Thomas Cromwell - Aspects of his Administrative Work - Thesis

Sep 3, 2026

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A scholarly thesis examines Thomas Cromwell’s administrative work, focusing on the characteristic features of his governance and what they reveal about his personality. The study defines the limits and reviews the sources, then traces Cromwell’s rise to power, showing how he advanced step by step through offices. It analyzes his chief lay offices, their functions, importance, and the effects of his tenure on finance and secretarial structures, followed by his role in financial, clerical, and council administration.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages485

Reading Time20 h 22 min

AccessFree to download

Thesis

Introduction: Scope and Sources of this Study

Chapter 1: Cromwell's Rise to Power

Chapter 2: Cromwell's Offices

Chapter 3: The Financial Administration

Chapter 4: The Clerical Organisation

Chapter 5: The Council

Chapter 6: Cromwell's Place in the History of Administration

Appendix A: Transcripts of Documents

Appendix B: Manuscript Sources

T H 0 MA S C R 0 T E L LASPECTS OF HIS ADMINISTRATIVE WORK。 G.R.Elton # Thesis submitted Ior the degree or Ph.D.in the University of London 1948 · E4Tc Thomas Cromvell:Aspects ohis Administrative Work。(Brief summary or thesis). The thesis is concerned with these points: The featureg of Cromwell's administration. The light they throw on his personality. The place of his rule on the history of administration.The introduction defines the limits set and reviews the gources.A first chapter discusses Cromvell's iise to power,showing thathe rose by degrees and as an administrator,his arrival to powerbeing marked by his obtaining an office. Chapter two_inves-tigates his chief lay offices(master of the jewels,clerk ofthe hanaper,chancellor of the exchequer,principal secretary,master of the rolls,lord privy seal),dealing with theirfunctions,their importance to Cronwell,and the effect on them of his tenure. His choice of offices is seen to have beendetermined by a desire to control the financicl and secretarialorganisations,and these are then discussed. In the former,note is taken of Cromwell's personal treasurership which madehin the main disbursing officer for the king's money,of hfsrelationg with the chamber machinery wrhose decline was die tohim,and of the agencies established to administer the newrevenues. Then come his dealings with the various secreta-riats:“orders which tightened up the organisation of thesignet office; 8 stricter definition of the use of the signetand privy seal in the process of a grant under the great seal,and Cromwell's evasion of his ovm rules; his personal activi-ties as secretary and lord privy seal; his use of ThomasWriothesley as "undersecretary"in charge of the clericaldepartments. The last chapter investigates Cromwell's re-lations with the council; he is seen to have encouraged con-ciliar government and himself to have organised the privycouncil proper as carly as 1536. The conclusion attempts toaccount for the fact that in his administration Cromwell seemsto have been guided by contradictory desires(to organisebureaucratically,and to evade bureaucratic organisation in tinterests of personal ascendancy),and to assess his place asthe founder of modern government in England. # BEST COPY AVAILABLE Poor text in the originalthesis. Some text bound close tothe spine. Some images distorted THOMAS CROMYELLAspects or his Administrative Work Table of Contents. Prefatory Notesi…………………………………………………………………………………iii Introduction: Scope and Sourcos of this Study……………………………1 …………………………………………………12 Chapter 1:Cromwell's Rise to Po I。The Manner oi his Ris0 II.The Stages of his Rig0 Chapter 2:Cromwell's 0ffices.. 68 I。Master of the Jevel8 II.Clork of the Hananer (p.86) III。Chancellor of the Ex IV.Principal Secretary V.Master of the Roll9 VI。Lord Privy Seal(p.136) VII。The Significance of the Offices(p.151) Note:Master of the Wards(p.156) Chapter 3:The Financial Administration………………………………………………161 I.The Financial Administration in 1531(p.161) II.Cromvell as a. Treasurer(p.174) III.Crozwell and the Chamber(p.201) IV. Cromwell's Ne Machinery(p.234) Cromwell¹s Reforns(p.286) V. The Administration after Chapter 4:The Clerical Organisation………………………………………………………284 I.The Signet and Signet OIfice(p.284) II.The Privy 8eal(p.316) III.Cromwell¹日 Personal Activity(p.332) IV.Thomas Wriothesley, CromvelI¹8 "Undersecretary" (p.341) Chapter 5:The Council………………… …359 I.The Council before Cromwell(p.359) II。The Council under Cromwell(p.373) III.Cromwell and tho Council(p.385) IV.The Rise of the Privy Council(p.409) Chapter 6:Cromwell'B Place in the History of…………………………443 Adminigtration Appendix A:Transcripts of Documents……………………………………………………457 I.The financial machinery when Cro面well came to power(p.458) II."Account A",a specimen of Cromwell'8 accounts (p.463) III。The earliest surviving,warrant for p

FAQs

What are the main aims of the thesis on Thomas Cromwell’s administration?

The thesis addresses the features of Cromwell’s administration, what those features reveal about his personality, and Cromwell’s place in the history of administration.

How does the thesis explain Cromwell’s rise to power?

It discusses Cromwell’s rise through stages, emphasizing that his arrival to power was marked by his obtaining an office.

Which aspects of governance are analyzed beyond his rise to power?

The thesis examines his chief lay offices, the financial administration, the clerical organization (including the signet and privy seal), and his relations with the council and the development of the Privy Council.

Sep 3, 2026

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