Here’s One I Wrote Earlier.

The following article was written by myself for “The History Files”, and explains why I believe there ought to be a radical re-think on the career of Thomas Cromwell. It was originally published, 28th July, 2011.

Born in the depths of obscurity in London, England, it comes as no surprise to learn that almost nothing is known of Thomas Cromwell’s early, formative years. Reverse dating places the year of his birth at approximately 1485, and he was the son of Walter Cromwell, a shearman, and sometime beer brewer. The only other thing known for sure about Cromwell senior, is that he had a long, and colourful acquaintance with the local authorities, for offences ranging from watering down his ale, to running too many sheep on the local common. Although this sheds little light on Thomas’s childhood, it hints at a degree of instability, and the attendant problems that come from a garrulous, and possibly volatile parent. The adult Thomas Cromwell made just one reference to his childhood, in a letter to Thomas Cranmer, in which he confessed to having been “a ruffian” during his youth. From there, the records on Cromwell’s childhood run dry. However, what we do know, is that he left those murky years long behind him, and came to completely revolutionised every aspect of public life, during his era defining ten years in power at the Court of King Henry VIII.

The fact that Cromwell rose to such prominence is remarkable in itself, given his less than prodigious background. Add in the fact that he came from what was probably a deeply unstable, lowly background, and that makes it all the more remarkable, still. How he got his education is a mystery, and it is rather difficult to imagine Walter Cromwell being terribly concerned about that. However, Cromwell’s real education began in approximately 1500. In an age when most people of his social class rarely made it past the boundaries of the county they were born in (and people in the neighbouring counties were parochially referred to as ‘foreigners’), Thomas took the radical step of leaving the country altogether, and setting out on what must have been an extraordinary period of adventure that took him the length, and breadth of Europe. From fighting in the French/Italian wars (Battle of Garigliano, 1503), to Florence (where he worked for Merchant Banker, Francesco Frescobaldi), and to Rome (on behalf of an English Cardinal, where he allegedly made some deserts for the Pope himself), before taking him to Antwerp and Bruges as a Merchant trader. Along the way, Cromwell became fluent in a number of languages. John Schofield, is his recent biography of Cromwell, states that he was fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, Latin, and Greek.

As eminent historian, Professor G. R. Elton stated in “England Under The Tudors”, these travels made Cromwell “remarkably free from the prejudices of his time, and country”. Undoubtedly, they shaped the minister that Cromwell, in time, was to become. Instilling in him, a unique vision for what his relatively small, introverted homeland could become, and being imbued with the intelligence, and determination to see it through until the end.

Elton dates’ Cromwell’s return to England at about 1512, after roughly twelve years of travelling the Continent. Again, evidence is patchy, but he seems to have returned to full time education, and eventually set himself up in Law. By 1520, roughly eight years after his return, he had entered the service of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, as a Solicitor, and as Elton states, his “general man of business”.

It was through Wolsey’s patronage that Cromwell came to the attention of King Henry VIII. However, it wasn’t until 1529, following the disastrous trial of the King’s marriage to Katherine of Aragon (in May of that year), and Wolsey’s slow fall from power, that the King took any notice of Cromwell.

Contrary to popular belief, Cromwell did not betray the Cardinal. It was, ironically, Cromwell’s loyalty to his fallen master that first attracted Henry VIII. His loyalty to Wolsey is something that the disgraced Cardinal’s gentleman usher, George Cavendish, attested to in his “Life and Death of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey”, in which he recounts a chance encounter with Cromwell, at the turbulent time of the Cardinal’s fall: “I found Master Cromwell leaning in the great window, with a Primer in his hands, and saying Matins. Which was a strange sight, he prayed not more earnestly, than the tears that distilled from his eyes. As I bade him ‘good morrow’, and I perceived the tears upon his cheeks.”

