St Thomas Becket

Pilgrim badge from the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. This openwork badge represents Becket’s shrine itself (Becket’s remains had been moved to a magnificent new shrine at the east end of the cathedral in 1220). The base of the badge is decorated with cusped niches. Above this is a figure of Thomas Becket, lying down, his hands joined in prayer. He wears a mitre and archbishop’s vestments. At the top of the badge is a gabled reliquary box which held Becket’s bones. The reliquary is encrusted with jewels. The tiny figure of an angel points out the largest jewel with a long wand - this is a reference to the gold statue of an angel that pointed to a huge ruby that adorned the real shrine. On top of the reliquary are two ships. The shrine is surrounded by a frame linked to it by circular bosses.

Thomas Becket was born in London in 1118. He became a royal official and a great friend of King Henry II. He was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. He argued with King Henry II, and fled to France in 1164. Thomas Becket returned to Canterbury in 1170 and was killed in the cathedral by four knights who thought this would please the king. People were outraged at the murder of an archbishop on holy ground and Becket was made a saint. He became one of the patron saints of London. Many Londoners travelled to Canterbury to pray at the shrine there and bought badges and ampullae (small bottles for holy water) as souvenirs of their pilgrimage.