Saint Thomas More Sir Thomas More was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and well-known Renaissance humanist. He is revered in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More. Thomas More was the son of Sir John More, a prominent barrister who ubsequently served as a judge, and his wife Agnes (née Graunger), and was born on Milk Street in the City of London on February 7, 1478. The second of six kids, he was. St. Anthony's School, then regarded as one of London's top institutions, served as More's place of education. From October 1529 until May 1532, he also assisted Henry VIII as Lord High Chancellor of England. In his 1516 book Utopia, he outlines the governmental structure of a fictional island state. William More contemplated becoming a monk in 1503 and 1504, but he decided to be a layperson and enter politics instead. More is commemorated in the calendar of saints of the Third Order of Saint Francis as a member of that Order, according to tradition. On July 6, 1535, the execution took place at Tower Hill. The scaffold's frame appeared to be so weak that it may collapse as he was about to ascend the steps; he said: "I pray you, master Lieutenant, see me safe up." Read More Read Less