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Thomas Wolsey (c. March 1473〔"Alastair Armstrong, Henry VIII: Authority, Nation and Religion 1509–1540"〕 – 29 November 1530; sometimes spelled ''Woolsey'') was an English political figure and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the King's almoner.〔 ''Oxford Dictionary National Biography'', Thomas Wolsey. 〕 Wolsey's affairs prospered, and by 1514 he had become the controlling figure in virtually all matters of state and extremely powerful within the Church. The highest political position he attained was Lord Chancellor, the King's chief adviser. In that position, he enjoyed great freedom and was often depicted as an ''alter rex'' (other king). He fell out of favour after failing to negotiate an annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and was stripped of his government titles. He retreated to York to fulfil his ecclesiastical duties as Archbishop of York, a position he nominally held but had neglected during his years in government. He was recalled to London to answer to charges of treason—a common charge used by Henry against ministers who fell out of favour—but died ''en route'' of natural causes. Within the Church, he became Archbishop of York, the second most important cleric in England, and then was made a cardinal in 1515, giving him precedence even over the Archbishop of Canterbury. ==Early life== Thomas Wolsey was born circa 1473, the son of Robert Wolsey of Ipswich and his wife Joan Daundy.〔 His father was widely thought to have been a butcher〔Spanish Chronicle, p.1〕 and a cattle dealer.〔G. R. Elton, England under the Tudors: Third Edition (London: Routledge, 1991), p. 74〕 Thomas Wolsey attended Ipswich School〔''Thomas Wolsey (1473–1530), royal minister, archbishop of York, and cardinal'' by Sybil M. Jack in ''Dictionary of National Biography''.〕 and Magdalen College School before studying theology at Magdalen College, Oxford. On 10 March 1498, he was ordained a priest in Marlborough, Wiltshire and remained in Oxford, first as the Master of Magdalen College School before quickly being appointed the dean of divinity. Between 1500 and 1509 he held the living of Church of Saint Mary, Limington, in Somerset. In 1502, he left and became a chaplain to Henry Deane, archbishop of Canterbury, who died the following year.〔 He was then taken into the household of Sir Richard Nanfan, who trusted Wolsey to be executor of his estate. After Nanfan's death in 1507, Wolsey entered the service of Henry VII. It was to Wolsey's advantage that Henry VII had introduced measures to curb the power of the nobility and was prepared to favour those from more humble backgrounds.〔Oxford Dictionary National Biography, Henry VII.〕 Henry VII appointed Wolsey royal chaplain.〔Williams p.26〕 In this position Wolsey was secretary to Richard Foxe, who recognized Wolsey's innate ability and dedication and appreciated his industry and willingness to take on tedious tasks.〔Oxford Dictionary National Biography, Richard Fox〕 Thomas Wolsey's remarkable rise to power from humble origins can be attributed to his high level of intelligence and organisation, his extremely industrious nature, his driving ambition for power, and the rapport he was able to achieve with the King. In April 1508, Wolsey was sent to Scotland to discuss with King James IV rumours of the renewal of the auld alliance.〔Macdougall, Norman, ''James IV'', Tuckwell (1997), p.254: ''Letters of James IV'', Scottish History Society (1953) pp. xlii, 107–111〕 Wolsey's rise coincided with the accession of the new monarch, Henry VIII, whose character, policies and diplomatic mindset differed significantly from those of his father. In 1509, Henry appointed Wolsey to the post of Almoner,〔 a position that gave him a seat on the Privy Council, providing an opportunity to raise his profile and to establish a rapport with the King.〔Williams, p. 26〕 A factor in Wolsey's rise was that the young Henry VIII was not particularly interested in the details of governing during his early years.〔''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', "Henry VIII"; 2004〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas Wolsey」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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