HT: Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, martr and saint. Stained glass window of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral Early life Becket was born about 1119, or in 1120 according to later tradition. He was born in Cheapside , London, on 21 December, which was the feast day of St Thomas the Apostle. He was the son of Gilbert Beket and Gilbert's wife Matilda. Gilbert's father was from Thierville in the lordship of Brionne in Normandy , and was either a small landowner or a petty knight. Matilda was also of Norman ancestry, and her family may have originated near Caen . Gilbert was perhaps related to Theobald of Bec , whose family also was from Thierville. Gilbert began his life as a merchant, perhaps as a textile merchant, but by the 1120s he was living in London and was a property owner, living on the rental income from his properties. He also served as the sheriff of the city at some point. They were buried in Old St Paul's Cathedral . One ...
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