Who was Thomas Cranmer? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In July

Also Known As: Кранмер, Томас

Died At Age: 66

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Joan Cranmer

father: Thomas Cranmer

mother: Agnes Hatfield

Born Country: England

Theologians Non-Fiction Writers

Died on: March 21, 1556

place of death: Broad Street, Oxford

Cause of Death: Execution

More Facts

education: Jesus College, Cambridge, Magdalene College, Cambridge, University of Cambridge

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1

Where was Thomas Cranmer born?

Thomas Cranmer was born in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, England.
2

What role did Thomas Cranmer play in the English Reformation?

Thomas Cranmer was the Archbishop of Canterbury and played a key role in the English Reformation, helping to establish the Church of England separate from the authority of the Pope.
3

What was Thomas Cranmer's involvement in the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn?

Thomas Cranmer annulled Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and declared his marriage to Anne Boleyn valid, sparking the English Reformation.
4

What was Thomas Cranmer's fate under Queen Mary I of England?

Thomas Cranmer was arrested for heresy and treason under Queen Mary I of England, and ultimately was burned at the stake in 1556.
5

What significant writings or works are attributed to Thomas Cranmer?

Thomas Cranmer is known for his contributions to the Book of Common Prayer, which became a foundational text for Anglican liturgy and worship.

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Childhood & Early Life

Thomas Cranmer was born on 2 July 1489, in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, England to Thomas and Agnes Cranmer. He hailed from a family of modest means.

While nothing concrete is known about his childhood and schooling, it is believed that he attended a grammar school in his village.

He was sent to the Jesus College, Cambridge, when he was 14. He studied there for eight long years before completing his Bachelor of Arts degree. While studying logic, classical literature and philosophy at the college, he also began to collect medieval scholastic books.

He then embarked on a study on the humanists, Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples and Erasmus, for his master’s degree and received his Master of Arts degree in 1515. Shortly afterwards, he was elected to a Fellowship of Jesus College.

He soon got married and because of this he was forced to forfeit his fellowship at Jesus College.

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Career

Thomas Cranmer started working as reader at Buckingham Hall (later reformed as Magdalene College) to fend for his family. His wife became pregnant and died in childbirth.

Following the death of his wife the Jesus College reinstated his fellowship. He started studying theology and was ordained by 1520. He received his Doctor of Divinity degree in 1526.

In August 1529, he had a chance meeting with Stephen Gardiner and Edward Foxe, two of King Henry VIII’s chief councilors. At that time the king desired to be freed from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in order to marry his mistress Anne Boleyn. The king was desperately looking for help and appointed Cranmer in the royal service with the request that he help the king in getting a divorce.

Cranmer agreed to write a propaganda treatise in the king’s interest and worked towards obtaining the annulment of Henry's marriage with Catherine of Aragon.

He was appointed the resident ambassador at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, in 1532. He was sent to Germany and was ordered to establish contact with the Lutheran princes in order to learn more about Lutheranism.

The archbishop William Warham died in August 1532 and Cranmer was summoned back to England. He was officially consecrated as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on 30 March 1533 in St Stephen's Chapel. His promotion came as a surprise to many as he had held only minor positions in the Church so far. But Cranmer knew that he had been promoted in order to expedite the king’s divorce.

After his appointment was approved by the pope, Cranmer convened his court at Dunstable in May 1533 and declared the king’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon void from the beginning. The king had secretly married Anne Boleyn a few months ago, and Cranmer pronounced the marriage of Henry and Anne Boleyn to be valid.

As a reformer, he played a pivotal role in bringing about major changes to the Church of England. He collaborated with Thomas Cromwell and the two men promoted the publication of an English Bible. In 1545, he composed a litany for the Reformed church in England which is still used in the church.

Cranmer was unable to bring about any radical religious reforms during the reign of King Henry due to political reasons. But once King Edward VI came to power, Cranmer was successful in bringing about the doctrinal changes which he desired to implement in the church. He also published the First Book of Common Prayer in 1549, during Edward’s reign. The Second Book of Common Prayer was issued in 1552.

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Edward VI became seriously ill in 1553 and died. Even though the king had named his first cousin once removed, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir, Jane was deposed within 13 days of her accession by Edward’s half-sister Mary.

Queen Mary was a staunch Catholic and reversed Edward's Protestant reforms. Her accession to the throne also saw the downfall of Thomas Cranmer.

Personal Life & Legacy

Thomas Cranmer married a woman named Joan shortly after receiving his MA. His wife died in her first childbirth.

In 1532, he married Margaret, a Lutheran and a niece of the prominent Lutheran scholar Andreas Osiander. The couple had one daughter and one son.

After King Edward VI's death, Mary I became the Queen of England and Ireland. A Roman Catholic, she had over 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake. She had the Protestant Cranmer arrested and tried him for treason. He was eventually burned at the stake on March 21, 1556.

Facts About Thomas Cranmer

Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, was known for his love of learning and was one of the key figures in the English Reformation.

Cranmer was a skilled linguist and was fluent in several languages, including Greek and Latin.

He played a significant role in shaping the Book of Common Prayer, which remains a central part of Anglican worship to this day.

Cranmer was a proponent of the idea that the Bible should be translated into the vernacular so that ordinary people could read it for themselves.

Despite facing persecution and ultimately martyrdom for his beliefs, Cranmer remained steadfast in his commitment to his faith and principles.

Thomas Cranmer Biography

You wanted to know

Where was Thomas Cranmer born?

What role did Thomas Cranmer play in the English Reformation?

What was Thomas Cranmer's involvement in the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn?

What was Thomas Cranmer's fate under Queen Mary I of England?

What significant writings or works are attributed to Thomas Cranmer?