22 moments

1. Birth in the City of London

   1478-02-07 · City of London, England

   

   Thomas More was born in the City of London. Coordinate is a representative point for the City of London; More's precise birth site is not securely documented.

2. Studies at Oxford

   1492-01-01 · University of Oxford, Oxford, England

   More began his university studies at Oxford, where he received a classical education under Thomas Linacre and William Grocyn. Coordinate represents the historic University of Oxford area; the exact college is uncertain.

3. Legal training at New Inn

   1494-01-01 · New Inn, London, England

   After leaving Oxford after two years, More began legal training at New Inn in London. The date follows the source's statement that he began Oxford in 1492 and left after two years. Coordinate is an approximate representative point for the demolished New Inn site.

4. Student at Lincoln's Inn

   1496-01-01 · Lincoln's Inn, London, England

   More became a student at Lincoln's Inn and remained there until being called to the bar in 1502.

5. Spiritual exercises at the London Charterhouse

   1503-01-01 · London Charterhouse, Clerkenwell, London, England

   More lived near the Carthusian monastery outside London's walls and participated in the monks' spiritual exercises during 1503–1504. The source says he lived near the monastery; the coordinate is the Charterhouse, where he is also recorded as having come for spiritual recuperation.

6. Residence at the Old Barge

   1505-01-01 · Old Barge, Bucklersbury, London, England

   After his first marriage, More leased part of the Old Barge on Bucklersbury and made it his London home for nearly two decades. Coordinate is an approximate representative point for the former Bucklersbury site.

7. Visit to Antwerp and meeting with Pieter Gillis

   1515-01-01 · Antwerp, Duchy of Brabant, Habsburg Netherlands

   

   More visited Antwerp during the 1515 embassy, where he met the civic secretary and humanist Pieter Gillis; the encounter became important to the conception of Utopia. The source places the encounter within More's 1515 diplomatic travels but does not provide a more precise date.

8. Visit to Mechelen during Low Countries mission

   1515-01-01 · Mechelen, Habsburg Netherlands

   During the extended 1515 mission to the Low Countries, More travelled to Mechelen and was hosted by Jerôme de Busleyden. The source establishes the visit during the 1515 embassy but does not provide a more precise date.

9. Visit to Tournai during Low Countries mission

   1515-01-01 · Tournai, Hainaut, Habsburg Netherlands

   More travelled to Tournai, then under English occupation, during his extended diplomatic mission in the Low Countries. The source establishes the visit during the 1515 embassy but does not provide a more precise date.

10. Diplomatic mission at Bruges

    1515-10-01 · Bruges, County of Flanders, Habsburg Netherlands

    More was among the English envoys conducting negotiations with the Hanseatic merchants at Bruges. The location and date are supplied in the contemporaneous letter's dateline and subscription.

11. Commission business at Calais

    1517-10-13 · Calais, English Pale of Calais (present-day France)

    More co-signed a letter from Calais concerning a complaint before the English commissioners there. The location and date are supplied in the signed letter's closing.

12. Royal-service correspondence from Woking

    1519-07-05 · Woking, Surrey, England

    While with the royal court at Woking, More wrote to Cardinal Wolsey on the king's instructions regarding Waterford's complaint against New Ross. Coordinate represents Woking; the exact royal lodging is not identified in the letter.

13. Attendance at the Field of the Cloth of Gold

    1520-06-01 · Field of the Cloth of Gold, Balinghem, France

    

    More was an English guest at the Anglo-French summit between Henry VIII and Francis I near Calais. The source supports attendance during the 7–24 June summit; month-level dating is used because it does not identify More's individual days there.

14. Diplomatic journey to Calais and Bruges

    1521-01-01 · Calais, English Pale of Calais (present-day France)

    In 1521 More accompanied Cardinal Wolsey to Calais and Bruges for negotiations with French and imperial envoys. The source dates this journey only within 1521; Calais is one of two explicitly named destinations.

15. Diplomatic stay at Bruges

    1521-01-01 · Bruges, County of Flanders, Habsburg Netherlands

    More accompanied Wolsey to Bruges for negotiations with French and imperial envoys. The source dates this journey only within 1521; Bruges is one of two explicitly named destinations.

16. Royal-service correspondence from Easthampstead

    1523-09-17 · Easthampstead, Berkshire, England

    More wrote to Wolsey from Easthampstead after Henry VIII directed him to communicate a request concerning Sir William Tyler's proposed marriage. Coordinate represents Easthampstead; the precise royal lodging is not identified in the letter.

17. Move to Chelsea

    1525-01-01 · Chelsea, London, England

    

    More relocated from his Bucklersbury residence to Chelsea, where his riverside home became the center of his household and intellectual life until his arrest. Coordinate is an approximate representative point for More's former Chelsea estate, later known as Beaufort House.

18. Peace negotiations at Cambrai

    1529-08-05 · Cambrai, France

    More co-signed the English report from the Diet of Cambrai, stating that the peace and commercial agreement had been sealed and sworn that day. The letter is explicitly dated and located at Cambrai; coordinate represents the historic city center.

19. Appearance before the succession-oath commission

    1534-04-13 · Lambeth Palace, London, England

    More appeared at Lambeth before royal commissioners to be offered the oath connected with the Act of Succession; he refused to swear it. The source's title provides the exact date and location; Lambeth Palace is the defensible commission venue.

20. Imprisonment in the Bell Tower

    1534-04-17 · Bell Tower, Tower of London, London, England

    

    After refusing the oath, More was arrested and taken by river from Chelsea to the Tower of London, where he was confined in the Bell Tower.

21. Treason trial at Westminster Hall

    1535-07-01 · Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster, London, England

    More was brought from the Tower to Westminster Hall for arraignment before the King's Bench and fifteen commissioners. The source section identifies this trial as occurring on 1 July 1535.

22. Execution at Tower Hill

    1535-07-06 · Tower Hill, London, England

    

    Following his conviction and imprisonment, More was led from the Bell Tower to the scaffold on Tower Hill and executed by beheading.