Thomas More (sometimes Thomas Morus, 1478-1535) became Lord Chancellor in 1529, even though he refused to endorse the plan by King Henry VIII TUDOR to divorce his first wife Katherine of Aragon (1527). More resigned in 1532 probably out of conflict with Henry's position toward the church in Rome. He also did not accept Anne Boleyn as the king's new wife (1533). In April, 1534, he refused to swear to the 'Act of Succession' and the 'Oath of Supremacy'.

The 'Act of Succession' vested the succession of the English Crown in the children of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and set Princess Elizabeth (1558-1603; who later would be last of the Tudors) first in line for the throne, declaring Princess Mary (1553-1558, 'Bloody Mary'; daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) a bastard. The 'Oath of Supremacy' recognized King Henry VIII as supreme head of the church in England, and therefore its dissociation from the Roman Catholic church in Rome. This act was later repealed by Queen Mary I, and restated under Queen Elizabeth I.

More was found guilty of treason and was beheaded on July 6, 1535. His final words on the scaffold were: "The King's good servant, but God's First." More was beatified in 1886 and canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935. Thomas More is also known for writing 'Utopia' (1516) and 'The History of King Richard the Third' (written 1513, published posthumously).

Other Links:
Royal Genealogies by Ed Stephan
Royal Genealogies by Henry Churchyard
British Monarchs at Britannia
Directory of Royal Genealogical Data
The Genealogy Home Page
Tudor England
Luminarium: English culture from the middle ages to the 17th century


Snippets:
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Life: Motto: 'Most of the time things are not what they seem to be.'
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Book-on-CD: Richard P. Feynman: The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (2000). Read by Dan Cashman. 8 CDs. Collection of short works by one of the most renowned physicists of the 20th century. Most chapters published previously. Feynman is telling the readers that it most important to discuss things, and that doubt is a key approach to science. He also tells amusing stories from his time in Los Alamos. Overall, an interesting book that tells us something about Feynman as a character.
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Movie: A Man for All Seasons (1966). 120 min. The story of Thomas More with special focus on his disagreement with King Henry VIII who rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarriage. Film won 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (1967). Thomas More is pictured of a man with high morals and principles. Good story told in appropriate pace. My rating 7 out of 10.
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