Edward IV held the throne on behalf of the Yorkists. The second half of his reign was a period of relative peace during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses
Thomas More was born on Milk Street in Cheapside on 6 February 1478 to John More, an up-and-coming lawyer, and his wife Agnes Graunger. His father recorded his birth on the back of a copy of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Kings of Britain.
King Edward IV dies, leaving his young son, Edward V, heir to the throne of England
Richard III takes the throne from his nephew, Edward V, who becomes one of the two "Princes in the Tower"
Thomas More started his schooling at a local grammar school, St Anthony's, at the age of about 6. Here he was introduced to the basics of Latin grammar and literature. He would have gone to school from 6am to 6pm, bringing his own candle in the dark winters.
Henry VII, a Lancastrian, seized the throne from Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, establishing the Tudor dynasty.
Thomas More served in Cardinal Morton's household at Lambeth Palace. There he continued his studies, while also getting involved in court life, and impressing the powerful Morton.
At Oxford More studied the trivium of Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic. It was also during this time that he probably began writing, beginning with comedic sketches and poetry.
More left Oxford without a degree, returning to London to study the law. He enrolled first at New Inn, and then at Lincoln's Inn.
More begins to compose poems in English, largely to do with fortune, time and the stages of life.
In 1499 More met the rising humanist scholar, Desiderius Erasmus, and together they were introduced to the young Prince Henry, who would one day become Henry VIII
In 1501 More gave a series of public lectures on St Augustine's City of God at St Lawrence Jewry in London.
From about 1501 to 1504, Thomas More lived 'in' or 'near' the Charterhouse of the Carthusian monks, and may have considered a monastic life. Or he just liked the peace and quite the Charterhouse offered.
Jane was the eldest daughter of St John Colt, a family who held lands in Essex and Suffolk. She bore More's 4 children.
"A Rueful Lamentation"
Alongside Erasmus, More translates some of the works of the Greek writer and satirist, Lucian.
More seemed to have been very optimistic about the accession of Henry VIII, composing versus celebrating his virtues. Of course, More may have just been telling the young king what was expected of him.
More becomes one of two undersheriffs for London (in addition to being an MP and a Justice of the Peace)
Thomas More's first published work was a translation (with some changes) of the Life of Pico della Mirandola. Written c. 1504.
In 1511 Jane Cold died, and More quickly married again, needing someone to look after his young family (he had 4 children under the age of 6). Alice Middleton was the a rich widow with experience looking after a household. They would have no children together.
Between 1513 and 1517, Thomas More was writing a history of the rise and fall of King Richard III. He wrote basically the same story in Latin and in English (with some variations). Both versions remain unfinished.
In 1515 More was employed by the king and merchants' guilds in London to participate in trade negotiations in Flanders. These stalled and More travelled to Antwerp to visit a friend of Erasmus's, Peter Giles. It was in conversation with Giles that More began to write his Utopia.
More becomes a councillor of the Star Chamber, an institution to try powerful courtly figures.
Utopia was published under the supervision of Erasmus at Leuven, framed with letters by European humanists and containing woodcuts by Ambrosius Holbein.
In the late hours of 30 April 1517, More was sent out to try to calm aggressive crowds, bent on killing or kicking out European immigrants in London. He failed, and the crowds rioted into the early hours of the morning.
More is addressed as 'councillor' on this mission, and may have struck a deal with Wolsey to enter the court by this point.
Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, sparking the Reformation
More begins his work as a councillor; his pay is back-dated to September 1517. His title is "Master of the Rolls", and he becomes a go-between for Wolsey and Henry.
More moves his family to a thriving new village outside of London: Chelsea.
Thomas More becomes "Sir" Thomas More, and is making the second-highest salary in the exchequer, approximately £65,793.87/yr in modern values.
Henry VIII writes a pamphlet against Martin Luther, perhaps with More's help, for which he receives the title "defender of the faith".
Unfinished work.
Henry couldn't answer the reply his Assertio received from Luther, so he asked More to. The result was More's first polemical religious work.
More is appointed Speaker of the House, where it is later reported he made arguments for the right of free speech.
By 1527, Henry was expressing doubts about the legitimacy of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, and courting Anne Boleyn. He approached More about it in late 1527, but it is unclear what More said in response.
More was asked in 1528 to answer reformist writings in English, and the first of such works was published in June 1529 - A Dialogue Concerning Heresies
Wolsey had failed to acquire Henry's annulment from Katherine of Aragon, and in September 1529 fell from power. More was chosen as his replacement.
Thomas Hitton was the first English martyr of the Reformation to be burned. It is unlikely that More was involved in this, or the first three burnings of the English Reformation.
Thomas More oversaw the burning of the English martyr Richard Bayfield at Smithfield in Dec 1531.
More oversaw the trial and execution. Foxe suggests in his 1563 edition of Acts and Monuments that More tortured Tewkesbury himself, but he removes it from later editions.
The third of the London martyrs burned under More's chancellorship. Foxe is consistent throughout his editions of Acts and Monuments in telling a story of More's personal torture of Bainham.
The Convocation of Canterbury cedes religious authority to Henry VIII.
The day after the Submission of the Clergy, More resigns as chancellor. Henry and More, virtually inseparable for 14 years, never meet again.
Two part answer to William Tyndale published in 1532 and 1533.
Henry and Anne Boleyn are secretly married.
Anne is crowned queen. Thomas More does not attend.
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