Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell is thought to have been born by or around 1485 in Putney, then a village in Surrey providing a ferry service across the Thames upstream from London. His grandfather John had moved to the area from Nottinghamshire to run a fulling mill leased to him by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop held a mansion further upstream at Mortlake and was lord of the local manor of Wimbledon. Cromwell's father Walter was an ambitious yeoman landowner who plied various trades including sheep farming and wool processing. He also ran a tavern and a brewery while serving as Constable of Putney in 1495.
Little survives about Cromwell's childhood days in Putney, yet he left his family behind around the start of the 16th century. Accounts suggest he crossed the Channel to continental Europe after spending some time in prison. A tradition claims he became a mercenary marching with the French army to Italy where he fought in the Battle of Garigliano in 1503. This account stems from a novella by Matteo Bandello portraying Cromwell as a page carrying a pike for a foot-soldier. While Bandello's story contains obvious exaggerations it provides the best available clues regarding Cromwell's first Italian trip.
Cromwell seems to have entered service in the household of the Frescobaldi family of Florentine bankers during this period. He later worked as a cloth merchant in the Low Countries where frequentation of English Merchant Adventurers allowed him to develop useful contacts. Records indicate he stayed in Rome in June 1514 at the English Hospital. Documents in the Vatican Archives suggest he acted as an agent for Cardinal Christopher Bainbridge handling English ecclesiastical issues before the Roman Rota.
By 1520 Cromwell was firmly established in London mercantile and legal circles. In 1529 he obtained a seat in the House of Commons as a burgess though the constituency remains unidentified. He prepared a daring speech against King Henry's declared intention of leading an invasion of France expressing concern for the King's safety while on campaign. Early in 1524 he became a member of the household of Lord Chancellor Cardinal Thomas Wolsey although initially maintaining his private legal practice.
In that same year Cromwell assisted in the dissolution of nearly thirty monasteries to raise funds for Wolsey to found The King's School Ipswich in 1528 and Cardinal College in Oxford in 1529. By November 1529 he had secured a seat in Parliament as a member for Taunton and was reported to be in favour with the King. At some point during the closing weeks of 1530 the King appointed him to the Privy Council.
Cromwell held numerous offices including Commissioner for the Subsidy in Kent from 1534 and Master of the King's Jewel House jointly with Sir John Williams starting the 14th of April 1532. He served as Clerk of the Hanaper from the 16th of July 1532 and later as Chancellor of the Exchequer beginning the 12th of April 1533. His appointment as Principal Secretary occurred in April 1534 marking his formal rise to chief minister status.
From 1527 Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon annulled so that he could lawfully marry Anne Boleyn. By autumn 1531 Cromwell had taken control of supervision of the King's legal and parliamentary affairs working closely with Thomas Audley. In March 1532 speaking without royal permission he urged the House of Commons to draw up a list of clerical abuses needing reform.
On the 18th of March 1532 the Commons delivered a supplication to the King denouncing clerical abuses and describing Henry as the only head sovereign lord protector and defender of the Church. Parliament was prorogued on the 14th of May 1532 two days after which Sir Thomas More resigned as Lord Chancellor realising the battle to save the King's marriage was lost. Cromwell further increased his control over parliament through management of by-elections preparing lists of suitably amenable burgesses knights and citizens for vacant seats.
The parliamentary session began on the 4th of February 1533 when Cromwell introduced a new bill restricting right to make appeals to Rome reasserting England was an empire not subject to external jurisdiction. On the 30th of March Thomas Cranmer was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury and Convocation immediately declared the King's marriage to Catherine unlawful. The Ecclesiastical Appeals Act 1532 passed into law in early April ensuring adjudication concerning the King's marriage could not be challenged in Rome.
Cromwell orchestrated the Dissolution of the Monasteries and visitations to universities and colleges in 1535 resulting in dispersal and destruction of many books deemed popish and superstitious. This has been described as easily the greatest single disaster in English literary history leaving Oxford University without a library collection until Sir Thomas Bodley's donation in 1602. In July 1536 the first attempt was made to clarify religious doctrine after the break with Rome.
