Thread by @Armentarius

OTD, and at this hour, 850 years ago (Tues 29 Dec 1170) Thomas Becket dresses for the cold wintry day, his hair shirt covered by white underclothes, a black tunic, two lambskin mantles with a longer one on top, a fine white tunic, and a long black cloak #Becket850 #Becket2020

He attends the morning Morrow Mass in the cathedral, celebrated by the monks, and confesses to his personal confessor. Afterwards the monks claimed that he was scourged three times for his sins by his confessor this morning, in a none-too-subtle echo of Christ's passion.

Meanwhile, at Saltwood Castle, the four knights (FitzUrse, Morville, Bret, and Tracy) ride out, accompanied by their numerous followers and attendants, together with Ranulph de Broc, the castle garrison, and other local knights summoned 'to come and avenge the shame of the King!'

The knights have agreed that they will do everything in their power to arrest Thomas Becket today, but if they fail they swear to burn Canterbury Cathedral to the ground.

Three of the knights are dressed in chainmail covered with tunics, and wear gloves, while William de Tracy is wearing a green jerkin and a multi-coloured cloak.

(It's going to take them a couple of hours to get to Canterbury, so I'll be back at about 11am GMT/UTC for some news on what everyone has for dinner in 1170. 3pm-5pm will be pretty much minute-by-minute) #Becket850 #Becket2020

11:30: The knights, probably numbering around 15 by now, and their fairly sizeable entourage arrive at Canterbury from the south, travelling up the old Roman Road of Stone Street. They head first to St Augustine's Abbey, to the east of the city #Becket2020 #Becket850

Clarembald, abbot of St Augustine's, is a close ally of King Henry and an enemy of Becket. His private life is notorious, having been appointed abbot by the King for his diplomatic rather than moral qualities. Supposedly he has 17 illegitimate children in Canterbury alone...

Clarembald has already acted against Becket as the King's emissary at the papal court, and bears the archbishop a grudge for refusing to confirm him as abbot. The knights expect, and receive, a warm welcome from him, and encouragement in their mission to arrest Becket.

On arrival the knights are taken to the abbot's private chambers. They sit down to a lengthy conference, discussing with the abbot how best to seize Becket for the King. The abbot feeds and waters them well, his cellars having been fully-stocked for the Christmastide feast.

They send a message to the citizens of Canterbury telling them to arm themselves in the King's service. While a few would come to join them, this message mainly serves to cultivate an atmosphere of widespread fear and foreboding in the city.

In Canterbury Cathedral at this time, the monks are celebrating High Mass, to be followed by the little hours of Sext and Nones before their own early-afternoon dinner. Becket himself is in his archiepiscopal palace next door, dealing with the morning's administrative duties.

14.00: Thomas Becket sits down to dine in his archiepiscopal palace at Canterbury. He sits at the high table, on the raised platform at the east end of the Great Hall, with his close circle of monks and clergy, while his staff sit at tables in the Hall #Becket850 #Becket2020

The Hall may have been decorated with greenery for Christmastide. Becket tucks into a dish of pheasant, and one of his companions remarks how glad they are to see him dining so heartily.

Meanwhile, the knights have finished their conference with the Abbot of St Augustine's. On top of their tiredness from three and a half days of constant travel, they have spent the past two hours drinking heavily.

As they leave on their mission to arrest Becket, a party of the abbot's men led by Walter the Marshal, and Simon de Criol one of the abbot's knights, decide to join them. The party enters Canterbury through the Northgate (bottom right on this drawing of the city at this time)

(that drawing by John Bowen for @CantArchTrust, another version on their website here: canterburytrust.co.uk/learning/resou…)

The knights and their entourage make their way to a large house near the gates of the palace belonging to a citizen called Gilbert, and set up a base there. The sizeable and fractious assembly of knights, horses, and armed attendants crowds the yard of the house.

A further conference follows, and the knights who had come from King Henry's court decide that it would be best if just the four of them, with one attendant, go and confront the archbishop.

14.45 Thomas Becket finishes his pheasant dinner. The meal is ended and the grace is sung. He moves with his inner circle of advisors from the Great Hall to his private chambers and into his bedroom to discuss the remaining business of the day. #Becket2020 #Becket850

(You may find this map of the cathedral precincts handy, from Frank Barlow's Thomas Becket)

15.00 Reginald FitzUrse, William de Tracy, Richard le Bret, and Hugh de Morville ride through the gates of the archbishop's palace, and into the great courtyard to the north-west of the cathedral church #Becket2020 #Becket850

They dismount by the mulberry tree which grows outside the door of the Great Hall. They disarm themselves before entering the palace, placing their swords at the base of the tree in the keeping of an attendant.

