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Thomas Cromwell

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Thomas Cromwell

Thomas Cromwell (; c. 1485 – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the King, who later blamed false charges for the execution. Cromwell was one of the most powerful proponents of the English Reformation. As the King's chief secretary, he instituted new administrative procedures that transformed the workings of government. He helped to engineer an annulment of the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that Henry could lawfully marry Anne Boleyn. Henry failed to obtain the approval of Pope Clement VII for the annulment in 1533, so Parliament endorsed the King's claim to be Supreme Head of the Church of England, giving him the authority to annul his own marriage. Cromwell subsequently charted an evangelical and reformist course for the Church of England from the unique posts of Vicegerent in Spirituals and Vicar-general (the two titles refer to the same position). During his rise to power, becoming Baron Cromwell, he made many enemies, including Anne Boleyn, with his fresh ideas and lack of inherited nobility. He played a prominent role in her downfall. He fell from power in 1540, despite being created Earl of Essex that year, after arranging the King's marriage to the German princess Anne of Cleves. The marriage was a disaster for Cromwell, ending in an annulment six months later. Cromwell was arraigned under an act of attainder (32 Hen. 8. c. 62) and was executed for treason and heresy on Tower Hill on 28 July 1540. The King later expressed regret at the loss of his chief minister, and his reign never recovered from the incident.

Infobox

Monarch
Henry VIII
Preceded by
John Bourchier
Succeeded by
John Baker
Born
c. 1485 (1485)Putney, Kingdom of England
Died
28 July 1540(1540-07-28) (aged 54–55)Tower Hill, London, Kingdom of England
Cause of death
Execution by beheading
Resting place
Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London, London, United Kingdom 51°30′31″N 0°04′37″W / 51.508611°N 0.076944°W / 51.508611; -0.076944
Spouse
Elizabeth Wyckes
Children
Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron CromwellAnne CromwellGrace CromwellJane Cromwell (ill.)
Relatives
Cromwell family

Tables

· External links
Preceded byJohn Bourchier
Preceded byJohn Bourchier
Political offices
Preceded byJohn Bourchier
Political offices
Chancellor of the Exchequer 1533–1540
Political offices
Succeeded byJohn Baker
Preceded byStephen Gardiner
Preceded byStephen Gardiner
Political offices
Preceded byStephen Gardiner
Political offices
Secretary of State 1534–1540
Political offices
Succeeded byThomas WriothesleyRalph Sadler
Preceded byJohn Taylor
Preceded byJohn Taylor
Political offices
Preceded byJohn Taylor
Political offices
Master of the Rolls 1534–1536
Political offices
Succeeded byChristopher Hales
Preceded byThomas Boleyn
Preceded byThomas Boleyn
Political offices
Preceded byThomas Boleyn
Political offices
Lord Privy Seal 1536–1540
Political offices
Succeeded byWilliam Fitzwilliam
Preceded byJames Worsley
Preceded byJames Worsley
Political offices
Preceded byJames Worsley
Political offices
Governor of the Isle of Wight 1538–1540
Political offices
VacantTitle next held byJohn Paulet
Preceded byThe 15th Earl of Oxford
Preceded byThe 15th Earl of Oxford
Political offices
Preceded byThe 15th Earl of Oxford
Political offices
Lord Great Chamberlain 1540
Political offices
Succeeded byThe 16th Earl of Oxford
Legal offices
Legal offices
Political offices
Legal offices
Preceded byThe Lord Darcy de Darcy
Preceded byThe Lord Darcy de Darcy
Political offices
Preceded byThe Lord Darcy de Darcy
Political offices
Justice in EyreNorth of the Trent 1537–1540
Political offices
Succeeded byThe Earl of Rutland
Political offices
Preceded byJohn Bourchier
Chancellor of the Exchequer 1533–1540
Succeeded byJohn Baker
Preceded byStephen Gardiner
Secretary of State 1534–1540
Succeeded byThomas WriothesleyRalph Sadler
Preceded byJohn Taylor
Master of the Rolls 1534–1536
Succeeded byChristopher Hales
Preceded byThomas Boleyn
Lord Privy Seal 1536–1540
Succeeded byWilliam Fitzwilliam
Preceded byJames Worsley
Governor of the Isle of Wight 1538–1540
VacantTitle next held byJohn Paulet
Preceded byThe 15th Earl of Oxford
Lord Great Chamberlain 1540
Succeeded byThe 16th Earl of Oxford
Legal offices
Preceded byThe Lord Darcy de Darcy
Justice in EyreNorth of the Trent 1537–1540
Succeeded byThe Earl of Rutland

References

  1. Contemporary native speakers of English most often wrote the surname as Crumwell, suggesting that this spelling was an a
  2. In 1878, his presumed birthplace was still of note: The site of Cromwell's birthplace is still pointed out by tradition
  3. A well-informed but anonymous contemporary chronicler wrote that the Cromwell family was of Irish ancestry, but the nine
  4. MacCulloch largely dismisses as "Victorian fantasy" popular accounts that Walter was a violent man, unscrupulous in his
  5. In the single surviving mention of his mother, Cromwell made the improbable assertion that she was 52 years old at the t
  6. The claim that he spent time in prison was made by Eustace Chapuys.
  7. A trier was the official first to receive and scrutinise petitions to the King.
  8. At this time an empire was considered to be "an extensive territory under the control of a supreme ruler", an alternativ
  9. The other two under consideration had been John Tregonwell and Thomas Bedyll
  10. Henry had created FitzWilliam Earl of Southampton on 18 October 1537. Wriothesley became Earl of Southampton on 16 Febru
  11. Had the proposed treaty come about the Pope would direct the reconciled rulers to mount a joint invasion of England.
  12. Elton was unable to identify any surviving evidence of cash bribes or other practices that would have been considered co
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  129. Weir 1991, p. 69: "[…]Cromwell was ambitiously plotting[…]no less than the removal of the Queen.".
  130. Bordo 2014, p. 93: "[…]the plot against Anne was orchestrated by Thomas Cromwell without Henry's instigation or encourag
  131. MacCulloch 2018, p. 315: "So Henry put Cromwell and Wriothesley secretly to work […] he needed agents to turn the rumour
  132. Schofield 2011, p. 170: "Cromwell became involved in the royal marital drama only when Henry ordered him onto the case."
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  184. William Underwood, "Thomas Cromwell and William Marshall's Protestant books". The Historical Journal 47.3 (2004): 517–53
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  185. Matthew's Bible: A Facsimile of the 1537 Edition
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  207. "Thomas Cromwell's Book of Hours in Trinity College Library"
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  208. Hilary Mantel : contemporary critical perspectives
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