Thomas More.

English statesman, scholar, and author. Thomas More was born in the Cripplegate neighborhood of London. He was the second of five children born to John More and Agnes Granger. Three siblings apparently died in childhood, and Thomas was the only surviving son. An ambitious and talented man, John More had succeeded his father as butler of Lincoln’s Inn but aspired to be a barrister. The benchers of Lincoln’s Inn liked the young fellow who managed their meals and approved him for membership; he subsequently was admitted to the bar. His marriage to Agnes Granger advanced his career, for she was the daughter of a prosperous merchant and sheriff of London. John More was appointed judge in the Court of Common Pleas, then promoted to the Court of King’s Bench, and was even knighted by the king. Having risen from the working class himself, he had great expectations for his son.