Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

Thomas Wolsey was an English cardinal and statesman who dominated the government of England’s King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) from 1515 to 1529.

Thomas was the son of a butcher of Ipswich. He was educated at the University of Oxford and was ordained as a priest in 1498. Five years later he became chaplain to Sir Richard Nanfan, deputy lieutenant of Calais, who recommended him to King Henry VII (reigned 1485–1509).

In the service of Henry VII Wolsey started his rise to serious fortune. Wolsey won king’s confidence after he organized Henry’s successful expedition against the French in 1513. By king’s appointments he became Dean of Lincoln Cathedral and Hereford Cathedral, Bishop of Tournai and Bishop of Lincoln before becoming Archbishop of York in 1514. In 1515 he was made a cardinal, which carried rich revenues with the office, and has also held the Abbey of St Albans, the richest in England, as well as the bishoprics of Bath and Wells, Durham and Winchester at various times. In 1515 he became lord chancellor of England.

Cause of Wolsey’s fall from power was his failure to persuade Pope Clement VII to grant Henry an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He was stripped of all his offices and preferments except York. Henry believed that Wolsey was conspiring to recover his position and had him arrested on November 4 on charges of treason (for corresponding with the French court). Wolsey died at the end of the month while on his way south to face the king.

At the peak of his power, Wolsey was worth at least £50,000, about 1% of net national income. In 2010 he would be worth about £11bn.