Wolsey

• Wolsey, rise to prominence

  • Bishop Fox, part of Conciliar government under Henry VII and chief advisor during Henry VIII's early years. 1511 lost favour.
  • Trained Thomas Wolsey and launched his career in government.
  • Wolsey encouraged Henry VIII to go to war with France, that England should join the Holy League with Pope Julius II and Ferdinand of Spain to attack France.
  • King's Chief Advisor
• Wolsey Domestic Policies


  • Star Chamber, increased importance, dealt with minor cases like property theft, perjury and slander.
  • Court of Chancery, enclosure cases, contracts and issues with wills. Very popular.
  • 1515 Act of Resumption, lands back to Crown. Increases revenue.
  • Amicable Grant 1525- Tax to fund Henry's expedition to France, led to widespread rebellion.
  • Eltham Ordinances 1526- reduced Privy Chamber powers, and the number of Gentlemen in the Privy.
  • £800,000 raised from taxes and subsidies, not enough for war bills though.
• Domestic Achievements by Wolsey

  • Court of Star Chamber improved
  • Eltham Ordinances and the reform of the KIng's household and expenditure.
  • Court of Chancery
  • Parliament only called once during his administration, showed he was a capable and organised minister.
  • He was feared by nobles, rich and powerful.
• Domestic Fails by Wolsey

  • He never raised enough money, expenditure was £1.7m between 1509-1520
  • After 1523, Parliament started to criticise Wolsey and his demand for money.
  • Amicable Grant 1525 was illegal taxation and Wolsey took the blame.
  • Enclosures still a problem
  • Court of Star Chamber and Chancery too popular, slow justice and overflow.
• The Fall of Wolsey

  • Main Problem, inability to produce the divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
  • Couldn't persuade Pope Clement VII to grant the annulment.
  • Wolsey had fallen out of favour gradually with Henry VIII.
  • Wolsey accused of praemunire, asserting papal powers in England at the expense of the King or his subjects.
  • Exiled to York, rearrested in 1530 and died on the way to London.
• Wolsey Origins

  • Son of Ipswich butcher, made him resented by nobles as they felt that Henry VIII showered too much wealth and titles on him.
  • Chaplain to Henry VII in 1507
  • Archbishop of York
  • Chancellor 1515-1529
  • Cardinal
  • Papal Legate in 1518
• Wolsey Foreign Policy Achievements

  • Treaty of Etaples renewed 1510, upheld relations with France
  • Battle of the Spur 1513, Captured Tournai and Therouanne
  • Treaty of London, 20 countries together in peace. England no longer diplomatically isolated.
  • Field of Cloth of Gold, English prestige abroad. Henry and Francis I of France. 1521, Treaty of Bruges with Charles V of HRE, who had conflict with Francis.
  • Flexible and reactive foreign policy, Strong allies. Protection of English security and interest under Wolsey.
• Wolsey Foreign Policy Failures

  • Failed to achieve the capture/invasion of France. Henry's main goal.
  • Costly reactive foreign policy with invasions of France between 1512-1546
  • Tournai sold back to France for less than renewed defence cost.
  • Scottish relations tense, allied with France.
  • Field of Cloth of Gold never truly achieved much, but cost a year's revenue.
  • Amicable Grant 1525, illegal tax, led to rebellions.
• Was Wolsey's fall due to his own mistakes?

  • Realistically, more due to the international situation than Wolsey's ineptitude that the divorce was not granted.
  • Bad luck, events outside of his own control.
  • Many enemies e.g Anne Boleyn, who used their influence over Henry.
  • Rumours spread that the annulment purposely was not granted so that Henry would go back to Catherine of Aragon.