free. He bemoans his fate. More waits for the Lord Mayor to come to dinner, a fact that reconciles him to Erasmus's departure.

References

1. More, Thomas (1947), Rogers, Elizabeth (ed.), The Correspondence of Sir Thomas More, Princeton University Press.

2. (1963-1997), Yale Edition of the Complete Works of St. Thomas More, Yale University Press.

3. (2001), da Silva, Бlvaro (ed.), The Last Letters of Thomas More.

4. (2003), Thornton, John F (ed.), Saint Thomas More: Selected Writings.

5. (2004), Wegemer, Gerald B; Smith, Stephen W (eds.), A Thomas More Source Book, Catholic University of America Press.

6. (2010), Logan, George M; Adams, Robert M (eds.), Utopia, Critical Editions (3rd ed.), Norton.

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