Thomas Wolsey

**Thomas Wolsey** (born between 1471 and 1476 at Ipswich, Suffolk; died 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and archbishop. He was made a cardinal in 1515. Of humble origin, Thomas Wolsey became the principal figure in affairs of state for many years during the reign of King Henry VIII of England before falling into disgrace.

Cardinal Wolsey chiefly developed his talents in managing the foreign policy of the kingdom on behalf of Henry VIII. In spite of the many enemies who envied his ambition, he was able to  acquire the confidence of the king until the latter decided to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled in order to marry Anne Boleyn.

## Chronology

- Between 1471 and 1476: born at Ipswich.
- 10 March 1498: ordained priest.
- 1509: Dean of Lincoln; made royal almoner and member of the Council.
- 1514: Took Thomas More into his service to look after his revenue.
- 1515: Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England.
    - 10 September 1515: Pope Leo X created Wolsey a cardinal.
- 1516: Obtained from Leo X the title of cardinal-legate.  He proceeded to take the possessions of thirty monasteries and put himself forward as a candidate to become Pope.
- 1518: Bishop of Bath and Wells (while still Archbishop of York)
- 1522: Resigned Bishopric of Bath and Wells
- 1525: Founded _Cardinal College_ at Oxford (afterwards Christ Church), one of the largest and richest colleges of the University of Oxford.
- 1529: The varying attitudes of Wolsey, wishing to keep the Pope happy, had the effect of destroying his credit with the king.  In the autumn, impelled by Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII brought charges against Thomas Wolsey.  He was dismissed from his office of Lord Chancellor and deprived of his properties, including the palace of Whitehall, where Henry decided go and live, instead of Westminster Palace.
- 29 November 1530: He died of exhaustion at Leicester while being transferred to the Tower of London.

## Other websites

- Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church , Wolsey, Thomas
- Catholic-Hierarchy, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey

## Infobox (christian leader)

- **embed**: yes
- **type**: cardinal
- **honorific-prefix**: His Eminence
- **name**: Thomas Wolsey
- **title**: **Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal, Archbishop of York,
Primate of England**
- **appointed**: 15 September 1514
- **term end**: 29 November 1530
- **predecessor**: Christopher Bainbridge
- **successor**: Edward Lee (archbishop), Edward Lee
- **other post**: Cardinal-Priest of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, S. Cecilia _(1515–1530)_
- **ordination**: 10 March 1498
- **ordained by**: Augustine Church, Titular Bishop of Lydda
- **consecration**: 26 March 1514
- **consecrated by**: William Warham
- **cardinal**: 10 September 1515
- **created cardinal by**: Pope Leo X, Leo X
- **birth date**: March 1473
- **birth place**: Ipswich, Suffolk, England
- **death date**: (aged 57)
- **death place**: Leicester, Leicestershire, England
- **buried**: Leicester Abbey
- **nationality**: English
- **religion**: Roman Catholicism
- **alma mater**: Magdalen College, Oxford
- **parents**: Robert Wolsey (father) and Joan Daundy (mother)
- **coat of arms**: File:Coat of arms of Thomas Wolsey.svg
- **module**:


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Thomas Wolsey
- **office**: Lord Chancellor, Lord High Chancellor of England
- **honorific-prefix**: His Eminence, His Grand Eminence The Right Honourable
- **image**: Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.jpg
- **caption**: Portrait of Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal Wolsey at Trinity College, University of Cambridge (c. 1585–1596)
- **preceded**: William Warham
- **succeeded**: Sir Thomas More
- **imagesize**: 250px
- **term start**: 1515
- **term end**: 1529