Thomas Becket. Father John S. Hogan

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СКАЧАТЬ though he was worth considerably more than that.⁴ Contemporary biographers refer to Osbert as a relative of Gilbert Becket,⁵ and that may explain how Thomas got a position. Osbert remains a shadowy figure in history. Having served as a justiciar, an administrator of justice, he had also been one of the sheriffs of the city (as had Gilbert), and his term of office had just come to an end around the time Thomas came on the job market.

      The nature of Osbert’s banking is not known. He had made a number of important contacts through his business, and he had connections with the royal court. He was known to have had links with the Angevins — the House of Anjou, that of the future Henry II and his father, Geoffrey. He held land in Kent received from Henry I’s son Robert, Earl of Gloucester; and Empress Matilda is known to have given him land. These gifts indicate that he had won the royal favor, most likely for his service to Matilda and her son’s cause during the Anarchy. In fact, he was among a delegation representing London citizens that came to Matilda in 1141 as she was attempting to win the capital to her cause. Osbert, as an associate of her brother Robert, was already in her camp; some even identify him as the head of the pro-Angevin faction in the city, engaged in trying to swing notable citizens to support Matilda’s claim. When she lost London’s favor and King Stephen was again ascendant, Osbert was forced to find refuge with the Earl of Gloucester on his estates. As he was a refugee from the city for supporting her claim, Matilda granted him a stipend of twenty pounds per annum. By the time Thomas arrived, Osbert was back in business, whatever it was, legal or otherwise.⁶

      According to some biographers, Thomas was given the position of secretary to Osbert, coupled with the task of keeping accounts.⁷ Some biographers maintain that he did not work for Osbert personally, but rather that Osbert, as sheriff, got him a position in the municipal offices.⁸ He would remain in this employment for two or three years, deriving a great deal of experience, particularly in the area of finance, that would prove useful for the positions he held later. Working for a man immersed in the political scene, Thomas would no doubt have been keenly aware of what was happening in England and Normandy.

      These years in Osbert’s employ would prove important. For one thing, the work and the exposure to the business and political life of England gradually pulled Thomas out of the life of pleasure and enkindled in him an interest in the world. Though little is known about this time, it was one of the most formative in his life, opening new horizons and convincing him that he had ability and that he must get up and use it. He would have become acquainted with the workings of financial affairs, both in the general market and in the civic realm. He also participated in transactions with the royal exchequer and he would have learned a great deal about the system of taxation, the reforms that were already under way in that arena, and perhaps even the financial mollification of kings.

      Although he had an income and was busy, Thomas’s ambition had returned, and keeping accounts for a banker was gradually losing its sheen — the work did not have enough meat to satisfy his growing hunger for advancement. To his love of fashion and leisure, he now added determination. He wanted to go places, and a clerk’s desk in a relative’s business was not a springboard to any kind of prestige. It provided only an honest day’s work, and even that was questionable if some historians are correct that Osbert’s business was more inclined to the shadows than to the light.⁹ Thomas was, in short, bored, and he began the search for another, more lucrative position that would enhance his prospects.

      Perhaps impressed with his son’s newfound enthusiasm for advancement, Gilbert offered his advice and assistance: It was time to move on. This time, he would pull out all the stops, and he could do so because his son was finally hungry for an improvement in his career. But where could Thomas go? For an ambitious man, there were two roads to take. The first was to join the service of the monarch at court. Given that the kingdom was in the midst of the Anarchy and an utter mess, divided between two claimants to the throne, even applying for a position was a political statement and a risk. If Thomas backed the wrong horse, it could be fatal for his prospects. The second road was safer and within reach: the service of the Church, and for the ambitious clerk it had to be the court of the primate of England, the archbishop of Canterbury. That was not an impossible reach for the Beckets because the incumbent, Theobald, former abbot of Bec, was a friend, a fellow native of Thierville, and perhaps even a relation of Gilbert’s. Two of Theobald’s associates, brothers from Boulogne — Baldwin, archdeacon of Sudbury, and Eustace — were frequent guests at the Becket household, and their support was easily won. All that was required was a quiet word in the ear of the archbishop.¹⁰

       7

       Theobald

      If Gilbert’s¹ advances toward finding a position for his son in the household of the archbishop of Canterbury were successful, Thomas would enter the service of one of the most remarkable men in medieval England, a man who would play an important part in finally bringing the Anarchy to an end. From humble origins, the former monk and abbot of Bec who now occupied the primatial see of England would leave his mark, not just on England and her history but on one destined to become one of England’s greatest martyrs.

      Theobald of Bec was elected to the see of Canterbury on December 24, 1138, and consecrated archbishop on January 9, 1139, by the papal legate Alberic, cardinal bishop of Ostia. His journey to the primacy of England was an interesting one. He was supported by King Stephen, who chose Theobald over his own brother, Henry of Blois, bishop of Winchester. Stephen feared that Henry, who coveted the office, would use it to control him, and he had enough influence as it was. Perhaps Stephen also understood that Henry was not entirely to be trusted; in 1141, when Stephen was captured, Henry would go over to Matilda’s side in the civil war. Indeed, the king ensured that Theobald’s election took place while his brother was in Winchester ordaining deacons.

      Theobald was born in Thierville,² the same area of Normandy from which Gilbert Becket hailed; the exact date of his birth is unknown, but it is reckoned to be around 1090. Almost nothing is known of his family, but his father is believed to have been a knight, and at least one of his brothers also entered service in the Church: Walter, who became a deacon and later bishop of Rochester. Theobald discerned a vocation to the Benedictine life and entered the Abbey of Bec, which was not far from his home. He lived the life of a regular monk and may have held various offices within the monastic community. He first comes to attention in 1127, when he was appointed prior of the abbey; ten years later, he was elected abbot, though his election did not proceed smoothly. Archbishop Hugh of Rouen, the local bishop, refused to give his consent, claiming that he had not been consulted on the election. Until Theobald had made a profession of obedience, Hugh would not grant the abbatial blessing. The new abbot refused to comply — none of his predecessors had done this; neither would he. For fourteen months both sides held their ground. In the end the abbot of Cluny, Peter the Venerable, negotiated a compromise — Theobald would offer a verbal profession of obedience, and Hugh, forgoing a written profession, would accept it.

      The new abbot revealed a strong personality and innate stubbornness, personality traits that would serve him in his work but also create difficulties and enemies. Following his abbatial blessing in 1137, he would serve just one year as abbot before being nominated by King Stephen to the see of Canterbury. Why he was chosen is a mystery. His short tenure as abbot was not enough to allow a proper assessment of his ability to govern anybody, never mind a primatial see. He was pious, learned, and efficient, but there was nothing special about him to recommend him, and he had no family connections. Perhaps his principled stand against Bishop Hugh was seen as a qualifier and marked him out as one who could fulfill the often difficult demands of high office — he might be a strong leader. Theobald could also have been chosen as archbishop because of his abbey’s reputation. Bec had provided two archbishops for Canterbury — Lanfranc and Anselm — and both had been outstanding. Lanfranc had been a great servant of the Church and a pillar of support for the new Norman monarchy. The same could not be said of Anselm, who spent most of his СКАЧАТЬ