Gifts of Thomas Becket’s Clothing Made by the Monks of Canterbury Cathedral

Abstract

A close study of the gifts of Thomas Becket’s clothing made by the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury in the late 12th century elucidates the major role played by clothing relics in Becket’s early cult. Immediately after the martyrdom, the monks distributed some of Becket’s clothing to the poor, and it is argued here that this event is the subject of a stained glass panel in Canterbury Cathedral. Dommartin Abbey in the Pas-de-Calais claimed to have acquired a garment from this early distribution, as did a local priest in Kent. The monks hardly ever gave away entire garments again, but in later months and years they frequently handed out small pieces of clothing, such as fragments of Becket’s hairshirt, to high-ranking friends and acquaintances. These pieces of clothing were treasured in many locations far from Canterbury and were often connected to miracles and pilgrimages.