So, the fall of the Cardinal obviously had a traumatic effect on Cromwell. Despite this, unlike almost every other protégée of Wolsey’s, Cromwell and George Cavendish were the only ones to stick by the Cardinal through thick, and thin. When the Duke of Norfolk prepared charges of Praemunire against the Cardinal, it was Thomas Cromwell who defended him in Parliament, and soundly defeated the bill, as Cavendish tells us: “There was brought a bill of articles into the Parliament house to have my lord condemned of treason. Against which bill Master Cromwell envoyed so discreetly, with such witty persuasions, and deep reasons, that the same bill could take no effect”. (The Life and Death of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, p104).

One thing Cromwell’s numerous detractors are very fond of drawing on, is how Cromwell rose to power on the back of Anne Boleyn, and her all powerful Court faction. Only to have him turn around in 1536, and viciously cut down his former patroness. This is clearly untrue. Cromwell passed straight in to the King’s service via the offices of Cardinal Wolsey. Also, as such a staunch Wolsey defender, Cromwell was more than likely viewed with deep suspicion by the Boleyn’s. Anne Boleyn’s dramatic downfall will be touched upon later. However, it was the eviscerating ease with which Cromwell finally resolved the King’s “Great Matter” where he truly proved his worth to Henry VIII.

Although principally employed by the King to deal with royal, and official business (legal matters, and financial affairs), he was also able to eventually resolve the divorce issue (which had dragged on for years). As the Pope had vacillated wildly on the issue of the divorce, Cromwell suggested, and set in motion, England’s separation from Rome. The Pope wouldn’t give Henry his divorce, so Cromwell suggested that Henry divorce the Pope, in other words. However, despite this, Cromwell’s rise was not as “meteoric” as some may presume. As G.R Elton notes in “The Tudor Revolution In Government,” Cromwell worked hard, and over a long period of time (roughly two years), before he began to accumulate offices that meant something: “He had achieved this position by sheer hard work and detailed ability; he achieved it after two years of dogged persistence.”

It was not long after the resolution of the “Great Matter”, and Henry had finally married Queen Anne Boleyn, that Cromwell, (among others), set in motion the greatest constitutional revolution in English Parliamentary history. The Reformation, and the the solidification of the split from the Papal See of Rome. Cromwell passed a whole raft of legislation to cement Henry’s new position, and chief among them was the Act of Supremacy (November 1534), which enshrined in law Henry’s position as Head of the Church in England. He argued that the Pope had no legal authority in England, and was far out reaching himself by hindering English affairs.

Underpinning all of this, of course, were Cromwell’s own, deeply held, religious beliefs. It is far from clear when Cromwell was converted to the Reformed faith, but it was certainly done by the time he rose to prominence within the royal Courts. John Schofield, in his recent biography of Cromwell sets the date for Cromwell’s conversion to the reformed faith at 1531 at the latest, but at the same time, he asserts: “Cromwell had always possessed a strong streak of anti-Clericalism and anti-monasticism”.

Under Cromwell, the efforts to bring the gospel to England became more focussed, streamlined, and even ruthless. In 1535, a census of all church lands, and goods, revenues and possessions was published (the Valor Ecclesiasticus). As well as that, reports came flooding in about the full extent of the abuses of the Catholic Church, within England. Reports of Alms money being squandered, the mass sale of false relics, coining in monasteries, as well as a host of other scandalous activities within the institution were compiled, and made publicly known. Naturally, people had suspected such activities, however the full extent of the abuses, and corruption had never before been revealed. It added to the already growing feelings of anti-clericalism that had been brewing for some time.

Without a doubt, the Reformation and dissolution of the monasteries, is one of the most controversial aspects of Cromwell’s career. However, it must be remembered that England was not alone in calling time on the absolute power of the established Church. The Reformation was a vast, far reaching movement that had swept across the whole of Europe. Also, even in England, Cromwell was far from a lone voice, calling for the “destruction” of every facet of Church life. There was a whole team of people such as Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Robert Barnes, William Tyndale, as well as a raft of anonymous others, all calling for the Reformation. Yet, it is Thomas Cromwell alone who takes the historical flack for this. Something that G.R Elton was keen to acknowledge in “England Under The Tudors”: “[Contemporaries] held him responsible for everything done; he took then, and has since taken, the blame for the unpopular actions without credit for the rest.” (p128).

