The Life and Death of Thomas Becket, Chancellor of England and Archbishop of Canterbury, Based on the Account of William fitzStephen His Clerk, with Additions from Other Contemporary Sources (The Folio Society)

172 pp. Red leather spine with gilt titles and decorations, wood grain paper over boards. Translated and edited by George Greenaway. Illustrated with reproductions of eight pages from an early 13th century French biography of Becket written in verse. A biography of the 12th century Archbishop of Canterbury. "Thomas Becket (1118 - 29 December 1170), later also known as Thomas a Becket, was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He engaged in conflict with Henry II of England over the rights and privileges of the Church and was assassinated by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after the death of Thomas Becket, Pope Alexander canonised him and the murdered priest was elevated to sainthood. The monks were afraid that Becket's body might be stolen. To prevent this from happening, Becket's marble coffin was placed in the crypt of the cathedral. The monks also built a stone wall in front of the tomb. There were two gaps in the wall where pilgrims could insert their heads and kiss the tomb. In 1220, Becket's bones were moved to a new gold-plated and bejewelled shrine behind the high altar. The shrine was placed on a raised platform supported by pillars. Canterbury, because of its religious history, had always seen a large number of pilgrims. However, after the death of Thomas Becket, the number of pilgrims visiting the town grew rapidly."