Thomas Cromwell (Parliamentary diarist)
| Thomas Cromwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1540 Launde Abbey, Leicestershire |
| Died | 1611 (aged 70–71) King’s Lynn, Norfolk |
| Occupation | Member of Parliament, parliamentary diarist |
| Spouse(s) | Katherine Gardner |
| Children | Henry Cromwell Humfrey Cromwell Ann Cromwell Susan Cromwell Lyonell Cromwell Thomas Cromwell Gregory Cromwell Katherine Cromwell Mary Cromwell |
| Parent(s) |
Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell Elizabeth Seymour |
Thomas Cromwell (c. 1540 – c. 1611), was an English Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His diaries of proceedings in the House of Commons are an important source for historians of parliamentary history during the period when he was a member, and Sir John Neale draws heavily upon them in his ground-breaking two-volume study of Elizabeth I and Her Parliaments (1953-1957).
Thomas Cromwell was the third son of Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell and Elizabeth Seymour, sister to Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII. He was the grandson of statesman Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, chief minister to Henry VIII. He was born, probably at Launde Abbey in Leicestershire, around 1540. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge where he matriculated in 1553.
Cromwell was a member of five successive Parliaments between 1571 and 1589 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His constituencies included Fowey (1571), Bodmin (1572–81) and Grampound (1586-7 and 1588). Gregory Cromwell had been a friend of Sir William Cecil, who he described in his will as my especial and singular good lord, and it may have been Cecil who found Thomas Cromwell his seats at Fowey, Bodmin and Grampound. His return at Preston in 1584 may be accounted for by the patronage of Sir Ralph Sadler, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who was brought up in the household of Cromwell’s grandfather. He served on numerous Parliamentary committees and, by the end of his career, seems to have been one of the most respected of the independent members and recognised as an authority on Parliamentary procedure. His sympathies were with the Puritan party in the House, but he was considered a moderate. Neale described him as the model type of parliamentarian, deeply versed in the history and procedure of the institution, though lacking in historical perspective; eminently responsible, but fearless in defence of liberty. He was a puritan but his zeal did not cloud his judgment which, with his knowledge of procedure, rendered him one of the most experienced committeemen of his time.
...
Wikipedia