When Elton spoke of “the rest”, he must surely have been referring to Cromwell’s efforts to relieve the suffering of the poor, and most vulnerable members of Tudor society. This is an aspect of Cromwell’s time in power that is criminally over-looked. In 1535, Cromwell set about drafting a piece of legislation, (in which he had invested a lot of time, and thought), to aid the poor. The resultant bill to be put before parliament was thus:

• The causes of poverty were listed in full, including: Unemployment, maltreatment by unfair employers, bad up bringing (perhaps something Cromwell could well sympathise with), ill health, and natural disasters.

• Free medical treatment for the elderly, and those impoverished through no fault of their own.

• Provisions were made for the elderly, and the terminally ill; as well as victims of crime.

• A works programme was drawn up, which compelled the able bodied to work on projects such as road building, the maintenance of fortresses and harbours, cleansing of water courses, and other vital amenities.

• The able bodied would be compelled to work in return for a fair wage.

• Finally, child beggars would be hired as apprentices to skilled craftsmen, offering them a chance at a future they never would have had, otherwise.

 Cromwell would fund this programme by taxing the wealthy, and sinking the money back into the state to the benefit of the poor. Naturally, the bill was rejected. But, even though the bill was rejected (a watered down version was later approved), it showed the extent to which Cromwell wanted to further the betterment of the country as a whole. This was the singularly most revolutionary piece of legislation, and England had never seen the likes of it before, and (sadly), wouldn’t do so again, for quite some time.

In April of 1536, events began to unfold that have come to define Cromwell’s time in power. Anne Boleyn, after three years of marriage to King Henry, had failed to provide him with a son. Meanwhile, rumours of her past indiscretions, as well present “wanton” behaviours had once again began to circulate, and this time around, King Henry was listening. A young musician in the Queen’s household was arrested in May. Soon, other members of the Boleyn faction were seized, and transferred to the Tower. The Queen, herself, was arrested and removed to the Tower on 2^nd May, leading up to her trial, and subsequent execution on 19^th May, 1536.

The traditional story goes that Cromwell and Queen Anne had a bitter disagreement about the re-distribution of funds from the sale of church goods, and thus a bitter blood feud ensued. The first arrest is Smeaton, who is brutally tortured by Cromwell, and provides a list of names. Leading to the downfall of the whole of the Boleyn faction.

First, is the issue with the row with Queen Anne. Plenty of people had discussed the issue of church funds with Cromwell, and he’d proved willing to listen, without sparking an intense rivalry (even less a blood feud), with those people. Furthermore, this “row” was supposed to have happened a full year before Anne’s actual arrest. So, what was Cromwell waiting for? Bearing in mind, also, that there are no further reports of hostility between the two thereafter.

As for the torture of Mark Smeaton, John Schofield tackles this subject magnificently in his recent biography, “Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant.” He highlights that lack of evidence to back this wild claim up. The only primary source document which claims that Mark Smeaton was tortured, was in “The Spanish Chronicle”. The unknown Chronicler claims Smeaton was tortured by having knotted ropes tied about his eyes, and the rope tightened until he was almost blinded, before being stretched out on the rack. Not only does no other contemporary source mention, or back this story up, the Spanish Chronicle is also riddled with glaring errors. It gets the names of Anne Boleyn’s alleged lovers incorrect, it gets the order of Henry VIII’s wives wrong, and it even has Cromwell interrogating Katherine Howard over her affairs with Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham, even though by this time (1542), Cromwell had been dead for almost two years. It should also be noted, that Smeaton bore no sign of ill-treatment at his trial, and was perfectly able to walk to his place of execution (ruling out the rack, which is designed to dislocate every bone in a person’s body). This is the document that has been used to smear Cromwell’s name for centuries, now. At best, it is flawed.

