Thread by @Armentarius

OTD 850 years ago (Tuesday 1 December 1170) Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, lands at Sandwich on his return from exile in France, the first time he had set foot in England in over 6 years. He was three weeks short of his 50th birthday, and four weeks away from his death

The Return of St Thomas was an important feast in the monastic calendar of (as far as we know) two places - Canterbury Cathedral and Arbroath Abbey, although at Canterbury it was celebrated on the 2nd Dec when he arrived at the Cathedral rather than when he landed.

Tuesdays were very important in the cult of St Thomas Becket, and in late medieval England they were decreed as sacred to him, so it's great that #Becket2020 maps on to the weekdays in 1170! His return from exile was the fifth wonderful thing that happened to him on a Tuesday.

The seven 'Wonderful Tuesday' events being 1) born 2) condemned 3) exiled 4) the prophesy of his martyrdom 5) return from exile 6) martyrdom 7) translation. Not all of which might fit everyone's definition of 'wonderful' but hey.

Becket was 'greeted' at Sandwich by three royal officials, and a series of tense exchanges followed. He refused to allow the officials to search his party, forbade them to take oaths from the French members of his party, and argued with them about his loyalties to pope and king

Becket and his party probably stayed in Sandwich for the entirety of the 1st Dec, allowing news of their coming to travel to Canterbury and preparations be made for his return on the next day

Becket had intended to land at Dover, but hearing there might be a hostile reception from the king's men in Kent had sailed to Sandwich instead which was an archiepiscopal manor. Becket's boat could be discerned by the primatial cross being held aloft as they came to shore

This wonderfully portentious phrasing is adapted from Frank Barlow's 'Thomas Becket', p. 224, which I think it's fair to say remains the gold standard of Becket biographies