Person    | Male  Born 7/2/1478  Died 6/7/1535

Sir Thomas More

Born Milk Street. In conflict with Henry VIII over religion he was imprisoned in the tower, found guilty of treason and beheaded on Tower Hill. Final words: "The King's good servant, but God's First." 

From his marriage in 1505 he lived in Bucklersbury in the City. In 1525 he moved from there to Chelsea. In 1529 he was made Lord Chancellor.

As a traitor, his head was displayed on a pike at London Bridge for a month. His daughter, Margaret, later rescued the severed head and it is believed to rest in the Roper Vault of St Dunstan's Church, Canterbury.  Alternatively it may be buried within the tomb erected for More in Chelsea Old Church. A third, unlikely, story is that John Donne's mother, Elizabeth, who was a great-niece of Thomas More, carried his head around with her.

A very good friend of Erasmus who often stayed with More in Chelsea.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir Thomas More

Commemorated ati

Cheyne Walk heads - More and Erasmus

No inscription remains legible but we believe we've found the painting used a...

Read More

City of London School 0 - More

{On the statue's plinth:} More

Read More

Lindsey House

Lindsey House, built 1674 by Robert Bertie 3rd Earl of Lindsey, incorporates ...

Read More

Margaret Roper - Woolwich Town Hall

{On the stained-glass plaque:} Margaret, a pious & learned woman, the bel...

Read More

Show all 16

Other Subjects

Corporal Samuel MacPhearson

Corporal Samuel MacPhearson

See Farquar Shaw for the story of the Black Watch mutiny.

Person, Armed Forces, Execution, Scotland

1 memorial
Major-General Thomas Harrison

Major-General Thomas Harrison

Executed for regicide.  In the civil war he fought on the side of Parliament against King Charles I. Close to Cromwell, he was elected to the Long Parliament, sat as a judge in the King's trial and...

Person, Armed Forces, Execution, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury

William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury

Born Reading. 1628 became Bishop of London. 1633 became Archbishop of Canterbury. Supported Charles I, opposed many of the church practices that had come in during Queen Elizabeth's reign and perse...

Person, Execution, Politics & Administration, Religion

2 memorials
Robert Smith

Robert Smith

Protestant martyr. Before his execution,he wrote to his wife Anne: “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ be with you dear wife, now and for ever, amen, and prev...

Person, Execution, Religion

1 memorial
Marian Martyrs executed at Smithfield

Marian Martyrs executed at Smithfield

Queen Mary I (reigned 1553-8) earned the nickname 'Bloody Mary' for the persecution and execution of Protestants and other non-Catholics during her reign.  Wikipedia lists abut 40 in an 'incomplete...

Group, Execution, Religion

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Nicolas Poussin

Nicolas Poussin

Artist. Born in Les Andelys, Normandy. He spent a large part of his life in Rome, producing many paintings with an historical theme, such as 'The Adoration of the Golden Calf'.

Person, Art, France, Italy

2 memorials
J. Collingbridge

J. Collingbridge

Trader at Covent Garden Market at its original site.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
Dulwich Society

Dulwich Society

"Our objects are to create the sense of community that one would hope to find in a good village, to increase awareness of local history and the character that make Dulwich special, to foster an app...

Group, Community / Clubs

3 memorials
Helen Blackburn

Helen Blackburn

Early campaigner for women’s rights, particularly the rights of workers. An editor of the Englishwoman's Review. Born County Kerry, Ireland.

Person, Gender Issues, Ireland

1 memorial
Millbank Prison

Millbank Prison

The design and construction of this prison stretched from 1799 - 1821 and passed through many hands: Jeremy Bentham, William Williams, Thomas Hardwick (father of Philip), John Harvey and Robert Smi...

Building, Law, Australia

4 memorials