CROMWELL, THOMAS, was born at Putney, near London, where, as is said, his father was a blacksmith, and afterwards a brewer. The date of his birth is not recorded, but it was probably about 1490. He was taught reading, writing, and a little Latin ; and as soon as he grew up went to the continent, where he learned several foreign languages. He became clerk in an extensive factory at Antwerp, whence he was taken to Rome (1510) by some citizens of Boston in Lincolnshire, who thought that he would be of assistance to them in some business that they had with the pope. During this journey he learned by heart Erasmus'a translation of the New Testament, and he continued to improve himself during his residence in Italy. Foxe states that Cromwell was present at the sack of Rome by the Duke of Bourbon, must be erroneous, as that event did not occur till 1527, whereas it is almost certain that he was in the service of Woleey as early as 1525. Dr. Lingard says that "in his early youth Cromwell served as a trooper in the wars of Italy, and from the army passed to the service of a Veuetian merchant," on quitting whom he returned to England. It is in fact highly probable that he returned to England in or about 1517, as somewhere about that time he married the daughter and heiress of Sir John Prior, knight, and widow of a Welsh gentleman named Williams. On his return to England Cromwell was received into Cardinal Wolsey's house, became his solicitor, and the chief agent in the foundation of his colleges at Oxford and Ipswich. He was also chosen a member of the House of Commons, where' he increased his fame by his defence of Wolsey, who had there been indicted for treason. After the cardinal's disgrace, Cromwell was taken into the service of the king ; iu 1531 he was knighted, and made privy-councillor and master of the jewel-house. It is said that about this time Cromwell first suggested to Henry the project of throwing off the supremacy of the pope in ecclesiastical affairs. Certain it is that from this time he became the close confidant and adviser of the king, and that he rapidly rose to the most important offices in the state. In 1532 he became clerk of the hauaper in the Court of
Chancery, and afterwards chancellor of the exchequer; in 1531 he was principal secretary of state, master of the rolls, and chancellor of the university of Cambridge ; in 1535, visitor-general of English monasteries ; and in 1536 keeper of tho privy seal He now resigned tho mastership of the rolls, and was created Baron Cromwell of Okeham la Rutlandshire, and appointed vicar-general and vicegerent, in all religious matters the next in authority to tho king, who was uow the supreme head of the English church. His friendship with Creamer was intimate, and their views respecting the Reformation very similar. It being Cromwell'e object to destroy the pope's authority, he circu lated new articles of faith, and enjoined the clergy to preach the king's supremacy, to remove images from their altars, and to promote the religious education of all young persons, teaching them the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. He commanded English Bibles to be placed in the churches, and took active means for the dissolution of the monasteries. These alterations, together with the great increase of his wealth, some of which it was suspected that he obtained by dishonest means, rendered him extremely unpopular, so that there were not wanting many enemies who endeavoured to pre judice the king against him. The king's esteem for him could not however be shaken: in 1537 he was appointed chief justice of all forests beyond Trent, and io August in the same year was elected knight of the garter, and nominated dean of Wells. The long list of Cromwell's titles and official appointments is still far from completed. In 1538 he was made constable of Carisbrook castle, and obtained a grant if the castle and lordship of Okeham. About this time he issued various Injunctions (Ceaslaretrf to the clergy, by one of which parish registers were established ; and in 1539, after having received from the king some thirty monastic manors and valuable estates, he Wlie created Earl of Essex, sod named lord chamberlain of England; at the samo time Gregory, his eon, obtained the barony of Okeham.