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Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex

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Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex as played by James Frain

Born c. 1485 - Executed July 28, 1540 by Order of King Henry VIII

Character's Backstory: Born in Putney, London in 1485, the son of a brewer/blacksmith who was known for illegal and drunken behavior. Over the course of several years, Thomas was a soldier in the French army in Italy, a clerk in the Netherlands, and a lawyer in London. On his return to England he worked as a lawyer before joining the service of Thomas Wolsey. In 1523, Cromwell was elected to the House of Commons; two years later he helped Wolsey dissolve some small monasteries. When Wolsey fell from grace in 1529, Cromwell was hurriedly elected burgess for Taunton so he could remain in government service. There were striking similarities between the two men - both managed to remain favorites of the mercurial Henry VIII for years; both were despised by the older nobility who coveted their influence with the king; both sought to reform the creaky medieval bureaucracy of Tudor government; both were highly intelligent and well-versed in international affairs. And both, ultimately, fell from Henry's favor with spectacular speed. In the end, the king preferred to listen to the old nobility. But Cromwell and Wolsey were also markedly different in many ways. Cromwell was the architect of the Henrician Reformation, while Wolsey fell because he served two masters--the king of England and the Pope.

After the death of Jane Seymour, Cromwell arranged for Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves, a move that joined England with the German Protestant states. The marriage was a failure, and Cromwell's enemies used Henry's displeasure with Cromwell to their advantage. Thomas Cromwell was eventually beheaded for heresy on the day that Henry married Katherine Howard.

Gentility: Born a 'commoner.' Evidently a self-made lawyer.

Position: Member of English Parliament, Henry VIII's chief minister, Master of the Jewel House, Earl of Essex.
His career progressed as follows:
1531 - Member of the Privy Council
1532 - Master of Court of Wards and Master of Jewel House
1533 - Chancellor of the Exchequer
1534 - King's Secretary and Master of the Rolls
1535 - Vicar-General
1536 - Lord Privy Seal and Baron Cromwell of Oakham
1537 - Knight of the Garter and Dean of Wells
1539 - Lord Great Chamberlain
1540 - Created Earl of Essex
(and many more titles too numerous to name)

Personality Type: Ruthless and ambitious. Methodical, detached and calculating. Henry VIII called him a "good household manager" and his "most faithful servant." He was an opportunist who disliked papal authority.

Signature Look: Dour and clerical.

Endearing Traits: Effective and efficient in government. He was a kind master, and a staunch friend; and he possessed all the outward graces of the Renaissance period. He was not vindictive, and his atrocious acts were done in no private quarrel, but in what he conceived to be the interests of his master and the state. Where those interests were concerned he had no heart, no conscience and no religious faith; no man was more completely blighted by the 16th century worship of the state.

Annoying Traits: Motivated by financial gain. Does whatever will get him ahead, no matter who he has to pull down or kill to get there.

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Thomas Cromwell as played by James Frain

"Cromwell is constantly rising in power, so much that he has now more influence with his master than Cardinal [Wolsey] ever had. Nowadays, everything is done at his bidding"
- Ambassador Chapuys to Charles V 1535

"In April 1536 Cromwell told the imperial ambassador [Ambassador Chapuys] that 'it was only now that he had known the frailty of human affairs especially those of court... and if fate fell upon him as upon his predecessors [Cardinal Thomas Wolsey] he would arm himself with patience, and leave the rest to God' Yet, all the while he struggled to conceal a smile. Even as he spoke, far from submitting to providence, he was plotting to strike before he was himself struck down, for Queen Anne [Boleyn], so he told Chapuys. 'would like to see his head cut off'. Through speed and guile Cromwell might survive the attacks of his rivals, but he could not last long if he ever angered the king. Yet Cromwell insistently led the king towards reform in religion more radical than the king could countenance, aware that he might revert, and that when he did his minister was likely to be sacrificed."

~Law and Government Under the Tudors:
Essays Presented to Sir Geoffrey Elton
By Claire Cross, David Loades

Comments:

It is interesting to note that in the 3rd season finale in which Cromwell gets executed, it is Sir Francis Bryan who discovers that it is an inexperienced middle-aged man who will perform the duty of executioner. So Bryan, along with his accomplice Tom Seymour, gets the man so sloppy drunk as to impair his ability to perform the duty with swift accuracy. Naturally the King could not be seen to conspire in this, but it does seem to be a phenomenon that the majority of 'executees' who were a threat to Henry VIII's crown all suffered a similar fate--multiple chops before the head got severed so as to inflict more pain, rather than to show the head to the crowd after being swiftly severed from the neck. Furthermore, the researchers for the finale show that the axeman actually did chop 4 times before a tower guard took pity and intervened, giving Cromwell the 5th and final chop of the axe. Hmmm, it appears that this researcher really did do his homework as far as I'm concerned, as teenagers were never actually used as executioners in those days. What is also interesting to note is that during that period, heads that were spiked on London Bridge were usually left there until a family member paid the crown to buy it back and lay the body to rest properly. It has been suggested that Cromwell's body was laid to rest in the Tower's chapel and discovered two years later, when it was exhumed, tied to a horse and cart, and dragged through the streets. Only history knows how true this story really is, as it has also been said that Henry VIII secured a secret spot for Cromwell's burial in the chapel--a burial site that has yet to be discovered.

