As a successful tradesman, Walter was regularly called upon for jury service and was elected Constable of Putney in 1495. Diarmaid MacCulloch describes as "fantasies" the popular accounts that Walter was a violent man, unscrupulous in his business dealings: these tales are based on a mistaken understanding of Putney manorial court records, where civil disagreements are not easily distinguished from criminal proceedings, or fines for breaching ale quality standards from "a routine manorial system of licensing ale-selling". A popular tradition that he also carried on the trade of blacksmith may have arisen from his use of the alternative surname of "Smith", rather than actually practising the trade. Ĭromwell was born around 1485, the son of Walter Cromwell, a yeoman, fuller and cloth merchant, and owner of both a hostelry and a brewery. The Anchor was situated in modern-day Brewhouse Lane, near to the Thames in Putney (although another tradition places the smithy higher on Putney Hill, at the edge of Putney Heath). The site of Cromwell's birthplace is still pointed out by tradition and is in some measure confirmed by the survey of Wimbledon Manor for it describes on that spot 'an ancient cottage called the smith's shop, lying west of the highway from Richmond to Wandsworth, being the sign of the Anchor'. In 1878, his birthplace was still of note: It is believed that Cromwell was born in Putney, Surrey. The king later expressed regret at the loss of his chief minister, and his reign never recovered from the incident. Cromwell was arraigned under a bill of attainder and executed for treason and heresy on Tower Hill on 28 July 1540. Cromwell had hoped that the marriage would breathe fresh life into the Reformation in England, but Henry found his new bride unattractive and the marriage was a disaster for Cromwell, ending in an annulment six months later. He later fell from power, after arranging the king's marriage to German princess Anne of Cleves. He duly played a prominent role in her downfall. 2ĭuring his rise to power, Cromwell made many enemies, including Anne Boleyn, with his fresh ideas and lack of nobility. Cromwell subsequently charted an evangelical and reformist course for the Church of England from the unique posts of Vicegerent in Spirituals and Vicar-general (the two titles refer to the same position). Henry failed to obtain the approval of Pope Clement VII for the annulment in 1533, so Parliament endorsed the king's claim to be Supreme Head of the Church of England, giving him the authority to annul his own marriage. He helped to engineer an annulment of the king's marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that Henry could lawfully marry Anne Boleyn. 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false charges for the execution.Ĭromwell was one of the most powerful proponents of the English Reformation, and the creator of true English governance. Thomas Cromwell ( / ˈ k r ɒ m w əl, - w ɛ l/ c.
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