Thomas Cromwell, briefly Earl of Essex, was an English statesman and lawyer who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false charges for the execution.
Portrait of Thomas Cromwell, Hans Holbein the Younger (1532–1533)
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
Thomas Cromwell, c. 1532–3, attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger
Anne Boleyn
Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new creation. The most well-known Earls of Essex were Thomas Cromwell, chief minister to King Henry VIII, and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1565–1601), a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I who led the Earl of Essex Rebellion in 1601.
A miniature painting of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex by Nicholas Hilliard, c. 1588
Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham, and his family
Hadham Hall, Little Hadham
The Cassiobury Estate, Watford