Cranmer, Thomas (1489-07-02 - 1556-03-21)

Thomas Cranmer was the son of Thomas and Agnes (née Hatfield). Born at Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, on 2 July 1489, he arrived at Cambridge in 1503; however, he did not complete his degree until 1512. University appointments include the Rysley Readership in Divinity before he entered the king's service owing to the influence of Cardinal Wolsey. In 1532, he was consecrated the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer subsequently presided over the dissolution of the monasteries, the annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the trial of Anne Boleyn, Henry's divorce from Anne of Cleves, and the trial and execution of Catherine Howard. Additionally, he put the English Bible in parish churches and drew up the Book of Common Prayer. In 1547, he was heavily involved in the publication of the first Book of Homilies. After the death of Edward VI, he supported Lady Jane Grey in her unsuccessful bid for the throne and was ultimately charged with heresy and deprived. He was burnt at the stake in Oxford on 21 March 1556. See Diarmaid MacCulloch, Thomas Cranmer: A Life (New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press, 1996).