Becket's steward, William FitzNigel, sees the knights entering the courtyard. He goes in to see the archbishop, who is sitting on the edge of his bed with his advisors on the floor around him. 'My lord' he says 'I have decided to go to the king's court and stay there.'

Becket: 'Of course you may go.'

FitzNigel: 'My lord, also, there are four knights here from the king's court, and they want to speak to you on his behalf.'

Becket: 'Show them in'

The knights, accompanied by an attending archer, unarmed but in chainmail under their tunics, enter the bedchamber. Becket does not even rise to greet them, but carries on his business conversations with his advisors. The knights sit down on the floor and wait.

Becket looks over at the knights, nods, and greets Hugh de Morville, asking him what he wants. FitzUrse stands and growls 'Deus t'ait' - 'God help you.'

FitzUrse: 'We have been sent to you from overseas by the lord King, do you wish to hear his orders in public or in private?'

Becket: 'I leave that to your discretion'

FitzUrse: 'Then let these people be sent out'

As the room is cleared, Becket notices that the knights are angry and restless, and that although unarmed they are wearing chainmail gloves. 'Leave the door' he says 'we can't have this talk kept quiet'. The monks and clergy make their way back in.

FitzUrse: 'The king has tried to maintain peace, but you have not held up your side. You have been roaming the country with armed men. You have excommunicated his bishops. You want to take the crown away from his son. Will you come to his court and answer these charges?'

Becket: 'I do not want these things. I have tried to exalt his crown, not take it. I have travelled with licence of the King. And it was the lord Pope, not me, who excommunicated the bishops. They would not make satisfaction for their wrong.'

FitzUrse: 'Gods Wounds! We have borne this long enough!'

Becket: 'I have borne more than enough! Three of you were my vassals and did me homage! I am barricaded into my own cathedral by the King's men! I have suffered more than is right!'

Becket: 'You, who were at Fréteval when the King permitted me these things I stand accused of, should know they are false accusations.'

FitzUrse: 'I was not at Fréteval! You lie!'

As Becket continues to accuse FitzUrse of being at Fréteval, and FitzUrse more vehemently denies it, the shouting match brings the whole archiepiscopal household into Becket's two small private chambers, packing the rooms full.

Becket and the knights are all standing, shouting at each other and gesticulating wildly. Becket threatens to excommunicate them all, and to put the country under total interdict if necessary to avenge the crimes against him. The knights in turn threaten him with exile or worse.

Finally, FitzUrse bellows that Becket is no longer under the King's protection, and screams at everyone to clear out of the rooms and leave them with the archbishop. No-one moves.

FitzUrse, at a pitch of fury, orders those present not to let Becket leave, and holds them all responsible in the King's name if he is allowed to escape.

Becket: 'Do you think I'm going to leave? I haven't come back to Canterbury just to run away. You'll find me here, and in the Lord's battle I will fight hand to hand!'

FitzUrse: 'Threats! Threats! To arms men, to arms!'

The knights force their way out of the bedchamber, leaving a visibly-shaken Becket with his advisors.

The knights go out into the courtyard of the archbishop's palace. Their accomplice Robert de Broc has secured the gatehouse and the cathedral precinct is surrounded by troops. FitzUrse posts Becket's former steward William FitzNeal and the knight Simon de Criol on the palace door

During their conferences with the Abbot of St Augustine's, and among themselves at the house of Gilbert in Canterbury, the knights and de Broc had worked out an aggressive plan of military attack on the archbishop's palace, which they now brought into action.

FitzUrse and the other three knights return to the mulberry tree in the courtyard and don their weapons and overmail. Then they give the signal.

The gate to the street is held open, and all the soldiers rush into the archbishop's court, shouting 'Réaux! Réaux!' - King's men! King's men!' Hearing this shout, the armed retainers join in, rushing through the streets to the palace.

Hearing this noise, the servants in the palace manage to take advantage of a lapse in concentration by the two knights guarding the entrance, and close and bolt the great wooden door leading into the Hall from the courtyard. The servants in the palace flee into the cathedral.

As the knights attempt to break the door down, Robert de Broc and some of his men find an entryway into the palace through a side window, using a ladder left by some workmen who had gone to dinner. He throws open the doors from the inside, slashing at anyone in his way.

Becket is still in his bedchamber. His advisors are growing very worried, but Becket seems emboldened by the noises outside. One of his closest friends tells him 'All these knights want is an excuse to kill you.' Becket shrugs and says 'May the Lord's will be done.'

