Thomas Cromwell (l. c. 1485-1540 CE) served as chief minister to Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE) from 1532 to 1540 CE. With his king and the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (in office 1533-55 CE), Cromwell masterminded the English Reformation which saw the Church in England break away from the Pope in Rome and such momentous acts as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Gaining favour from the king for his role in successfully annulling Henry's first marriage, Cromwell is also credited with restructuring England's finances and developing the institutions of government. With powerful enemies at court and blamed for arranging an unsuitable marriage for his king to Anne of Cleves (1519-1557 CE), Cromwell was arrested on charges of treason and heresy and executed without trial in July 1540 CE.
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Timeline
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c. 1485Thomas Cromwell, future first minister to Henry VIII of England is born.
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1503Thomas Cromwell travels to Italy where he fights as a mercenary and then learns banking.
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c. 1520Thomas Cromwell establishes his own legal practice in London.
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1523Thomas Cromwell becomes a Member of Parliament.
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1524Thomas Cromwell joins the household of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.
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1530Thomas Cromwell becomes a member of the King's Council.
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1532Thomas Cromwell pushes through Parliament the Act in Restraint of Annates which limits funds paid to the Papacy.
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1532 - 1540Thomas Cromwell is chief minister to Henry VIII of England.
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1533Thomas Cromwell is made Master of the Rolls.
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1533Thomas Cromwell pushes through Parliament the Act in Restraint of Appeals which declares that the English monarch is now the highest authority on all legal matters.
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23 May 1533Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury formally annuls Henry VIII of England’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
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1534Thomas Cromwell pushes through Parliament the Treason Act which forbids people to speak out and criticise their king or his policies.
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30 Apr 1534Parliament passes the Act of Succession which declares Henry VIII of England's daughter Mary (with Catherine of Aragon) illegitimate.
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28 Nov 1534The Act of Supremacy declares Henry VIII of England the head of the Church in England and not the Pope.
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1535Thomas Cromwell and a team of inspectors compile the Valor Ecclesiasticus, a record of all the wealth and income of monastic institutions in England and Wales.
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Jan 1535Thomas Cromwell is made vicar-general by Henry VIII of England.
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6 Jul 1535Sir Thomas More is executed for refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII of England as the head of the Church in England.
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1536Henry VIII of England and Thomas Cromwell push a bill through Parliament which begins the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England and Wales.
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1536Thomas Cromwell is made Lord Privy Seal.
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1536Thomas Cromwell's Ten Articles rejects four of the Seven Sacraments of Catholicism.
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Aug 1536Thomas Cromwell issues The Injunctions, a set of recommendations for the clergy.
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Oct 1536 - Dec 1536The Pilgrimage of Grace, a popular uprising against religious changes made by Henry VIII of England, marches in the north of England.
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Jul 1537Thomas Cromwell publishes The Bishop’s Book.
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1538Thomas Cromwell issues a more radical version of The Injunctions.
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1539Henry VIII of England approves the translation of the Bible into English.
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1539Parliament passes an act to close all monasteries in England and Wales regardless of size.
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1539Thomas Cromwell is made Earl of Essex and Lord Great Chamberlain.
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Jan 1540Henry VIII of England marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
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10 Jun 1540Thomas Cromwell is arrested on charges of treason and heresy.
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9 Jul 1540Henry VIII of England and Anne of Cleves divorce by mutual consent. Thomas Cromwell is blamed for the mismatch.
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28 Jul 1540Thomas Cromwell is executed for treason and heresy.
