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AQA A Level History Notes, Henry VIII, Ministers and Government, Wolsey
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Thomas WolseyThe Rise of Wolsey
-born late 1472/early 1473
-son of an innkeeper and butcher from Ipswich
-clever boy and went to Magdalen College Oxford, graduating at 15
-1507 entered royal household and became Henry VII’s chaplain
-soon appointed royal almoner, putting him in charge of distributing King’s charity
-this gave him access to King and thus patronage
-1511-15 rose to top: initially anti-wat but saw advantage of King’ pro-war stance 1511 onwards
Able to monopolise power in King’s gov by:
-Skill: successfully supplying troops in 1513 war and later proved skillful at introducing wishes
into conversation in way that King would grant them, eloquence (power to persuasion),
hardworking, administrative and organisational talents, ambitious, ability to network
-Luck: 1515 Norfolk was getting too old to dominate politics. Archbishop Warham resigned as
chancellor and Bishop Fox (key advisor) resigned 1516. Wolsey was appointed as Lord
Chancellor and able to dominate politics.
-Patronage: Wolsey rewarded for the first French war with bishoprics of Lincoln and Tournai.
These were the first of many positions given by King.
Margaret Beaufort and Wolsey
-Margaret influenced HVIII when he first came to throne (she planned his coronation)
-she hated Wolsey
-Wolsey appointed Royal Chaplain to HVII
-1509 appointed almoner
Lord Chancellor
-1515 Wolsey became Lord chancellor
-top political position in royal gov
-wolsey was member in court and royal council
-appointment meant Wolsey replaced King in terms of everyday administration of realm and he
virtually absorbed of council into own person
-responsible for administration of justice through courts and for the management of king’s
finances and his household
-Wolsey quickly grasped King had little interest in mundane, routine business of gov
-Wolsey’s inexhaustible energy and monopoly of control allowed Henry to focus on hobbies
Cardinal and Papal Legate
-Dean of York and Bishop of Tournai
-1514 Wolsey became Archbishop of York and bishop of Lincoln
-1515 Wolsey became cardinal by Leo X
-1518 appointed Papal Legate by Leo X
(church law said you couldn’t hold multiple titles)
, -long tradition of chief ministers of the realm coming from Church as originally education was the
preserve of the Church and kings needed literate servants
-it became a financial convenience as clergymen could be rewarded with church livings that
didn’t make demands upon royal purse. (cardinals, archbishops, and bishops were all
landholders and so were similar to princes of the state)
-Wolsey fitted into pattern. His power and wealth relied on his positions in the state and
because, as a cardinal, he was a ‘Prince of the Church’
-Wolsey was disappointed not to be appointed to the See of Canterbury but position didn’t
become vacant during his years in power
-Wolsey was more than compensated for this when he was made Cardinal 1515- highest rank
churchmen in England
-superiority enhanced 1518 when Pope Leo X appointed Wolsey Legate a latere or Papal
Legate
-papal legate gave power to act as Pope’s representative in England and allowed him to appoint
clerical offices thus controlling patronage of Church.
-he showed some reforming intentions that came to little
-he dissolved 30 religious houses and used proceeds to build colleges at Oxford and Ipswich
-church became more centralised under his control→ churchmen got used to orders from crown
How successful was Wolsey in issues of the Church?
Wolsey’s aims in the Church were difficult to pinpoint as his roles were conflicting. He was
expected to protect Church against state while ensuring nothing diminished powers of the King.
+ –
-increased personal wealth and prestige -maintaining benefit of clergy protected
-protected benefit of clergy from King and abuses of Church
Parliament’s attempts to end it -used money from dissolved monasteries to
-dissolved 30 monasteries that were not fund foundation of Cardinal College, Oxford
viable due to low numbers -became associated with clerical abuses
-admitted that royal power was superior to
ecclesiastical power
-left Church vulnerable to attack as he did
little to introduce reforms
Wolsey’s Relationship with the King
Was Wolsey an ‘alter rex’(alternate King)?
-routine business placed in his hands while H indulged preference for sports
-Wolsey’s palace at Hampton Court rivalled splendour of Royal Palaces and Wosley often
received ambassadors there
-wealth allowed him to give out patronage
-titles of Cardinal and Papal Legate elevated rank to challenge King
-unpopular decisions were blamed on Wolsey leaving impression he was directing and
responsible for policy
-however, he could not pursue his own independent authority
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