THOMAS CROMWELL

Cromwell becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer

1533

Cromwell becomes Lord Privy Seal

1536

Cromwell takes Earl of Essex and Chamberlain of England titles

1540

Cromwell is executed

July 1540

Cromwell successes

gets Henry the divorce

puts in place various protestant religious reforms

able to climb the social ladder, despite low place of birth

Cromwell failure

fails to become popular with the nobility

is seen as too powerful and a heretic by swathes of the population (especially outside of London/South East)

reasons contributing to the fall of Cromwell

unpopularity with the nobility- had assumed traditionally inherited titles from dead lords, dissolved Thetford Priory (Norfolk's family priory)

the failure of the Cleves marriage made Cromwell less popular with the King

too close to extreme reformers- positioned as dangerous and heretic to Henry

Act of Attainder passed by Norfolk allowed Cromwell to be arrested and executed without trial and without speaking to the king

the position of the conservative clergy by 1540

Norfolk wanted an alliance with Francis I, who despised Cromwell,- another reason for Norfolk to get him out of the way