Thomas Becket. Father John S. Hogan
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remembered her with great fondness. It seems adventure, unpredictability, and a refusal to conform were essential traits of the de L’Aigles.
Richer’s family had a tradition of service to the Norman dukes. His paternal great-grandfather Engenulf had been in service to William the Conqueror during William’s invasion of England in 1066 and given his life for the duke’s cause at the Battle of Hastings. His father, Gilbert, had been in service to Henry I, for which he was given Pevensey Castle and its estates in Sussex to add to lands he already possessed in Normandy. When he inherited the English lands on his father’s death, Richer had clashed with Henry I, who had expressed his preference that Engenulf and Geoffrey, the two younger de L’Aigle brothers, take over their father’s English lands. In response, Richer defied the king and nurtured a relationship with King Louis VI of France, Henry’s rival, to gain a royal ally to his cause. Not afraid to play rough in the game of politics, Richer eventually led a rampage against King Henry, attacking his neighbors and laying waste to their land. Richer’s uncle had to intervene to resolve the dispute, but Richer emerged the victor. Another scrap with King Stephen — Stephen of Blois — during the Anarchy5 would see him lose his Sussex estates again; but his was a charmed life, and he eventually won them back. He would remain for many the proof that it was possible to face down a king, though a cool head, clever stratagem, and the nerve to risk it all on the venture were necessary in the fray.
Richer also knew tragedy: His brothers Engenulf and Geoffrey had both perished in the sinking of the White Ship. As the horrors for the doomed passengers unfolded, Geoffrey was managing to hold out in the waters; but just before he could be rescued, he succumbed to hypothermia and slipped down to his death. Even in the midst of the tragedy that would cause such chaos in England, the de L’Aigle family had its part to play.
Richer held lands near Thierville in Normandy, near the Abbey of Bec; it was perhaps through these possessions that he came to know Gilbert Becket, and it was through his father that Thomas became acquainted with the dashing Norman lord. Richer was a regular visitor to the Becket house in Cheapside, staying with the family whenever he was on his way to or from Normandy and his Sussex estates.6 During evening conversations, young Thomas, entranced by the exuberant aristocrat who seemed wild and honorable at the same time, drank in Richer’s stories of his exploits and family history. Richer may have recognized a kindred spirit in Thomas, for the two became fast friends even though L’Aigle was probably in his mid- to late thirties at this time and Thomas in his early teens.
The nature of this relationship has been questioned: Why would a successful and wealthy lord take an interest in the young son of a former draper and landlord?7 By the time the two met around 1131, Richer was a married man with children. Though some have recently seen a less-than-savory interest here, there is no evidence of it. Without doubt, Richer saw a young man who reminded him of himself, one who was as ambitious but lacked the privilege of a noble family. He saw a possible protégé, which Thomas would indeed become. The Becket scholar Frank Barlow suggests that Thomas may have acted as a substitute for his two dead brothers — Richer may have desired a brother figure to share his interests and sports.8 It is also possible that Richer saw in Thomas a young man who could go far and thought it might be wise not only to guide him in his path but also to make a connection that could prove useful in the years ahead. Whatever the reasons, there seems to have been a genuine affection between the two. As for Thomas, he was completely dazzled by the baron and saw in him a model for his own ideals.
As much as he found it necessary to engage in the sport of politics and king baiting, Richer loved country sports even more, and Thomas came to enjoy this entertainment as passionately as his new mentor. He may have loved the temptations of the city, but Thomas soon found these country pursuits vastly more exciting and engaging than any game at Smithfield. On his estates in Sussex, Richer introduced Thomas, on holidays from school, to hunting and hawking, games that would thrill and entertain him for the rest of his life. He became very fond of horses, and it was noted later in his life that he was a fine horseman; his skills were no doubted perfected during these forays into the landscape of the Sussex estates. Thomas not only embraced these country pursuits but also acquired a fondness for the life of ease — the lordly life and all its attendant pleasures. Richer was only too keen to form what he may have seen as a fellow pilgrim in this lifestyle, much to the discomfort, it seems, of Thomas’s parents.
Matilda and Gilbert may well have had cause for concern. Under Richer’s influence, their little boy was changing. Matilda would have no ticed a less pious streak appear in her son, one that was undermining the humility she had tried to instill in him.9 As he grew in confidence, he may have become more aristocratic in his bearing. That might not be an advantage to the son of a London landlord who would have to make his way in the world; it could win him enemies. Time away from study may also have been a problem, and although the trips to the country occurred during holiday time, he may have been prone to distractions when in school, which would not have helped his inherent laziness. While Gilbert may have reveled in his son’s new connection, he would have noticed that this relationship was one centered on pleasure and not vocational advancement. If Becket senior had any reservations, it may have been the fear that Richer’s mentoring would not be confined to the horse and the hawk.10
The couple would have been more concerned if they had known their son was getting into serious scrapes during his time in the country. His keenness for the hunt had led him to take risks in pursuit of his prey. One incident is recalled in the biographies. While out hawking with Richer one day, Thomas ended up in a millstream and almost drowned, much to the horror of his mentor. One account maintains that he fell off his horse as he was crossing a narrow bridge. Another version has him actually jumping into the water to save a prize hawk. According to this version, Thomas’s horse stumbled, and the hawk fell into the millstream, caught up in its cord and unable to free itself. Loath to lose the bird, he dived in after it. Though the versions differ, both are possible, given his budding unruliness. He found himself in difficulty as the stream pulled him toward a millwheel.11 He was rescued in time, but this incident reveals the dangers he willingly risked for his sports; there was a streak of recklessness in him that others would comment on later in his disputes.
Despite such incidents, Thomas loved his time in the country. Falconry would become one of his great loves, and the thrill of the chase excited him. He came to life in the camaraderie of his fellow hunters and with the chatter of the retainers. He was fit and young, and the hunt provided him with the means to relish his strength and develop his skills. He learned to wrestle and fence; he was successful and often triumphed over his opponents. He also grew to love the life of privilege — rubbing shoul ders with the nobility, sampling the treats of a life that was beyond his father’s means. The presumption of a higher status in society appealed to him. In Richer’s company and with his set, the world offered new possibilities, sweeter things, and a greater freedom.
It was not to last. Either due to their concern, or as part of their plan for his life, around 1139 Gilbert and Matilda decided to send Thomas off to Paris to continue his studies. It was the end of the halcyon days in Sussex and of the intimate relationship with his dangerous and exciting mentor. But the two would meet again, most crucially in 1164 during the crisis over the Constitutions of Clarendon;12 then, Thomas and Richer would be on opposite sides. Richer would go on to survive his former protégé by six years, long enough to see him canonized. Was he, like many others, amazed at Thomas’s stubbornness and refusal to give in to the king? Did he perhaps see himself and his own rebellious disposition at play in the archbishop? And what did Richer make of the miracles at his tomb? We shall never know.
Richer continued to live his life of rebellion and pleasure. His relationship with King Henry II was tense, and he fell afoul of the monarch on more than one occasion. In 1173, he was in revolt against Henry’s son, Henry the Young King, and though his rebellion failed, he managed to hold onto his possessions. He married Beatrix d’Estouteville, by whom he had four children. In his later years, Richer became quite religious and began to lament his wayward life. In his remorse, he turned to charitable activities and endowed priories and monasteries. He died on August 24, 1176, and was buried in the Benedictine priory of Saint Sulpice-sur-Risle near the family seat at L’Aigle. His eldest son, also Richer, inherited the titles and estates, but when