Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 2.djvu/433

 432 CROMWELL. 1525, one of the three persons appointed for the suppression of small monasteries, "in- credible things " being spoken as to the way in which he so acted.and was from this time to the fall of Wolsey (17 Oct., 1529) that Stateman's most important and trusted agent(») From this period begins his rapid rise in the Royal favour. P.O., 1531 ; Master of the Jewel House, Clerk of the Hanaper and Master of the King's mods, «U in 3532 ; Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1533 ; Recorder of Bristol, 1533 ; Prin. Sec. to the King, April 1534; Master of the Rolls, 1534 to 153G ; Visitor (Jen. of the Monasteries (well known as the "Malleus Monachorum,") Chancellor, High Steward and Visitor of the Univ. of Cambridge, 1535 ; Puivy Seal, 2 July 1538, being raised to the peerage 9 July 1536 as BARON CROMWELL,( h ) and taking his seat on the 15th ; Vicar-GeneralC 1 ) and Vice-Regent op the King, in Spirituals, 18 July 1538, being Knighted the same day ; el. K G-. 5 and inst. 26 Aug. 1537 ; Warden and Ch. Justice in Eyre, north of Trent, 1537, &c. He also held ecclesiastical appointments, being May 1536, Prebendary of Siirum, and, in 1537, Dean of Wells. Having been instrumental in effecting the Kings marriage (6 Jan. 1539/40) with Anno of Cleves he was (as it were in reward) cr. 17 April 1540 EARL OF ESSEX, ( d ) and the same day made Great Chamberlain. The disgust of the King with this wife was the ruin of the Minister who had introduced her, so that, being no longer sheltered by Royalty and being exceedingly unpopular (as an upstart) among Ids fellow nobles, he was accused of treason 10 June following, at the council table, by the Duke of Norfolk, and sent a prisoner to the Tower. On the 29th June 15 10 a bill of attainder passed both houses, whereby all Ids Itonours were forfeited. He is called therein " a man of very base and low degree," and it was publicly proclaimed that none should call him by any title of honour, but merely " Thomas Cromwell, cloth carder." He was condemned to death without trial and executed 28 July 15 10 on Tower Hill, declaring that he died "in the catholic faith." He m. about 1513, Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Williams, Yeoman of the Gviard, da. of Henry Wykks, of Putney, Surrey, Shearman, Usher of the Chamber to Henry VII. She d. at Stepney 1527, before his advancement to honours. II. 1540. 1. Gregory Cromwell, s. and h. of the above was, 152S, ed. at Cambridge, and was v.p. sum. by writ, 28 April 1539 {Oregorio Cromwell, Chl'r) in his Father's Barony as. Lord Cromwell, but does not ( a ) His " most devoted attachment to his old master in trouble " is generally assumed, and " as this view is set forth iu Shakespeare it is, of course, indelible ;" it was, indeed, at first, but, apparently, not latterly, believed iu by Wolsey himself. Self interest, however, alone seems to have teen Cromwell's ruling star, and his defence of Wolsey was limited accordingly. It has even been suggested that he stole from Wolsey's papers the (all important) Royal Licence for the use of the Legatine prerogative, a loss which enabled the King (who could hardly, in the face of his own permission, have done so) to proceed against the Cardinal under the statute of prrcmunire, and so possess himself (always a great point with his Majesty) of Wolsey's vast estates. Wolsey expressly states that this license was "now in the hands of my enemies," and it is difficult to see who else but Cromwell could have had access to it so as to transfer it from its proper custody. See "Henry VIII and the English Monasteries," by F. A. Gasquet. ( b ) See "Creations, 1483-1646 " in ap. 47th Rep. D. K. Pub. Records. Ho is generally, (by Dugdale, &c.,) said to have been cr. Baron Cromwell of Oakham, co. Rutland, but it is to be observed that that estate was not granted to him till two years later, viz. (1538-39) 30 Hen. VIII. ( c ) By royal injunction, pub. by him as Vicar-General, 29 Sep. 1538 the duty of keeping Parish Registers was, for the first time, imposed on the parochial Clergy. ( d ) He had considerable property in that county, viz., that formerly of the Monastery of St. Osyth, St. John's, Colchester, &c. He had, also, Launde Abbey in Leicester- shire ; the Grey Friars, Yarmouth ; the vast estates of the Priory of Lewes in various counties as far north as Yorkshire, &c. ; the manor of North Elmham, Norfolk, &c. ; a portion of the lands taken from the see of Norwich ; also the Lordship of Oakham, co. Rutland (forfeited by the family of Stafford), &c, &c. His personal property at his death was worth £24,000, a very large Bum for that period.