St Thomas Becket

Part of a pilgrim badge from the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. This badge is in the form of a buckler (small, round shield). The buckler is decorated with pearling around the edge and a six-sided central boss. Openwork decoration in the form of fleurs-de-lys surrounds the boss. The badge represents the sword that was used to murder Thomas Becket – often the sword is shown with a buckler over much of the blade. The blade has not survived on this example.

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.