Post by Mr Modica on Feb 20, 2014 20:26:58 GMT
Henry VIII: The Rise of Thomas Wolsey
Thomas Wolsey was born in Ipswich in 1472 or 73. He defied the social conventions of the age by rising from being the son of a butcher to the being pre-eminent royal advisor in the land. It was widely recognised, both at home and abroad, that there was little point in trying to secure royal favour except through him and that at the height of his powers, the mid 1520-s; he was, as he has later been described, and alter rex. His power was certainly huge, as is perhaps evidenced by Hampton Court, a palace fir for a king – as Henry was to discover for himself!
Wolsey was undoubtedly intelligent – he gained his first degree at Oxford aged 15. He was also ruthless and in an age when the gentle pursuit of life was the norm he was a ‘go getter’ with an aptitude for hard work matched with efficiency and determination.
Wolsey first came to attention during the last years of Henry VII’s reign as ‘fixer’ for Bishop Fox - one of Henry VII’s key advisors. However it was under Henry VIII that he achieved power. According to Wolsey himself he did this through two means. Firstly, because he gave Henry the advice he wanted to hear – unlike the Privy Council Henry inherited from his father who wanted to maintain the policies of the previous reign. And secondly, because he encouraged the King to pursue a lifestyle based on pleasure, whilst leaving the day-to-day burden of work to himself. Whilst an over simplification there is undoubtedly an element of truth in this account.
Wolsey was certainly assisted in his rise by the effective retirement of previous leading figures (e.g. Warham or Fox) but he began his rise to pre-eminence in 1512-13 when he organised the invasion of France. Wolsey was ruthless in doing this, arguing that the King’s wishes took precedence over all else, and the more people complained to Henry about Wolsey’s modus operandi the more Henry seems to have trusted him as someone who would do the utmost to see his desires implemented. By mid-1514 the King was routinely referring matters of business to Wolsey.
Formally Wolsey did not hold a position of state from Henry, but he was successful in arguing that the first minister (NOT an official title) should have the commensurate status and income that his relationship with the monarch would imply. The easiest, and indeed cheapest, way for Henry to do this was through Wolsey’s advancement in the church. In 1511 he had been made Canon of Windsor; in 1513 he was made Bishop of Tournai (although he never received it); in 1514 he was made Bishop of Lincoln, then Archbishop of York; in 1523 he was also made Prince Bishop of Durham and in 1529 added the bishopric of Winchester.
Wolsey however was never satisfied with second best. The see of York meant Wolsey was the second most important churchman in England however Archbishop Warham (Canterbury) made it clear he had no intention of resigning so that Wolsey could occupy the primacy. Wolsey therefore actively sought the position of Cardinal, which would outrank Warham on ceremonial occasions but not in terms of governance of the church in England. With the support of Henry Wolsey achieved this distinction, as a Prince of the Church, from Leo X in 1515.
However Wolsey was still only in second place in terms of church power and so he sought the position of legatus a latere, a position which would make him only second to the Pope in England. As part of the Pope’s plans for a general European truce prior to a crusade against the Turks Wolsey secured this distinction, and through adroit manoeuvring was able to retain this position until 1524 when, again with Henry’s support, he received his legatine powers for life.
Wolsey also held secular positions as well. In 1511 he had been appointed to the Privy Council and in 1515 Henry applied pressure to Archbishop Warham to resign his position as Lord Chancellor in favour of Wolsey.
Was Wolsey a Dictator?
Given his positions it might be assumed that Wolsey was in some sense a dictator, but it should be remembered that Henry could, and did, over rule him – usually when one of his friends requested a favour. However Wolsey could be vindictive to those he considered to have gone behind his back and his revenge always outweighed the gain from having circumvented his position.
Wolsey was not a dictator in the C20 sense of seeking to control what people did or thought. He was more concerned with those that stood in his path of advancement, or who made it harder for him to achieve his objectives or who slighted him in some way. For example, the fall of the Duke of Buckingham in 1521 can in part be laid at Wolsey’s door (at least in terms of drawing Buckingham’s treason to Henry’s attentions) as revenge for the way the Duke had treated him in the past.
In terms of his ecclesiastical powers Wolsey did not make sweeping reforms of the church (in large measure because he was the beneficiary of many of them), nor did he challenge heresy (probably because he was not overly concerned with what people believed). Instead he was more concerned with clerical appointments (which would further his financial or political standing – or indeed, both) and the payment of fees for various services.
Wolsey used his ecclesiastical powers to secure appointment to clerical positions for his allies – usually at the expense of a considerable fee. He was also not above forcing people to resign their positions due to a technical flaw in their appointment so that he could ’sell’ , simony, the position on. He also used his legatine powers and the church’s role in proving wills to effectively institute a 10% inheritance tax in his favour.
In order to maintain this grip Wolsey had an extensive network of informers, for example news of the ill-health, or death, of a church post-holder was well rewarded as Wolsey’s right to nominate to positions was only good so-long as the normal nominator had not done so.
