Thomas II of York facts for kids

Thomas II was an important church leader in medieval England. He served as the Archbishop of York, a very high position in the church, until his death in 1114.

Early Life and Family

Thomas was born into a family with strong connections to the church. His uncle, also named Thomas, was an earlier Archbishop of York. His father, Samson, was the Bishop of Worcester.

Thomas started his career as a royal chaplain, which meant he served the king. Later, he became the leader of Beverley Minster in 1092. These important jobs were given to him thanks to his uncle.

He grew up learning about the church at York Minster, which is a very large and famous church. The church leaders in York trusted him. He was very dedicated to protecting York's importance against the claims of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who wanted to be seen as the most important church leader in England.

Thomas had a brother named Richard who became the Bishop of Bayeux around 1108. Their sister, Isabelle, also had a son named Richard, who later became Bishop of Bayeux as well.

Becoming Archbishop

Thomas was chosen to be the Archbishop of York in May 1108. The church leaders at York wanted him for the job. However, there was a big problem. Thomas refused to promise to obey the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was named Anselm at the time. This disagreement caused a delay in Thomas becoming archbishop and led to a long argument known as the Canterbury-York dispute.

The church leaders in York supported Thomas. They even wrote to Archbishop Anselm to explain why Thomas would not make the promise. Meanwhile, a leader from York traveled all the way to Rome to get a special scarf called a pallium for Thomas. The pallium is a symbol of an archbishop's authority, sent directly from the Pope.

Archbishop Anselm died in April 1109, and the argument was still not settled. Before he died, Anselm had said that Thomas must make the promise of obedience. So, the other bishops asked King Henry I to make Thomas agree. Finally, King Henry I and his bishops decided that Thomas had to make the promise. Thomas agreed and was officially made Archbishop in London on June 27, 1109. He received his pallium from a special messenger from the Pope on August 1, 1109.

Leading the Church

As Archbishop, Thomas worked hard to increase York's power over the church in Scotland. He appointed several bishops in Scotland, making them promise to obey York. For example, he appointed Michael of Glasgow as Bishop of Glasgow. Michael made a written promise to York before he became bishop. Thomas also appointed Thurgot as Bishop of St Andrews and other bishops for Orkney and the Isle of Man.

Within his own area, the diocese of York, Thomas did many important things. He started a hospital called St. John the Baptist in Ripon. He also created more "prebends," which were special positions for priests that came with an income. This continued the work of earlier archbishops who were bringing new ways of organizing the church from Normandy, France.

Thomas also helped to establish Hexham Priory, a religious house for a group of priests called the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine. He gave them land and books. He started the priory by removing an old priest and bringing in new canons from another priory.

Death and Legacy

Thomas passed away in Beverley on February 24, 1114. He was known for living a pure life. He died due to health issues and was buried in York Minster, close to his uncle.