Why did Londoners view Thomas More as a defender of poor people?

Londoners viewed Thomas More as a defender of the poor primarily due to his conduct while serving as one of the two undersheriffs of London from 1510 to 1518. During this period, he earned a reputation for being an impartial judge, a disinterested consultant, and a general patron of the poor.1

His commitment to the welfare of ordinary people was also reflected in his broader philosophy and writings. In his famous work Utopia, More offered a sharp critique of the social and economic injustices of his time, specifically condemning the practice of enclosure, which displaced peasants from their land for the benefit of the wealthy. By highlighting a society where there was no poverty or want, he underscored his concern for the plight of those who suffered under the prevailing systems of his era.2