Becket tries to reassure his friends, telling them that the knights were clearly drunk, and just full of angry words. It is Christmastide, and they are under the King's peace. There is nothing to fear, he says.

'My lord' one of his advisors says 'go into the Cathedral. Vespers has just begun. They will do nothing to you there.'

4.00 Vespers begins in Canterbury Cathedral. (If you have a Spotify account you can listen to it here: open.spotify.com/album/7v3O0AXB…) #Becket2020 #Becket850

Becket leaves his bedchamber to go to the cathedral, but refuses to be seen fleeing. He insists that his crossbearer must go before him. Henry of Auxerre takes up the archiepiscopal cross and the party processes along the south cloister walk. The knights are still some way behind

Becket enters the cathedral through the north transept. Vespers is taking place in the nave, which is packed with townsfolk there both for the Christmastide service and as respite from the mounting tension of the events of the day.

Some of the monks of the cathedral come to greet the archbishop, relieved to see him safe. They push him up the steps to the High Altar and begin to bar the door to the cloister, but Becket forbids them to close it saying 'this is a house of God, not a castle'

Many of Becket's clerks and advisors flee, and hide themselves in the cathedral as the knights enter the cloister walk and run towards the north transept door.

The four knights, dressed in chainmail from head to toe with only their eyes visible, accompanied by a crowd of others all armed and shouting, burst through the door into the cathedral.

The cathedral is dark, lit only by candles, and filled with the Vespers still being sung in the choir. The knights stride up to Becket in the transept and demand he comes with them, and explain himself before the King. Becket refuses to leave.

Hugh de Morville goes to the western chapel entrance to block anyone coming in from the nave. William de Tracy goes behind Becket and strikes him across the shoulders with the flat of his blade saying 'Go, or you're a dead man'

FitzUrse flicks Becket's cap off with his sword, taunting him as their prisoner, then grabs him by the cloak and tries to drag him out of the cathedral. Becket shouts 'You have no business to touch me, you pimp, you panderer!'

Becket tugs his cloak out of FitzUrse's hands and shoves him away roughly. FitzUrse snarls 'That it. Now you're going to die.' Becket backs away from the knights and against one of the stone pillars of the church.

The knights still try to remove Becket from the church, grappling with him, but he clings to the pillar shouting 'I'm not frightened of your threats! I am ready to die! To God and the Blessed Virgin, to the blessed martyr St Denis, and to St Aelphege I commend my spirit!'

Those who had come with the knights are now shouting 'Hit him! Hit him!' One of Becket's clerks, Edward Grim, manages to get between the knights and the archbishop.

Finally FitzUrse takes a step back and hacks ferociously down at Becket with his sword, cutting into the archbishop's skull and severing a piece of bone, then down into the arm of Edward Grim, almost severing it.

Becket lets go of the pillar, and William de Tracy strikes him with his sword, bringing him to his knees. Becket sinks down onto all fours, and then collapses in the north transept of Canterbury Cathedral. Edward Grim hears him murmur 'I think I am ready for death.'

With Becket's body prostrate on the floor, and a pool of blood seeping from his head wound, Richard le Bret steps forward to deliver the final blow.

Shouting 'Take this, for the love of my lord William, the King's brother!', Bret brings his sword down on Becket's head with such force that he severs the crown of the skull and shatters his own sword into two pieces on the flagstones.

A clerk, Hugh of Horsea, who had come with the knights, steps forward to check if the archbishop is still alive. Putting his foot on Becket's neck, he thrusts his sword into the open cavity in his skull, pulling out the brains and scattering them on the pavement.

With panic setting in, Hugh yells 'Alum nus en... ja mais ne resurdra!' ('Let's be off... he won't be getting up again!). The knight and their entourage scramble out of the cathedral shouting 'The traitor is dead!' and 'The king's men! The king's men!'

On their way out the knights loot the archbishop's palace, ransacking it for valuables and heading back to Saltwood Castle at a gallop.

Becket lies dead on the pavement of the cathedral. His clerk Osbern binds the loose piece of skull back to his head with a strip of cloth torn from the archbishop's clothes. His skull cap is set back on his head, and the monks carry the body to the High Altar.

At Becket's murder site, the citizens of Canterbury have begun to dip their handkerchiefs and strips of cloth in the blood on the pavement. Later tonight, some of his blood mixed with water will be responsible for his first recorded miracle cure on his transition to sainthood.

Thanks for following, I think I'll leave it there, although there's much more to Becket than his death! If you're interested in Becket's afterlife then have a look at this website: thebecketstory.org.uk