II.

Education and Early Life

Thomas was destined by his parents for the Church and was educated at Merton Priory in Surrey, then one of the leading schools of London, and later in Paris. On his return to England, he served as secretary to the Lord of Pevensey, who inducted him into the life of a gentleman, hunting, and hawking. Because his father had suffered financial reverses, Thomas worked for three years as a clerk and auditor in the City. Then, when he was 25 years old, he determined to apply for a place in the household of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Theobald of Bec, a distant relative. There he entered the world of power and politics. He accompanied the archbishop to the papal council held at Reims in 1148, made several trips to Rome, and was sent to study law at Bologna.