Death of Thomas Becon: Tudor Reformer and Voice of the English Reformation
On June 30, 1567, Thomas Becon, an influential English clergyman, reformer, and theologian, died. A committed Protestant writer during the turbulent religious changes of the Tudor era, Becon played an important role in spreading Reformation ideas in England.
Becon served as chaplain to Edward Seymour, Lord Protector during the reign of the young Edward VI, and later worked closely with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, one of the leading architects of the English Reformation. Cranmer appointed Becon as one of the six preachers at Canterbury, recognizing his ability as a religious teacher and writer.
During the Catholic restoration under Queen Mary I, Becon faced persecution for his Protestant beliefs. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London from August 1553 until March 1554. After his release, he fled into exile, living among Protestant communities in Strasbourg, Frankfurt, and Marburg.
When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558 and the Protestant settlement was restored, Becon returned to England. His writings, including religious works and sermons, helped shape Protestant thought in Elizabethan England.
