the fall of thomas cromwell 1540

when was cromwell made earl of essex?

april 1940

what happened to cromwell in june 1940?

10th june - arrested at a privy council meeting and accused of heresy and treason

accused of a list of charged and imprisoned in the tower

condemned to death without trial

what were some of the charges cromwell was accused of?

• protecting heretics

• plotting to marry princess mary

• failing to enforce the act of six articles

• (heresy and treason)

why did cromwell not have a trial? example of…?

found guilty by act of attainder

• example of henry as a tyrant → bypassed rule of law and right to lawful trial

why was cromwell kept alive between arrest in june 1540 and execution in july?

• kept alive long enough to find evidence to secure annulment of anne

when was thomas cromwell executed?

28th july 1540

what factors encouraged cromwell’s fall from power?

• jealousy of power and rise through GCOB

• henry’s lack of confidence in religious reforms

• marriage to anne of cleves

• influence of catherine howard (1540-42)

• influence of the catholic faction at court

how did cromwell’s great power and rise from low birth status encourage his fall from power?

• long term continued object of jealousy throughout court → like wolsey

• most dominant man at court → king’s chief minister

  • monopolised influence in personal monarchy

  • defied GCOB, from humble background

• granted title of earl → april 1540

  • angered duke of norfolk, commoner had been made a noble

• court keen to see removal from power

which religious reform has henry viii supported?

• cromwell’s religious reforms as vicar general

  • highly lucrative, able to fund foreign policy

  • dissolution of monasteries doubled crown income

  • able to achieve annulment

how had dissolution of monasteries affected crown income?

doubled crown income

which religious reforms was henry reluctant to support?

• doctrinal changes lacked continued support from henry

• did not contribute to achieving other priorities

• had been raised devoted catholic

what event increased henry’s unease towards religious reforms?

1536-7 pilgrimage of grace

• growing resentment against new regime from the public

• rebels demanded dismissal of cromwell → blamed for religious change

• shook henry’s confidence in reforms

how was the 1939 act of six articles passed?

• april 1539 - cromwell sick with fever and confined to his house for weeks

  • missed opening of parliament

• in cromwell’s absence, duke of Norfolk presented arguments against cromwell’s religious reforms

• made act of six articles lawful

  • reaffirmed traditional catholic doctrine on 6 key issues

when did henry viii marry anne of cleves?

6th january 1540

what events made cromwell seek a protestant alliance in 1540? why?

• 1538 papal bull - excommunicated henry from church

  • pope declared english catholics could disobey his rule

  • increased chance of catholic crusade against england

• 1538 treaty of nice

  • charles v and francis i signed a peace treaty

  • both free to attack england

name of the protestant alliance organised by cromwell in 1540

the league of schmalkalden

how did the marriage to anne of cleves deteriorate henry’s relationship with cromwell?

• anne of cleves did not look like her hans holbein portrait → refused to consummate the marriage

• felt betrayed by cromwell → trust had been broken

• humiliated that he had married anne for little gain

• worsened at cromwell’s reluctance to annul the marriage, wanted to preserve alliance and prevent england from returning to isolated position

  • influenced by duke of Norfolk and Katherine howard that cromwell was taking too long to annul the marriage

when was the marriage to anne of cleves annulled?

9th july 1540

how was katherine howard related to the duke of norfolk?

she was niece to the duke of norfolk

what role did katherine howard play in the fall of cromwell?

• placed in henry’s eye by her uncle (duke of norfolk)

  • capitalised on king’s anger towards marriage to anne of cleves

  • encouraged courtships with katherine

• king became infatuated with katherine → became his mistress, desperation to annul cleves increased

• henry became convinced marriage to cromwell was taking too long

key figures in the catholic faction at court

duke of norfolk

stephen gardiner

what was the aim of the conservative catholic faction at court?

• oppose the reformation and revert back to traditional catholic values

• remove cromwell from power

who was stephen gardiner? beliefs?

• bishop of winchester and member of the council

• supported royal supremacy over the church

• did not support doctrinal changes of the reformation

what role did the duke of norfolk play in the fall of cromwell?

• key political manipulator in catholic faction within council and court

• blamed cromwell for failure of cleves marriage and slow annulment process

• accused cromwell of heresy and plotting to introduce solely protestant church in england

• integral to introduction of the act of 6 articles

when did henry viii marry katherine howard?

28th july 1540

• same day of cromwell’s execution

how did henry fare after removal of cromwell?

• felt overly influenced by norfolk and the catholic faction

• regretted loss of cromwell

  • never replaced him with a similar figure

why may henry have tolerated/encouraged factions at court?

• greater effort made into pleasing henry

  • hoped to gain favour and power via personal monarchy

  • produced more fruitful outcomes, better achieved henry’s aims

which factor was most important in cromwell’s fall from power?

influence of the catholic faction at court

• growing catholic sentiments underpinned all factors in cromwell’s rise to power

• duke of Norfolk the most influential figure in this period

parallels between wolsey and cromwell?

• both rose from humble backgrounds and subject to resentment at court

• acted as sole individual henry relied on the most