Thomas More

Also known as Saint Thomas More, he started out on the path of the monastery until 1504 when he entered politics where one of his first acts was to urge a decrease in the king’s power. For this, King Henry VII had More’s father imprisoned  until  Thomas removed himself from the public view. More complied until the death of Henry VII, after which he returned to his political activities in 1509.

Over the next several years More would attract the attention of Henry VIII by working as an undersheriff of London, as well as masterfully delegating various disputes. Most notable being to quell the 1517 uprising against foreigners. Favored by  the king, More quickly rose through the ranks and became Lord Chancellor  in 1529.

In 1532 he resigned, being opposed to the king’s position towards the church and refusing to attend the coronation of Anne Boleyn. Two years later he refused to swear to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy, after which he was arrested for treason. Found guilty, he was beheaded by the axe on July 6, 1535. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935.