Thomas Cromwell

• who was crowell?

  • chief minister 1532-1540
  • humble background
  • lawyer and secretary to wolsey
  • later principal secretary to H8
  • distanced himself from Wolsey in later years
  • part of council 1529-1532
  • suggested a plan to allow henrys annulment
• how did Cromwell make the break from Rome:

  • exploited the weakness in the church and put pressure on the pope
  • completed by acts passed by parliament
  • parliaments role strengthened - laws
  • 1534 - relationship between Rome and England 'smashed to pieces'
• break from Rome: 1532-1540

  1531 - clergy accused of praemunire and fined

  1532 - act in conditional restraint of annates (money)

  1532 - House of Commons supplication against the ordinaries

  1532 - formal submission of clergy to H8

  1532 - death of archbishop warham, replaced by Cranmer

  dec 1532 - Anne pregnant. secret marriage jan 1933

  1533 - act in restraint of appeals

  1534 - act of supremacy

  1534 - act of succession

  1534 - treason act

  1534 - act annexing first fruits and tenths to the crown

  1536to1542 - dissolution of the monasteries
• 1531 - clergy accused of praemunire and fined


  sustained attack on the clergy to recognise H8 as protector and supreme head of the English church as the law of christ allowed
• 1532 - act in conditional restraint of annates (money)


  increase pressure on pope by withholding the first years income from the office of bishop which the pope had traditionally enjoyed
• 1532 - House of Commons supplication against the ordinaries


  increase anti-clerical pressure within the house of commons
• 1532 - formal submission of clergy to H8


  provoked the designation of Thomas Moore as old chancellor
• 1532 - death of archbishop warham, replaced by Cranmer


  received authority from Rome = leader of the reformation. annulled marriage and crowned Anne
• dec 1532 - Anne pregnant. secret marriage jan 1533


  (according to Catholic Church invalid)

  consummated whilst unmarried, needed any child to be conceived to be legitimate
• 1533 - act in restraint of appeals


  declared the monarch possessed an imperial jurisdiction not subject to any foreign power

  no appeals to Rome regarding church court decisions
• 1534 - act of supremacy


  legislative force to the royal supremacy

  formal break from rome
• 1534 - treason act


  tightened so treason could be committed by the spoken word or deed or writing

  couldn't describe the king as heretic, tyrant, usurper
• 1534 - act annexing first fruits and tenths to the crown


  increased the financial burden on clergy and strengthen the royal supremacy
• 1536to1542 - dissolution of the monasteries


  church land was confiscated

  increased wealth and power of the crown

  loss of support for local communities
• 1534 - act of succession


  declared:

  • marriage to CofA void
  • succession vested in the children of his marriage to Anne
  • denying the validity of their marriage was treasonable
• Cromwells aims:

  • resolving the kings great matter
  • henrys other marital issues
  • relationship with parliament
  • improving royal finances
  • gov. administration including the region
• successful as chief minister

  • got annulment and new marriage
  • caused break with Rome
  • transformed the role of parliament 'reformed?'
  • supremacy legislation
  • made crown financially independent
  • suppression of monasteries 1520s
  • broke down independence of the north
  • modernised and restored order to the exchequer
  • professional gov. ministers nit personal monarchy
• unsuccessful as chief minister

  • religious changes caused rebellions
  • arranged marriage to Anne of sleeves to strengthen relations with league of schmalkalden (HRE KINDA) = Henry repulsed
  • returned to older practices - systemiser not a creator
  • has many critics - revolutionary?
  • more credit to Wolsey for privy council changes