Saint Thomas Becket (21 December 1118 – 29 December 1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170. He engaged in conflict with King Henry II over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by the king's followers in Canterbury Cathedral. Life before his consecration Thomas Becket (also known as Thomas à Becket, although many people consider this incorrect)[1] was born in London between 1115 and 1120, although most authorities agree that he was born on the 21st December 1118 at Cheapside, by Gilbert of Thierceville, Normandy, and Rosea or Matilda of Caen. His parents were upper-middle class near Rouen and Thomas never knew hardship as a child. One of Thomas' father's wealthy friends, Richer de L'aigle, was attracted to Thomas' sisters. He often invited Thomas to his estates in Sussex. There, Thomas learned to ride, hunt, behave, and engage in popular sports such as jousting. When he was 10 years old, Becket received an excellent education in "Civil and Canon Law" at Merton Priory in England, and then abroad in Paris, Bologna and Auxerre. Richer was later a signer of the Clarendon Constitution against Thomas. Returning to the Kingdom of England, he attracted the attention of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who entrusted him with several important missions in Rome and finally appointed him Archdeacon of Canterbury and Provost. of Beverley. He was so distinguished by his zeal and efficiency that Theobald recommended him to King Henry II when the important office of Lord Chancellor was vacant. Henry, like all Norman kings, desired to be absolute ruler of his dominions, both Church and State, and they may find precedents in the traditions of the throne when he planned to eliminate...... middle of paper ...... ve inspired the Masonic legend of the death of Hiram Abif. This theory included reference to a company of masons from the City of London making a procession to St Thomas' Chapel on its saint's day. He suggests that they may have been an emblematic performance relating to Thomas's death that day. They also supported the Hospital of St. Thomas which was the headquarters of the Knights of St. Thomas, a military order, during the Crusades which was very close to the Templars. St. Thomas of Canterbury remains the patron saint of secular Roman Catholic clergy. In the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, his annual feast is December 29. The Becket Fund for Religious Freedom, a non-profit, non-partisan, interfaith legal and educational institution dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions, took its inspiration and namesake from Thomas Becket.