Wolsey!!!

The man, the legend…the outfit

Rise to power
• There are several reasons
for Wolsey’s rise to power

• Henry’s attitude to work

• Henry’s aims as a king
• Wolsey’s talent

• Can you find a line of

argument for each and
evidence to support it?
What power did Wolsey accrue?
Wolsey did such a great job
for Henry that he was
rewarded hugely.

What rewards did he get

and what were the
consequences of this?
Powerful enemies
When Henry VII died, the nobility
assumed that his son would grant
them more power and that they
would get influence in court.
Instead, Henry VIII put power into
the hands of his servant Wolsey.
This made the nobility extremely
jealous and they became enemies
of Wolsey, seeking to bring him
down.
Wolsey’s enemies came to see him as
arrogant and vindictive.
An example was the Duke of
Buckingham, who was the only man
to hold the title of Duke at the end of
Henry VII’s reign.
Wolsey had him investigated for
suggesting that Henry VIII might not
reign for long – he was arrested and
executed for treason in 1521.
Wolsey and the nobility were
enemies!!
Wolsey’s personality
Wolsey had humble origins
– the son of a butcher. The
nobility attacked him as a
‘commoner’ so he
compensated by amassing
huge wealth!
How important is
Wolsey’s wealth
in our judgement
of him?
“He has a very great reputation – seven
times more so than if he were Pope. He has
a very fine Palace, where one crosses eight
rooms before reaching his audience
chamber and they are all hung with tapestry,
which is changed once a week. In his own
chamber there is always a cupboard with
silver vessels to the amount of 30,000
ducats, this being customary with the
English nobility. He is supposed to be very
rich indeed, in money, plate and household
stuff. The archbishopric of York yields him
about 14,000 ducats. From gifts, which he
receives in the same manner as the King, he
makes some 15,000 ducats.”
Venetian ambassador’s report, 1519
The problem of sources “Thus royally he doth deal

Under the King’s broad seal;

• George Cavendish – a member of
Wolsey’s household, so knew him And in the Chequer he them checks
well.
And in the Star Chamber he nods and
• John Skelton (1460? – 1529) wrote he becks,
a satire on Wolsey. Skelton was
And beareth him there so stout
critical of the Church but even
more critical of the most powerful That no man dare rowt!
man in the Church. Skelton would
have been foolish to have verbally Duke, earl, baron nor lord,

criticised Wolsey, so he wrote a But to his sentence must accord;”

famous poem making fun of him
Which of these two wrote the
above?
So…
Why is Wolsey such an
interesting (and difficult
topic for historians?)
The answer lies in….
• His legal reforms
• His financial reforms
• His economic policies
• His career in the Church
• His foreign policy
• The King’s divorce
“Deceitful Diplomat”
Evidence for
Wolsey brought European powers together
in Peace of London (1518), by 1522 England
was attacking France. Wolsey used
diplomacy – eg negotations with Charles at
Bruges – to further his ambition to be Pope
according to AF Pollard.
Evidence Against
Wolsey was simply a servant of
Henry’s desire for glory- so he
had to organise war in 1512/3,
the Peace treaty of 1518 was
the best way to get glory when
there was no money, but as
more money was raised Henry
expected to invade France eg
1522.
“True servant of the King”
Cavendish “I never saw this realm in better order”. Wolsey used the Court of Star Chamber
Enormous energy and capacity for hard work – supplying to attack his enemies.
men, money and munitions for the victorious campaign AF Pollard suggested that Wolsey did
in France at the Battle of the Spurs 1513. The Field of not carry out foreign policy for the
the Cloth of Gold made Henry look as powerful as his King’s benefit but for his own ambition
rival Francis I of France. Introduced the Tudor subsidy to become Pope.
which provided far more money for the King to spend on
war. Wolsey fell out with Parliament in 1523 because he
had to ask them for cash to fuel the King’s foreign policy.
In 1525, Wolsey demanded the ‘Amicable Grant’, it was
likely that he can consulted with the King and had to
fuel his desire for war with France. Wolsey diverted
public anger away from the King.
“Extravagant Spendthrift”
Had a household of over 500 servants.
His expensive tastes needed a lot of
money and he used income from the
Church to pay for them. (Evidence for)
The display was one way
of compelling obedience
and it was the King who
was the real beneficiary.
(Evidence against)
“Energetic Reformer”
Brought the tax system up to date – introduced
the ‘subsidy’, people had to declare property and
income and then be assessed for tax. The system
produced far more money for the king.
Reformed the legal system by using Star Chamber
to try the powerful on behalf of the poor.
Improved educational standards of the clergy by
forming “Cardinal College”. He wanted to reform
the monasteries but ran out of time.
As a legate of the Pope, Wolsey
had infinite powers to reform the
Church – educational reforms did
not outlast him. He embodied the
principal abuses in the Church –
holding several bishoprics,
appointing non-resident Italians
to several posts and then
pocketing the income. Fathered a
daughter despite a vow of
celibacy. Politics distracted him
from reform.
“Peace-loving statesman”
Wolsey took up the Pope’s call
to unify Christendom against
the Turks by negotiating the
1518 Peace Treaty of London.
He then tried to maintain the
balance of power in Europe by
allying England against whoever
was stronger in Europe
AF Pollard suggested
that Wolsey’s treaties
were part of a
campaign to get
Charles V’s support
for his election as
pope. Wolsey
consistently sought
alliances to attack
France eg 1522/3 –
leading to the Duke of
Suffolk’s invasion.
“Greedy egoist”
“He was a man of unbounded “In my judgement I never
stomach, ever ranking himself with saw this realm in better
princes” (Shakespeare). Tried to bully order” (Cavendish)
Parliament in to granting a tax for the
King “I am from the King’s own person
sent hither unto you for the
preservation of yourselves and all the
realm”. Illustrations from Cavendish’s
biography show him riding in
procession, preceded by two large
crosses and his cardinal’s hat. Named
Cardinal College after himself and
displayed his Coat of Arms all over it.
The same was true at Hampton Court.
“impartial dispenser of justice”
He regularly presided over the Court of Wolsey used the Court of
Chancery and the Court of Star Chamber Star Chamber to attack his
– he dealt with over 500 cases per year. enemies, the butcher’s boy
Wolsey could summon the powerful enjoyed riding roughshod
before him – “For all their noble blood, over the nobility.
He plucks them by the hood” (Skelton).
This stopped feuding amongst the
nobility and restored royal authority.
Questions to work on
• EXPLAIN WHY CARDINAL WOLSEY WAS ABLE TO BECOME THE KING’S
CHIEF MINISTER (nb THIS MEANS EXPLAINING WOLSEY’S QUALITIES
AND ALSO WHY THE KING NEEDED THEM)

• WAS WOLSEY MORE OR LESS POWERFUL THAN THE KING?