Thomas Cromwell (c.1485 - 1540)

King Henry VIII seated between Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell ©

Thomas Cromwell was born in Putney in southwest London in around 1485, the son of a cloth worker. He spent much of his early adulthood in Europe as a soldier, accountant and merchant, but returned to England around 1512 and studied law. In 1520, in a pivotal career move, he became legal secretary for Cardinal Wolsey who was in service to Henry VIII. When Wolsey fell out of favour with the king, Cromwell survived and in 1523 he became an MP.

Cromwell earned the king's confidences and rose swiftly. By 1532 he was the king's chief minister. He was a leading figure amongst those who suggested Henry make himself head of the English church. Cromwell presided over the dissolution of the monasteries with great efficiency and as a reward was created Earl of Essex in 1540. Cromwell was deeply unpopular in England. In 1536 Catholics in the north of England rebelled in a series of uprisings known as the Pilgrimage of Grace and one of the targets of their anger was Thomas Cromwell.

In 1540, Cromwell persuaded Henry VIII to agree to marry Anne of Cleves, in the hope of securing the support of the north German princes against the Holy Roman Emperor. The marriage was a disaster and the alliance failed. Henry withdrew his support from Cromwell, who was charged with treason. He was executed at the Tower of London on 28 July 1540.