Ira regis est mors (Proverbs 16:14)
Loosely translated, the above quotation reminds us that the wrath of the king is death, and there are three saints of Kent, two canonised and one not, who fell victim to the royal rage.
St Thomas of Canterbury (murdered 29th December 1170)
“Will no-one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” shouted Henry II during one of his tantrums.
The events which followed, leading to St Thomas’s gruesome murder by four knights, are well-known. Henry Plantagenet was known for his temper and the resulting bloodlust by these knights caused much outrage in the whole of Europe, where St Thomas was famous.
The descriptions of his assassination are a detailed account of his partial decapitation as the spreading of his brains over the steps of the side chapel (not the high altar) demonstrated, to me at least, that Henry had indeed ‘tipped the wink’ at the knights, demanding that the execution should be as horrific and as public as possible. The act of a man who felt insulted by St Thomas.
The subsequent crocodile tears and penances of the King were probably insincere for the simple reason that, after these events, the problems caused by this saint went away. We can call to mind the famous quote from Stalin: “Death is the solution to all problems. No man – no problem!”
The subsequently erected shrine to St Thomas in Canterbury cathedral was bedecked in gold and precious stones and was the main centre of pilgrimages until the arrival of Henry VIII, who not only demolished it, but had the body of St Thomas dug up and burnt.
Elizabeth Barton (executed 15th May 1534)
Often also known as the Holy Maid of Kent, Elizabeth was a servant in the household of a farm manager in Aldington, a pretty hamlet near Ashford, Kent. Whilst there, she began to have visions of Heaven and made accurate prophesies about people in her village.
The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Wareham, confirmed that nothing in Elizabeth’s activities was contrary to the faith, but he placed her in the benedictine priory of St Sepulchre, in Canterbury. Bishop John Fisher wrote to Cardinal Wolsey about Elizabeth and Wolsey arranged for her to meet Henry VIII, which she did. Henry was also impressed, as was Thomas More.
From 1526, her prophesies became more political with the debate about the King’s ‘great matter’ and she stoutly defended Katherine of Aragon, suggesting also that Henry VIII was in danger of Hell. This was too much for the King, who had her arrested under an act of attainder and she was hanged. Interestingly, there is a legend that Elizabeth prophesied that at his funeral, the King’s coffin would leak blood which would be lapped up by four hounds from Hell.
Records suggest that this is what indeed happened, although no one will swear to it! Barton, to this day, has not been recognised by the Church as even a venerable, yet prayers to her have resulted in many blessings.
St John Fisher (beheaded 15th June 1535)
Fisher started out as the tutor to the young Henry VIII and it is supposed that he, Fisher, was the main author of the book which defended the seven sacraments, which won Henry the title ‘Fidei Defensor’ from the Pope.
As the events, with which we are now familiar, developed, Fisher strongly criticised Henry’s divorce from Queen Katherine and, later on, objected to the Act of Supremacy, which he refused to sign. It was the attitude of Anne Boleyn, the King’s new bride, which was the main cause of Fisher’s downfall as she hated him with a great venom.
After his arrest, Anne sent her agents to search the Bishop’s palace in Rochester, looking for incriminating evidence. One can imagine their whoops of joy as they looked under a loose floorboard and discovered a silk bag. Upon further examination they discovered that the contents consisted of a psalter and the bishop’s discipline.
Kentish folk
The reason why the county of Kent has had more than its fair share of martyrs for the Catholic Faith is that Kentish men and women are famously stubborn. Kent is the closest county to France and has been the scene of many battles against the foreign invader. It was also the first place in England to receive the Catholic Faith, thanks to the arrival of St Augustine.
Thomas Becket, Elizabeth Barton and John Fisher were stamped with the Kentish characteristic of bloody-mindedness and were able to stand up heroically to the two Henrys.
Lessons for today
Elizabeth Barton, a simple maidservant, is an example to us all that if you are with the truth, then sooner or later you will be found out. Nobody minds indifference or compromise, but if you hold the truths of the Faith, the enemies of the Church will come for you. How can it be otherwise?
Joseph Bevan. October 2025
Joseph Bevan has published: Two Families: A Memoir of English Life During and After the Council (Os Justi Press, 2024), available from the publisher or from Amazon. Further memoirs, entitled ‘Traddy Daddy’ are coming out in the Autumn.
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