Given his position as Lord Chancellor Wolsey was also head of the legal system and was not above moving cases from one jurisdiction to another to suit his purposes and gain the result he wanted. For example, when Wolsey had entered his first benefice he had been treated with contempt by Sir Amyas Paulet (including a spell in the stocks). Once Lord Chancellor Wolsey summoned Paulet to appear before him, and kept him waiting in daily attendance for more than five years – under threat of confiscation of all his property for contempt of court if he did not appear. Despite all this power Wolsey did not use physical violence in pursuit of his ends – there was never any need to do so!
The result of this power was that Wolsey was the second wealthiest man in the country, the King of course being the most. Randell has estimated that Wolsey’s nearest rival had only 10% of his income. In terms of disposable wealth however Wolsey was undoubtedly the richest man in the country – much of the King’s income being already spoken for. About half his income came from the various positions he occupied, the rest from fees and bribes for favour.
Wolsey used this wealth for the ‘here and now’ not as a wastrel, but on demonstrating his wealth, position and status – Hampton Court being built as a stage to show just that, indeed this is just the most famous of his four palaces used as regular residences. His household numbered between 500-1000, depending on the occasion, which was on a par with the King and the Pope.
Did Wolsey control Henry?
Henry was no fool, and although Wolsey could influence things in the final analysis he could only do so for as long as Henry let him. This does not mean that Wolsey did not have his own agendas, or was above controlling what Henry was told, but it does mean that he knew there were limits to his powers.
For example, in 1528 Henry promised a courtier that his relative should become the abbess Wilton nunnery. Wolsey appointed his own candidate, after seemingly ‘not understanding’ the royal instruction. A second royal instruction was ignored. A third brought the response that the King’s wishes had not been clear. This infuriated Henry who said he was not prepared to be treated this way by his servant – Wolsey then rapidly backed down.
Given this relationship how was it that Wolsey had, in Pollard’s words, “despotic authority in the state”? In part it is because of his ability, drive, inter-personal skills and intellect. Also Henry’s personality and interests played a part (i.e. he could leave the mundane work of government to a highly competent individual meaning that Henry was free to enjoy himself), as did his realisation that to secure the services of a man of Wolsey’s abilities he would need to give him a fairly long leash, but a leash of course can be yanked in. That being said Henry was also careful about what others said about Wolsey, recognising that given his power Wolsey would inevitable create enemies.
It has also been suggested that Henry wanted to increase the distance between himself and his nobles and that by having the son of a butcher as his leading minister, and for his nobles to have to pay due respect to him enabled Henry to do this.
Contemporaries often cited witchcraft as a means by which Wolsey maintained his ‘hold’ over Henry, although Polydore Vergil was more prosaic claiming that Wolsey would distract Henry’s attention with a gift then bringing forward the matter that was really on his mind.
Thomas Wolsey was born in Ipswich in 1472 or 73. He defied the social conventions of the age by rising from being the son of a butcher to the being pre-eminent royal advisor in the land. It was widely recognised, both at home and abroad, that there was little point in trying to secure royal favour except through him and that at the height of his powers, the mid 1520-s; he was, as he has later been described, and alter rex. His power was certainly huge, as is perhaps evidenced by Hampton Court, a palace fir for a king – as Henry was to discover for himself!
Wolsey was undoubtedly intelligent – he gained his first degree at Oxford aged 15. He was also ruthless and in an age when the gentle pursuit of life was the norm he was a ‘go getter’ with an aptitude for hard work matched with efficiency and determination.
Wolsey first came to attention during the last years of Henry VII’s reign as ‘fixer’ for Bishop Fox - one of Henry VII’s key advisors. However it was under Henry VIII that he achieved power. According to Wolsey himself he did this through two means. Firstly, because he gave Henry the advice he wanted to hear – unlike the Privy Council Henry inherited from his father who wanted to maintain the policies of the previous reign. And secondly, because he encouraged the King to pursue a lifestyle based on pleasure, whilst leaving the day-to-day burden of work to himself. Whilst an over simplification there is undoubtedly an element of truth in this account.
Wolsey was certainly assisted in his rise by the effective retirement of previous leading figures (e.g. Warham or Fox) but he began his rise to pre-eminence in 1512-13 when he organised the invasion of France. Wolsey was ruthless in doing this, arguing that the King’s wishes took precedence over all else, and the more people complained to Henry about Wolsey’s modus operandi the more Henry seems to have trusted him as someone who would do the utmost to see his desires implemented. By mid-1514 the King was routinely referring matters of business to Wolsey.
Formally Wolsey did not hold a position of state from Henry, but he was successful in arguing that the first minister (NOT an official title) should have the commensurate status and income that his relationship with the monarch would imply. The easiest, and indeed cheapest, way for Henry to do this was through Wolsey’s advancement in the church. In 1511 he had been made Canon of Windsor; in 1513 he was made Bishop of Tournai (although he never received it); in 1514 he was made Bishop of Lincoln, then Archbishop of York; in 1523 he was also made Prince Bishop of Durham and in 1529 added the bishopric of Winchester.
Wolsey however was never satisfied with second best. The see of York meant Wolsey was the second most important churchman in England however Archbishop Warham (Canterbury) made it clear he had no intention of resigning so that Wolsey could occupy the primacy. Wolsey therefore actively sought the position of Cardinal, which would outrank Warham on ceremonial occasions but not in terms of governance of the church in England. With the support of Henry Wolsey achieved this distinction, as a Prince of the Church, from Leo X in 1515.
