Who was Cardinal Wolsey?
Statesman to King Henry Eighth of England.
Date and Place of Birth:
1475, Ipswich, Suffolk.
Family Background:
Son of a butcher and cattle dealer. (Wolsey himself
spelt the surname Wulcy).
Education:
Magdalen College, Oxford. (Graduated at 15).
Chronology/Biography of Cardinal Wolsey:
1497: Elected a
Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.
1498: Ordained as
a priest at Marlborough by the Bishop of Salisbury. He became one
of the domestic Chaplains to the Archbishop of Canterbury were his
administrative skills were soon noticed. On the Archbishop's death
he served Sir Richard Nanfan who introduced him to King Henry the
Seventh.
1507: Becomes Chaplain
to King Henry the Seventh and was favoured by Bishop Fox the Lord
Privy Seal.
1508: Goes on a
diplomatic mission to Scotland.
1509: (November)
Created Almoner to the new King Henry the Eighth.
1511: Signs documents
under the seal of a royal councillor.
1513: (3oth June)
Crosses to Calais with the King. (October) Returns to ENgland.
1514: (February)
Created Bishop of Lincoln by a Papal Bull. (September) Created Archbishop
of York. (December) Started the building of Hampton Court Palace
1515: Created Archbishop
of York. (15th November) Made a Cardinal. Ceremony in Westminster
Abbey held on the 18th November. Created Lord Chancellor. By now
he is almost single handedly in control of English foreign policy.
1518: (May) Became
Papal Legate.
1521: Presides over
the burning of Lutheran books in the courtyard of St. Paul's Cathedral.
(August) Attends the Calais Conference and then the Bruges Conference.
(17th December) Created Abbott of St. Albans.
1523: (29th April)
Goes to Parliament to ask for £800,000.(3oth April) Given
the Bishopric of Durham.
1525: Gives the
King permanent accommodation at Hampton Court Palace.
Hampton Court Palace, Surrey which was originally built
for Wolsey before being transferred to the Crown
(© Anthony Blagg)
1526: Presides over
the burning of Lutheran books at St Paul's Cathedral and protests
against the Lutheran doctrines of Robert Barnes and some of the
Hanseatic merchants.
1527: (April) King
begins talk of a divorce from his Queen Catherine of Aragon. (May)
First legatine Trial about Henry's marital; status. (22nd June)
King Henry informally separated from Catherine. (July) Went on a
diplomatic mission to Amiens in France.
1528: (13th April)
Divorce tried in England. (July) the Pope promises not to interfere.
1529: Anne Boleyn
turns against Wolsey. (June) Cardinal Campeggio stalls the trial
on the divorce until October. Wolsey is indicted for Praemunire
offences. (17th October) He is forced to surrender the Great Seal
of Office.(19th October) His fall is announced in the Star Chamber.
His presidency of that body moves jointly to the Dukes of Norfolk
and Suffolk.
1530: Wolsey is
sent North as punishment. (4th November) He is arrested at Cawood
near York. Moves on to Leicester Abbey.
Marriage:
Never married.
Date and Place of Death:
29th November 1530, Leicester, Leicestershire,
England.
Age at Death:
55.
Site of Grave:
The Lady Chapel, Leicester Abbey, Leicester.
Places of Interest:
OXFORDSHIRE:
Christchurch College, Oxford founded by Wolsey.
SURREY:
Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey.
