Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex (c.1485-1540), English statesman. Cromwell was born to a humble family in Putney (now in London). After a basic education he went abroad and fought as a mercenary. Returning to London he became a merchant and later stood in Parliament. He found favour with King Henry VIII and was eventually appointed chief minister. He was the architect of Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and marriage to Anne Boleyn and was one of the strongest advocates of a break with Catholicism. However, his subsequent arrangement of marriage between the King and Anne of Cleves attracted Henry's displeasure and Cromwell was summarily executed for heresy and treason. This engraving first was published in Heroologia Anglica by Henry Holland,