The Quest for Becket's Bones: The Mystery of the Relics of St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury

by John R. Butler

In January 1888, workmen excavating in the eastern crypt of Canterbury Cathedral discovered the bones of a skeleton many believed to be that of the martyred archbishop, Thomas Beckett. This book traces the full history of `Beckett's bones', from their alleged destruction by Henry VIII's commissioners during the Reformation to the present day. Includes fascinating observations, such as the unexpected discovery by workmen in 1865 of Dante's bones concealed in a wooden box a short distance from his empty tomb.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, British Literature

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

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Reviews

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a number of years ago. I saw the movie Becket with Richard Burton playing Becket and Peter O'toole as Henry II. It's a brilliant movie.

Thomas Becket was made Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry II with the intent that Henry would have the church in his pocket when decisions conflicted with church and state.

It did not work out. Thomas Becket went against Henry at every turn.

When Henry reached his breaking point, he said in a drunken rage, " Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest!"

A few of his high ranking knights took it upon themselves to oblige.
In December 1170, they went to Canterbury Cathedral and slaughtered him.
There were four knights. The names Fitzurse, Morville, Brito, and Tracy became infamous.
In 1220, Thomas Becket's bones were moved from his initial burial site in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral to a purposly built gold shrine in the Trinity Chapel.

Becket's shrine at Canterbury Cathedral was one of the most famous in the Christian world until its total destruction in 1538 on the orders of King Henry VIII.

As to the saint's bones, it is not known for sure exactly what happened to them, and that is part of the point being they were made to vanish to help suppress the cult of the martyred Archbishop.

It is thought they were probably burned, but Hilary Mantel's suggestion in The Mirror and the Light that they were jumbled anonymously into a heap of bones in Thomas Cromwell's cellar could be true.

Certainly, Cromwell, the king's sternly reformist chief minister, was instrumental in the destruction of Beckets shrine and bones.

This is not a large book but John Butler has extensively done his research. The book is generous with colored plates, drawings, and a number of photographs.

A very enjoyable read for me.

[Rachel]

Very interesting and enjoyable. There was a lot more to this than I realised, and it was good to read an account of a mystery without the author feeling the need to force an answer the question from facts which won't support it. Some things cannot be answered!

[Julie Pace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read and compelling argument.

[Colby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Masterful scholarship, but not for this layman.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a disappointing book because basically there is no mystery, the bones of Beckett disappeared at the time of Henry VIII's plundering of the monasteries and shrines of Britain, and haven't been seen since. The idea that the monks hid them is Victorian fantasy/wishful thinking, in reality the monks co-operated in, and were paid for helping, in the destruction of Becket's shrine. Everything else is just flim-flam. Mr. Butler's book examines all the evidence and by-ways but the actual information could have been condensed in an informative journal article. There are some lovely illustrations of Canterbury cathedral and Becket being martyred but they didn't provide sufficient reasons, for me, to consider this book worth reading and, possibly, even writing.

[Bob Duncanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting summary of the mystery of the whereabouts of the relics of Thomas a Becket, murdered 1170. Butler examines all the available material starting with allusions contemporary to the murder and ending in 1951. He develops five hypotheses about the bones including one in which they were burned by the Commissioners of Henry VIII. Unfortunately he is unable to come to a firm conclusion, preferring one of the scenarios only on the basis of visceral reaction. If you are looking for a solution to the mystery, you won't find it here. This is not to question Butler's scholarship which seems to be thorough.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reviewing this book 21 years after it was published. & this is the first book I've read on this subject.
However, it comes over as a very thorough examination of source material (written) and archeology.
1538 is a crucial date in the story of Becket's bones.
478 years after the reformation, during which Becket's sainthood was 'demoted' [+ whatever happened during the Civil War & under Oliver Cromwell] - the conclusion is inevitable that the bones found in 1888 aren't necessarily Thomas a Becket's.
Have to say that I'm very grateful to the friend who asked if I'd like this book, which led to me reading it.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating social history of a saint's body. Was it destroyed in a fire 500 years ago? Or is it a skeleton found in 1888 in an unmarked grave under Canterbury Cathedral? Forensic science, art history, historical accounts, all weigh in on the topic, which is non-fiction, but reads like a detective novel. Beautifully illustrated as well.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always fascinated by Becket's story, I eagerly began this book hoping to discover a definitive solution to the mystery of the whereabouts of his vanished bones. I didn't find the answer (probably too much to hope for), but the book does provide a thorough compilation of the possibilities.