who is...thomas cromwell

Cromwell was an English statesman and adviser to Henry VIII, responsible for drafting the legislation that formalised England's break with Rome.

Thomas Cromwell was born in Putney in southwest London in around 1485, the son of a cloth worker. He spent much of his early adulthood in Europa as a soldier, accountant and merchant, but returned to England around 1512 and studied law. In 1520, in a pivotal career move, he became legal secretary for Cardinal Wolsey who was in service to Henry VIII. When Wolsey fell out of favour with the king, Cromwell survived and in 1523...