CHARACTER CONNECTIONS

Family Members

Father: Walter Cromwell
Mother: (?) Glossop or Clossop

Marriage: Elizabeth Wyckes (1489–1527)
May have died from sweating sickness.

Children:
Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell. Was married to Elizabeth Seymour (Jane Seymour's sister). Elizabeth Seymour Cromwell served as a maid of honor to Anne Boleyn., then became Chief Lady in Waiting to her own sister Jane. Elizabeth Cromwell also later served as a Lady in Waiting to Katherine Parr, who married Elizabeth's brother Thomas Seymour after Henry VIII's death.

Anne Cromwell. Died young, possibly from sweating sickness.

Grace Cromwell: Died young, possibly from sweating sickness.

Friends:
Thomas Wolsey, who (in a way) helped him gain his position as chief adviser to Henry VIII.
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Wyatt
Richard Rich (in the series but not in real life)

Enemies:
Bishop Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester
William Brereton
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk.
Sir Thomas More
Reginald Pole
The Catholic Faction
After his Betrayal, The Boleyns
Francis Bryan
Edward Seymour

UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER QUOTES

"...Wolsey is still keen enough to prosecute heretics, as we are called, who embrace the true religion." episode VIII

DEFINING EPISODES | MEMORABLE SCENES

LINKS To view/add more information on Thomas Cromwell click here :

PHOTOS

to add pics to this slideshow, click on "photos" on top bar, click on
"albums" & search for JF as Thomas Cromwell album

	Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger
	Hans Holbein miniature c.1532/33
The cast of Season 3 talk about their characters and here James discusses his character Thomas Cromwell	James Frain's final performance as Thomas Cromwell

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Reggie19

Bank Holidays? (page: 1 2 3)

Jun 2 2009, 9:57 AM EDT by Maggie-AnneB.

Thread started: Jun 1 2009, 3:07 PM EDT Watch

Is this true, or did the series just inject this into Season 2, did Cromwell really try to ban Bank Holidays?

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Maggie-AnneB.

Cromwell Signature

May 6 2009, 8:01 PM EDT by Maggie-AnneB.

Thread started: May 6 2009, 7:55 PM EDT Watch

I've looked for a picture of Cromwell's signature, but I can' find it anywhere. Does anyone have a picture of it? I'm just curious as to what his handwriting looked like...

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SemperEadem

How soon do you think it will be before Cromwell begins to fall? (page: 1 2)

Mar 20 2009, 9:05 PM EDT by Maggie-AnneB.

Thread started: Jun 3 2008, 1:13 AM EDT Watch

From The Tudors Predictions Page

How soon in Season 3 do you think Cromwell will begin to fall from grace? Will it happen fairly soon in the season, or dramatically towards the end?

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RE: How soon do you think it will be before Cromwell begins to fall?
By: Maggie-AnneB., Mar 20 2009, 9:05 PM EDT

"More was a religious fanatic. More had books burned. More had so called "heretics" burned. More was against having the Bible printed in a language that English people could read. He was for keeping them in the dark as to the Word of God. Cromwell may have wanted a Protestant Reformation and to destroy the Catholic church in England, BUT More is equally bad for wanting to silence Reformers and stamp out Protestantism as well as keeping England's people under the oppressive thumb of Papal authority. If he was so good and tolerant, then why was he so afraid of new learning...of a new way of seeing God and His Word? IMO, Cromwell was the enlightened one...not More. The only thing I hold against Cromwell is Anne's fall...but, really that is ultimately Henry's doing and fault.

But, ya know, everyone is entitled to their opinion and beliefs....so :)"

Why couldn't people have been, even now, be more open-minded about religion? Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses because he wanted the Church to change. He did not set out seeking to make his own church. But because the Church was so corrupted and closed minded, just all around stuck up, they made Luther do that. More should have been more opened. Wasn't he aware that the Church was so corrupt? I can understand that he was so protective of his church, but he also should have been more open to what the Protestants were about. What's so wrong with the people of England having the bible be in the English language? I have always liked More, but I wish he was more open minded about everything, and not so closed-minded and turning a blind eye to the corruptness of the Church.

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Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex

Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex as played by James Frain

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