Thomas cromwell wife and daughters death

1. Biography of Thomas Cromwell
2. Adventures in Europe
3. Minister to King Henry VIII
4. Downfall and Execution

Biography of Thomas Cromwell

Thomas Cromwell was an English statesman and the chief advisor to King Henry VIII from 1532-1540. He was also the chief ideologist of the English Reformation and one of the founders of Anglicanism. Cromwell's origins did not suggest a successful career. His grandfather was a blacksmith, and his father, Walter Cromwell, was an innkeeper and brewery owner known for his drinking and dishonest behavior. However, Thomas and his older sister Catherine were of a different disposition.

Adventures in Europe

In his teenage years, after another conflict with his father, Thomas left his childhood home in Putney (now part of London) and the country. His thirst for adventure and desire to see the world led him to become a French mercenary in Italy, but he quickly realized that a military career was not for him. He deserted the army and settled in Florence, where he worked for the banking house of Friscobaldi. He quickly rose through the ranks and even oversaw the financial relationship between the banker and the Holy See, leading to several trips to Rome. Cromwell was not only interested in finance but also avidly followed the political life of Florence, where he became acquainted with the works of Machiavelli. He would later often follow the recommendations of Machiavelli's "The Prince."

For unknown reasons, Cromwell moved to Holland a few years later. There, he worked as a trade agent for English merchants in Antwerp and later in Calais. After accumulating wealth, he returned to England around 1513 and settled in London. Initially, Cromwell traded in wool and fabrics before becoming a lawyer. Soon, he became one of the most famous lawyers in England, with a steady flow of clients and wealth. In this capacity, he met Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Lord Chancellor of King Henry VIII, and became his secretary and manager of his estates. One of his most notable actions in this capacity was the dissolution of small monasteries.

Minister to King Henry VIII

Cromwell's success caught the attention of King Henry VIII, who first appointed him Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1533, then Secretary of State in 1534, and ultimately his Vicar General in ecclesiastical matters. Cromwell became the driving force behind the English Reformation and one of the creators of the Church of England. He relied on the advice of Thomas Cranmer, whom the king appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, for matters of doctrine. Cromwell earned the nickname "the hammer of the monks" for his harsh implementation of the secularization of church properties, which almost cost him his career.

In 1537, a Catholic uprising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out in northern England, demanding Cromwell's execution. However, the rebellion was suppressed, and in 1539, Cromwell convinced the king to marry Anne of Cleves, the sister of a German duke, in order to form an alliance with Germany and counter the threat of intervention from France and Spain. Unfortunately, the marriage did not work out, and the threat of war subsided. This allowed the leaders of the Catholic faction at court, the Duke of Norfolk and Bishop Stephen Gardiner, to persuade the suspicious king of Cromwell's alleged disloyalty. From December 1539, when Anne arrived in England, Cromwell lived with the threat of arrest hanging over him.

Downfall and Execution

Cromwell knew he was in a trap. His former friends turned away from him one by one, and Norfolk's spies infiltrated his office and his home. In April, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope as the king granted Cromwell the title of Earl of Essex, which he had sought for years. However, it was merely a cruel mockery. On Saturday, June 10, 1540, during a meeting of the Privy Council, Cromwell was arrested on charges of treason and heresy. The arrest was brutal, with council members attacking him with their fists, tearing off the orders he had received for his service to England. In despair, he tore off his hat and cried out, "Am I a traitor? Tell me honestly, am I a traitor? I have always faithfully served His Majesty! But if this is how I am treated, I renounce any hope of mercy. I only ask the king to spare me a long imprisonment." Cromwell spent about a month and a half in the Tower of London. He was brought there on a barge through Traitor's Gate, wearing torn clothes and with bruises on his face. The endless interrogations began, but his answers were of no interest to the interrogators. They were merely carrying out the king's will – the once all-powerful minister had to be executed. To make Cromwell confess, they even resorted to torture, but he did not admit his guilt.

During this time, Archbishop Cranmer tried to obtain mercy from the king, but his efforts were in vain. Henry consented only to replace the stake with the axe. On July 28, 1540, Thomas Cromwell ascended the scaffold on Tower Green. He confessed and prayed, philosophically referring to himself as "an eternal wanderer in this world," but when he addressed the crowd, he did not declare his innocence. Instead, he tried to secure the position of his only son, Gregory Cromwell. And he succeeded. However, the end for Thomas was not easy. Deliberately or by coincidence, the organizers of the execution invited an inexperienced young executioner. He failed to cut off Cromwell's long hair before swinging the axe, resulting in it getting caught in the blade. It took two more blows to end this cruel affair. The personal life of Thomas Cromwell is a much less explored part of his story. It is known that he was married three times, to Elizabeth Wyks (mother of his son Gregory), Elizabeth Prior, and Anne Williams. However, little is known about the details of his family life. It is known that he was very attached to Gregory, favored his nephew Richard (the great-grandfather of Oliver Cromwell), and had an interest in Princess Mary, the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII. Rumors even circulated at court that Thomas Cromwell wanted to marry the princess. He did indeed provide her with support, despite her staunch Catholicism. However, she refused Cromwell's friendship on religious grounds. Nevertheless, Cromwell was known for his support of women and was even called the "champion of women." For example, he protected the Duchess of Norfolk from her tyrannical husband, whose life had resembled hell for a long time. So, the Duke had not only political but also personal reasons to dislike the minister.

Cromwell was also a patron of the arts. The famous painter Hans Holbein the Younger lived in his house for a long time, and the poet and diplomat Thomas Wyatt was his friend. Thomas Cromwell was a complex figure. Some call him the "ideal statesman of Tudor England," while others label him as "the most corrupt chancellor." He was intelligent, cunning, bold, and practical, easily weaving and unraveling the most intricate intrigues. However, he could also be selfless and generous. Cromwell was one of the most prominent figures of the English Renaissance, ahead of his time.