On This Day in Tudor History by Ridgway Claire

Author:Ridgway, Claire [Ridgway, Claire]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: MadeGlobal Publishing
Published: 2012-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

2nd July

On this day in 1489, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was born in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, England. He was the son of Thomas Cranmer, and his wife Agnes (nee Hatfield). Cranmer was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, the college where he was also elected as Fellow. He took holy orders in 1520 and obtained his Doctorate of Divinity in 1526.

From 1527, as a reputable university scholar, Thomas Cranmer was involved in assisting with the proceedings to get Henry VIII's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled, and it was he who suggested to Edward Foxe and Stephen Gardiner, in 1529, that they should canvass the opinions of university theologians throughout Europe, rather than just relying on a legal case in Rome. The King liked the plan and Cranmer was chosen as a member of the team to gather these opinions. Under Edward Foxe, the team at Rome produced the Collectanea Satis Copiosa ("The Sufficiently Abundant Collections") and "The Determinations", which supported, both historically and theologically, the idea that Henry VIII as king exercised supreme jurisdiction within his realm.

In 1532, Thomas Cranmer was appointed as ambassador at the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and it was in this role that he saw the effects of the Reformation in cities like Nuremberg, and met his wife, Marguerite. He was, however, unable to persuade Charles V to support Henry VIII's annulment from Catherine of Aragon, the Emperor's aunt. In the autumn of 1532, while in Italy, Thomas Cranmer received a letter dated 1st October 1532, informing him that he was the new Archbishop of Canterbury, due to the death of William Warham, the former archbishop. Cranmer was ordered home to England to take up his new position, one which had been arranged by Anne Boleyn and her family. Cranmer arrived back in England in January 1533, and was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury on 30th March 1533, after the arrival of papal bulls which were needed for his promotion from priest to Archbishop.

The new archbishop worked closely with his King on the annulment proceedings. Anne Boleyn was already pregnant and the couple had secretly married in January 1533, so the annulment was now considered urgent. On the 10th May 1533, Archbishop Cranmer opened court for the annulment proceedings. Catherine of Aragon did not attend, and the King was represented by Stephen Gardiner. On 23rd May, Cranmer ruled that the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was against the will of God, and the marriage was declared null and void. Five days later, on 28th May, Cranmer declared the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn valid, and on 1st June he crowned Anne Boleyn Queen of England. In September 1533, he had the pleasure of baptising the couple's daughter, Elizabeth, and becoming her godfather. Anne Boleyn fell from power and was executed in May 1536, but Cranmer fortunately survived the fall of his patron and friend.

In the summer of 1536, Archbishop Cranmer's "Ten Articles" were finally published, after much debate between the conservatives and reformers.

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