In 1536 Cromwell established the Court of Augmentations to handle massive windfall to royal coffers from dissolution of monasteries. Two other important financial institutions Court of Wards and Court of First Fruits and Tenths owed their existence to him though they were not set up until after his death. He strengthened royal authority in north England through reform of Council of the North extending royal power and introducing Protestantism in Ireland.
A lasting achievement of Cromwell's vicegerency was direction of Autumn 1538 requiring every parish securely maintain record of all christenings marriages and burials. Although intended to identify Anabaptists dissenting religious refugees from Low Countries this measure proved great benefit to posterity of English historians.
Early in 1540 Cromwell's religiously conservative aristocratic enemies headed by Duke of Norfolk decided country trend towards doctrinal radicalism had gone too far. They saw Catherine Howard Norfolk's niece as opportunity to displace their foe. Cromwell was arrested at Council meeting at Westminster on the 10th of June 1540 accused of various charges including supporting Anabaptists corrupt practices leniency in justice acting for personal gain protecting Protestants accused of heresy plotting to marry King Henry's daughter Mary.
A bill of attainder passed on the 29th of June 1540 containing long list of indictments augmented with charge of sacramentarianism allowing only death penalty. All Cromwell's honours were forfeited publicly proclaimed he could be called only Thomas Cromwell cloth carder. The King deferred execution until marriage to Anne of Cleves annulled sparing him temporarily.
Cromwell condemned to death without trial lost all titles property and publicly beheaded on Tower Hill on the 28th of July 1540 same day as King's marriage to Catherine Howard. He made prayer and speech on scaffold professing die in traditional Catholic faith denying aiding heretics necessary disavowal to protect family. His head set on spike on London Bridge after execution.
Until 1950s historians discounted Cromwell's role stating little more than agent of despotic King Henry VIII. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article written by Albert Pollard states power has been overrated. Geoffrey Elton however in The Tudor Revolution published 1953 featured him central figure in Tudor revolution government presiding genius much more so than King handling break with Rome creating laws administrative procedures reshaping post-Reformation England.
Subsequent historians agreed with Elton regarding importance though not claims of revolution. Diarmaid MacCulloch credits advancement most significant politicians administrators reign Queen Elizabeth I including William Cecil Nicholas Bacon to influence guidance Thomas Cromwell start careers. During years power he skilfully managed Crown finances extending royal authority introducing important social economic reforms in England during 1530s including action against enclosures promotion English cloth exports poor relief legislation 1536.
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Common questions
When and where was Thomas Cromwell born?
Thomas Cromwell is thought to have been born by or around 1485 in Putney, then a village in Surrey providing a ferry service across the Thames upstream from London.
What role did Thomas Cromwell play in the Dissolution of the Monasteries?
Cromwell orchestrated the Dissolution of the Monasteries and visitations to universities and colleges in 1535 resulting in dispersal and destruction of many books deemed popish and superstitious. He established the Court of Augmentations in 1536 to handle massive windfall to royal coffers from dissolution of monasteries.
How did Thomas Cromwell die on the 28th of July 1540?
Thomas Cromwell was publicly beheaded on Tower Hill on the 28th of July 1540 same day as King's marriage to Catherine Howard. His head set on spike on London Bridge after execution following condemnation to death without trial.
Why did Geoffrey Elton consider Thomas Cromwell central to Tudor revolution government?
Geoffrey Elton featured him central figure in Tudor revolution government presiding genius much more so than King handling break with Rome creating laws administrative procedures reshaping post-Reformation England. Subsequent historians agreed with Elton regarding importance though not claims of revolution.
What offices did Thomas Cromwell hold starting from 1532?
Thomas Cromwell served as Master of the King's Jewel House jointly with Sir John Williams starting the 14th of April 1532. He later became Clerk of the Hanaper from the 16th of July 1532 and Chancellor of the Exchequer beginning the 12th of April 1533 before appointment as Principal Secretary occurred in April 1534 marking his formal rise to chief minister status.