However Wolsey was still only in second place in terms of church power and so he sought the position of legatus a latere, a position which would make him only second to the Pope in England. As part of the Pope’s plans for a general European truce prior to a crusade against the Turks Wolsey secured this distinction, and through adroit manoeuvring was able to retain this position until 1524 when, again with Henry’s support, he received his legatine powers for life.
Wolsey also held secular positions as well. In 1511 he had been appointed to the Privy Council and in 1515 Henry applied pressure to Archbishop Warham to resign his position as Lord Chancellor in favour of Wolsey.
Was Wolsey a Dictator?
Given his positions it might be assumed that Wolsey was in some sense a dictator, but it should be remembered that Henry could, and did, over rule him – usually when one of his friends requested a favour. However Wolsey could be vindictive to those he considered to have gone behind his back and his revenge always outweighed the gain from having circumvented his position.
Wolsey was not a dictator in the C20 sense of seeking to control what people did or thought. He was more concerned with those that stood in his path of advancement, or who made it harder for him to achieve his objectives or who slighted him in some way. For example, the fall of the Duke of Buckingham in 1521 can in part be laid at Wolsey’s door (at least in terms of drawing Buckingham’s treason to Henry’s attentions) as revenge for the way the Duke had treated him in the past.
In terms of his ecclesiastical powers Wolsey did not make sweeping reforms of the church (in large measure because he was the beneficiary of many of them), nor did he challenge heresy (probably because he was not overly concerned with what people believed). Instead he was more concerned with clerical appointments (which would further his financial or political standing – or indeed, both) and the payment of fees for various services.
Wolsey used his ecclesiastical powers to secure appointment to clerical positions for his allies – usually at the expense of a considerable fee. He was also not above forcing people to resign their positions due to a technical flaw in their appointment so that he could ’sell’ , simony, the position on. He also used his legatine powers and the church’s role in proving wills to effectively institute a 10% inheritance tax in his favour.
In order to maintain this grip Wolsey had an extensive network of informers, for example news of the ill-health, or death, of a church post-holder was well rewarded as Wolsey’s right to nominate to positions was only good so-long as the normal nominator had not done so.
Given his position as Lord Chancellor Wolsey was also head of the legal system and was not above moving cases from one jurisdiction to another to suit his purposes and gain the result he wanted. For example, when Wolsey had entered his first benefice he had been treated with contempt by Sir Amyas Paulet (including a spell in the stocks). Once Lord Chancellor Wolsey summoned Paulet to appear before him, and kept him waiting in daily attendance for more than five years – under threat of confiscation of all his property for contempt of court if he did not appear. Despite all this power Wolsey did not use physical violence in pursuit of his ends – there was never any need to do so!
The result of this power was that Wolsey was the second wealthiest man in the country, the King of course being the most. Randell has estimated that Wolsey’s nearest rival had only 10% of his income. In terms of disposable wealth however Wolsey was undoubtedly the richest man in the country – much of the King’s income being already spoken for. About half his income came from the various positions he occupied, the rest from fees and bribes for favour.
Wolsey used this wealth for the ‘here and now’ not as a wastrel, but on demonstrating his wealth, position and status – Hampton Court being built as a stage to show just that, indeed this is just the most famous of his four palaces used as regular residences. His household numbered between 500-1000, depending on the occasion, which was on a par with the King and the Pope.
Did Wolsey control Henry?
Henry was no fool, and although Wolsey could influence things in the final analysis he could only do so for as long as Henry let him. This does not mean that Wolsey did not have his own agendas, or was above controlling what Henry was told, but it does mean that he knew there were limits to his powers.
For example, in 1528 Henry promised a courtier that his relative should become the abbess Wilton nunnery. Wolsey appointed his own candidate, after seemingly ‘not understanding’ the royal instruction. A second royal instruction was ignored. A third brought the response that the King’s wishes had not been clear. This infuriated Henry who said he was not prepared to be treated this way by his servant – Wolsey then rapidly backed down.
Given this relationship how was it that Wolsey had, in Pollard’s words, “despotic authority in the state”? In part it is because of his ability, drive, inter-personal skills and intellect. Also Henry’s personality and interests played a part (i.e. he could leave the mundane work of government to a highly competent individual meaning that Henry was free to enjoy himself), as did his realisation that to secure the services of a man of Wolsey’s abilities he would need to give him a fairly long leash, but a leash of course can be yanked in. That being said Henry was also careful about what others said about Wolsey, recognising that given his power Wolsey would inevitable create enemies.
It has also been suggested that Henry wanted to increase the distance between himself and his nobles and that by having the son of a butcher as his leading minister, and for his nobles to have to pay due respect to him enabled Henry to do this.
Contemporaries often cited witchcraft as a means by which Wolsey maintained his ‘hold’ over Henry, although Polydore Vergil was more prosaic claiming that Wolsey would distract Henry’s attention with a gift then bringing forward the matter that was really on his mind.