Furthermore, Schofield purports that this document “tailors” the facts with the sole purpose of blackening Cromwell’s name. “The solution – and it takes a moment or two for this particular penny to drop – has been engaging in same rather radical historical revisionism.”

Whatever Cromwell’s role in the downfall of Anne Boleyn was, it was at the behest of King Henry. Cromwell could not pick and choose when to obey Henry. So, when Henry ordered Cromwell to investigate the Queen, he had no choice but to do so, and act upon the deluge of evidence given to him (and there were people positively queueing up to give it). It should also be remembered, however, that Cromwell was by no means the only person involved in the investigation (so the matter wasn’t exactly in his hands alone). The likes of Richard Rich, Sir Thomas Audley, and various others, all had a hand in the investigation.

Cromwell’s own downfall, which came about swiftly, and unexpectedly in June 1540, was almost certainly engineered by the Duke of Norfolk, and Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester. Cromwell had been keen to enhance England’s ties with the German Protestant League. To further those ends, he had arranged a marriage between the sister of the Duke of Cleves, and King Henry (two years following on from the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour). The marriage, although an unmitigated disaster, did not spell the end for Cromwell. He seemed to bounce back, and was even elevated to the Earldom of Essex in April, 1540.

Incensed that their enemy had escaped them once again, the Duke and the Bishop of Winchester set about framing Cromwell on charges of Sacramental Heresy. Papers had been planted in Cromwell’s offices. Charges duly fabricated, and treasonable words attributed to Cromwell. He had allegedly said: “Should the King turn against the Reforms, then I should take to the field with my sword in my hands against the King.” He was found guilty of Sacramental Heresy, and condemned to die. Kept alive long enough to finalise King Henry’s divorce from his dis-liked German Princess, Cromwell was eventually executed on 28^th July, 1540. On the day, according to Edward Hall, he: “patient bore the stroke of a ragged, and butcherly miser.” Also according to Edward Hall, “many lamented, but more rejoiced”. Whether this is true, or not, Cromwell was soon missed by King Henry, who as good as admitted that Cromwell was innocent. That his most faithful minister had been put to death on “false, and light, pre-texts”.

Over the centuries, much has been said about Cromwell. He has been described as the sole destroyer of an ancient way of life (despite the involvement of several other, high profile personalities), the murderer of a Queen, and the blood stained henchman of a tyrant King. Historians have swept aside the many excellent things that Cromwell achieved in his lifetime, and focussed exclusively on the negatives, and painted him up as, (to quote Cardinal Reginald Pole), “the messenger of Satan”. We hear little of the relief of the poor, the casting aside of ancient (and expensive) ancient superstitions, the endowments of schools, the navy and public health. Even where some have pointed to the more beneficial of Cromwell’s works, they do so grudgingly, and put the worst possible spin on it. Everything that we read about Cromwell, is read through a veneer of historic snobbery, and prejudice against a low born commoner, who over came the adversities of his birth, and rose to change the world for the better.

Although I could never fully do justice to the extraordinary life, and tragic political execution, of Thomas Cromwell in one small article. There is an ever expanding wealth of literature out there that reappraises Cromwell’s life. From the excellent works of Professor Geoffrey Elton, to the much more recent John Schofield biography; Thomas Cromwell is finally being reassessed, and no one deserves it more than he.

Sources:

Cavendish, George. “The Life And Death of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey” (published first in 1641)

Elton, G.R. “England Under The Tudors” (Routledge, third edition published 1991).

Elton, G.R “The Tudor Revolution in Government” (Cambridge University Press, 1969 edition).

Hall, Edward “Halls Chronicle” (On line edition).

Hutchinson, Robert. “Thomas Cromwell: The Rise and Fall of Henry VIII’s Most Notorious Minister” (Phoenix Paperback, 2008).

Schofield, John “The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant. (History Press LTD, 2008).

Spanish Chronicle (The Chronicle of Henry VIII).