Tag Archives: Thomas Becket

Conference to commemorate Thomas Becket’s life, death and legacy (28-30 April)

A three-day virtual conference organised by the University (28-30 April) will explore the life and times of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, just over 850 years after his murder in Canterbury Cathedral. The conference is open to all.

Each day of the conference will focus on one of three areas of scholarly and popular interest: Becket’s life story and true character; his murder and its lasting international repercussions; and the breadth of his legacy, beginning with his becoming a martyr idol, through the attempted eradication of his name from history, and ending with his saintly rebirth in the 19th Century and onward.

Organised by Dr Emily Guerry, Senior Lecturer in Medieval European History at Kent’s School of History, the conference will feature contributions from over 40 leading Becket experts from 11 countries. Keynote papers will be presented by: Rachel Koopmans, Associate Professor, York University (Canada); Paul Webster, Teaching Associate, Cardiff University; and Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham University.

The conference’s partners are Canterbury Cathedral and Canterbury Christ Church University, with support from the British Academy and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Delegates will also be given virtual tours of Canterbury Cathedral, each with focus on a unique theme including; mosaics, architecture, stained glass, relics, and medieval graffiti. The tours will reveal the extent to which Thomas Becket is embedded in English history and in the Cathedral, including relics both attacked and preserved in the wake of Henry VIII’s reformation, including the identifiable knife marks in manuscripts from which Becket’s name was ripped.

The British Museum is holding an exhibition in parallel with the conference: ‘Thomas Becket – murder and the making of a saint’.

Dr Guerry said: ‘This conference is the greatest collaboration of the world’s leading experts on Thomas Becket to date and is a tremendous opportunity for sharing insights, research and resources on a subject that is of vital importance to history. Speakers will demonstrate that the life, death and legacy of Becket are crucial in appreciating the evolution of English literature, humour, religion, politics and its position in Europe and the world.’

Conference tickets, with a student reduction, can be purchased here.

Lucy Splarn contributes her PhD research on Thomas Becket for next week’s episode of River Hunters

Medieval and Early Modern Studies PhD student, Lucy Splarn, contributes to research behind the second series of Sky History’s River Hunters and features in the upcoming episode, ‘Canterbury Murders’ on Monday 26 April at 9pm.

The six-part series sees presenter Rick Edwards and YouTube river detectorist, Beau Ouimette, swim in search for historical artefacts across unexplored rivers throughout the UK. Each episode focuses on a significant period of history in a new river, combining underwater archaeological discoveries with a splash of humour along the way.

Keep a close eye out for the Canterbury episode which airs on Monday 26 April at 9pm, where the duo glide along the clear waters of the River Stour which runs through the city centre. The Stour is an important waterway that was crossed by thousands of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral since the late-twelfth century.

We caught up with Lucy to find out a little bit more about her PhD and how she found herself involved in the making of the show. Prior to her PhD, Lucy obtained her MA in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent. Lucy shares, “I went on to work as an Archive and Library Assistant at Canterbury Cathedral, which holds an impressive collection of UNESCO historical documents dating to the 8th century, before undertaking my PhD.”

Could you tell us a little bit about your PhD research?

My research focuses on the art and iconography of medieval pilgrim souvenirs, which are tiny hand-held objects made from lead-alloy. They are usually found in rivers during archaeological excavations and  my research examines how they can provide insights into the ordinary pilgrims who once owned them.

How did your involvement in the second series of River Hunters come about?

I was invited to talk about the local collection of medieval pilgrim badges relating to Saint Thomas Becket for the upcoming Canterbury episode of River Hunters, a historical programme on Sky History where host Rick Edwards, river-searcher expert Beau Ouimette and underwater archaeologist Gary Bankhead dive into unexplored rivers to find treasures from the past. We discussed the importance of Canterbury Cathedral as a World Heritage Site, the brutal martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket, the crowds of pilgrims that travelled to the city and the pilgrim souvenirs they collected along the way.

Do you have any future exciting plans involving your research? 

I plan to work closely with the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury ahead of their upcoming Thomas Becket exhibition due to open on 29 May 2021, where some of the local collection of pilgrim badges will be on display. You can also take a listen to a short discussion I had with Mitch Robertson, Programming & Collections Manager at the Beaney for a new behind-the-scenes feature on BBC Radio Kent with Dominic King. Read about Becket pilgrim souvenirs on Canterbury Cathedral’s Picture This blog series.

Tune in to River Hunters episode 4, ‘Canterbury Murder (Henry II and Thomas Becket)’ on Monday 26th April at 9pm.

If you’re interested in following Lucy’s research, you can find her on Twitter @LucySplarn.

IMAGE: Medieval pilgrim souvenirs. Image reproduced courtesy of Canterbury Museums and Galleries

Dr Emily Guerry co-organising international conference on Thomas Becket: Life, Death and Legacy

The year 2020 marked the 850th anniversary of the brutal martyrdom of St Thomas Becket inside Canterbury Cathedral and, in a matter of months, Becket had become one of the most popular saints in all of medieval Europe, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and inspiring countless legends and works of art, including Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. To commemorate Becket’s legacy, Dr Emily Guerry (Co-Director of MEMS) is co-organising an international online conference 28-30 April (Thomas Becket: Life, Death, and Legacy) with papers from over 40 speakers from around the globe.

Emily is working with colleagues at Christ Church University and Canterbury Cathedral to host this conference, with generous support from the British Academy. You can reserve a ticket, please note that ALL Kent students can book for free.

Our conference coincides with the launch of an exciting exhibition on Becket at the British Museum, which will feature a 6-meter-tall 800-year-old stained glass window showing the miracles of Becket, on loan from Canterbury Cathedral. For any queries about either of these events, please get in touch with Emily Guerry.