About St. Thomas More

St. Thomas More (1477 or 78 to 1535) was an English attorney who rose to become the Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII.  When Henry VIII declared that he was the head of the Church in England, More resigned his position, rather than violate his convictions.  More did not publicly disavow Henry's position. However, Henry VIII required that More sign an oath acknowledging that the children of Henry and Anne Boleyn were the legitimate heirs to the throne.  More refused and was imprisoned in the Tower of London.  St. Thomas More was eventually tried and convicted of treason for his refusal to execute an oath which violated his convictions.  He was then beheaded. Thomas More was declared a saint in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1935. 

For a full history of St. Thomas More please see the Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14689c.htm.