Ralph de Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell
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The Right Honourable The Lord Cromwell |
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|---|---|
| Treasurer of England | |
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In office 1433–1443 |
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| Monarch | Henry VI |
| Preceded by | The Lord Scrope of Masham |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Sudeley |
| Chamberlain of the Household | |
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In office 1450–1455 |
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| Monarch | Henry VI |
| Preceded by | The Lord Saye and Sele |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Stanley |
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In office 1425–1432 |
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| Monarch | Henry VI |
| Preceded by | The Lord FitzHugh |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Bardolf |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ralph de Cromwell c. 1393 |
| Died | 4 January 1456 South Wingfield, Derbyshire, England |
| Resting place | Tattershall, Lincolnshire, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Politician and diplomat |
Ralph de Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell (c. 1393 – 4 January 1456) was an English politician and diplomat. A Privy Councillor from 1422, he served as Treasurer of England (1433–1443) and twice as Chamberlain of the Household (1425–1432 and 1450–1455) during the reign of Henry VI.
He also owned and developed a number of properties, including Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire.
In his youth he served in the household of Thomas, Duke of Clarence and joined him when his army crossed into Normandy in August 1412.
Cromwell served Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, and throughout the reign he continued fighting in France. In 1417 he was present when Henry took Caen by assault, and subsequently acted as Clarence's lieutenant and constable of the army. He was present at the capture of Courtonne on 6 March 1418, of Chambrays on the 9th, and of Rivière-Thibonville on the 11th. In May 1420 he was one of the commissioners who assisted Henry in negotiating the Treaty of Troyes.
Cromwell gained the confidence of Henry V and of his brother John, Duke of Bedford, and during the minority of Henry VI he gained an important position among the lords of the council. He was first summoned to parliament on 29 September 1422, and in November he was one of the lords appointed in parliament to form the council of regency. Soon afterwards he was appointed Chamberlain of the Household, and on 29 January 1426 he was one of those sent to mediate with Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and reconcile him with Cardinal Beaufort. He seems to have generally sided with Beaufort against Gloucester, and on 1 March 1432, during Beaufort's absence in France, Gloucester seized the opportunity to remove the cardinal's friends from office and Cromwell lost the Chamberlainship. In the following May he was warned not to bring more than his usual retinue to parliament, but on 16 June, following Beaufort's example, he laid his case before the House of Lords. He complained that he had been dismissed without cause shown and contrary to the ordinances of 1429, by which the council's proceedings were regulated. He appealed to testimonials from Bedford as to the value of his services in France, but an assurance that he left office without a stain on his character was all the satisfaction he could get.
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