Person    | Male  Born 7/2/1478  Died 6/7/1535

Sir Thomas More

Born Milk Street. In conflict with Henry VIII over religion he was imprisoned in the tower, found guilty of treason and beheaded on Tower Hill. Final words: "The King's good servant, but God's First." 

From his marriage in 1505 he lived in Bucklersbury in the City. In 1525 he moved from there to Chelsea to a house he had built, (later known as) Beaufort House. In 1529 he was made Lord Chancellor.

A very good friend of Erasmus who often stayed with More in Beaufort House.

As a traitor, his head was displayed on a pike at London Bridge for a month. His daughter, Margaret, later rescued the severed head and it is believed to rest in the Roper Vault of St Dunstan's Church, Canterbury.  Alternatively it may be buried within the tomb erected for More in Chelsea Old Church. A third, unlikely, story is that John Donne's mother, Elizabeth, who was a great-niece of Thomas More, carried his head around with her.

2025: Detroit Catholic confirmed that Margaret "was buried with the head following her death in 1544. It was moved with her remains when they were transferred to the Roper family vault more than 30 years later." And "The Church of England is weighing plans to exhume and enshrine the head of St. Thomas More ... it wants to exhume the skull so it can be venerated by pilgrims. ... to exhume and conserve what remains of the relic, which will take several years to dry out and stabilize. 'We could just put it back in the vault, maybe in a reliquary of some kind, or we could place the reliquary in some sort of shrine or carved stone pillar above ground in the Roper chapel, which is what many of our visitors have requested.' "

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir Thomas More

Commemorated ati

Cheyne Walk heads - More and Erasmus

No inscription remains legible but we believe we've found the painting used a...

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City of London School 0 - More

{On the statue's plinth:} More

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Lindsey House

Lindsey House, built 1674 by Robert Bertie 3rd Earl of Lindsey, incorporates ...

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Margaret Roper - Woolwich Town Hall

{On the stained-glass plaque:} Margaret, a pious & learned woman, the bel...

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Moravians / Gillick Pageant / Beaufort House

This unusual memorial was created by Ernest and Mary Gillick in their studio ...

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Show all 17

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Joan Warne

Joan Warne

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William Hallywel

William Hallywel

Burnt at the stake in Bow (or possibly Stratford) for his Protestant beliefs.

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Violette Szabo, GC, CdeG

Violette Szabo, GC, CdeG

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Marian Martyrs executed at Smithfield

Marian Martyrs executed at Smithfield

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Albert Woodfox

Albert Woodfox

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Kilburn head - 4 - Beethoven

Kilburn head - 4 - Beethoven

NW6, Kilburn High Road, 70-72 Traid

We've numbered these heads left to right and identified them ourselves. Do let us know if you think otherwise. The building is very plain...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Thomas Baring

Thomas Baring

Banker and politician, grandson of the bank founder Sir Francis. Born Lee, near Lewisham, Kent. One of the Commissioners for the Great Exhibition, 1851. Died at Fontmell Lodge, Bournemouth.

Person, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Shakespeare bust - EC1

Shakespeare bust - EC1

EC1, Goswell Road, Golden Lane Estate, Crescent House

We can find no information about this bust.

1 subject commemorated
Cornelius Barham

Cornelius Barham

Churchwarden of Christ Church Spitalfields, 1873 - 77 at least. Possibly the grocer who occupied nearby 56 Artillery Lane in 1859 - 1904.  We also found Raven Road, Spitalfields given for him in 1877.

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1 memorial