Voting Station

Thomas Wolsey

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Religious Figure

The Resume

    (circa 1473-November 29, 1530)
    Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom
    Archbishop of York (1514-30)
    Named a Cardinal by Pope Leo X (September 10, 1515)
    Chancellor of England (1515-29)
    Fell out of favor with King Henry VIII due to his inability to secure an annulment of the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon
    Died of natural causes while traveling to London to answer charges of treason

Why he might be annoying:

    He fathered two children despite being a priest.
    He largely neglected his religious duties while serving in Henry's court.
    A historian argued that his success at court was largely due to a lack of guiding principles: 'He was flexible and opportunist... He was the consummate politician.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    Other royal courtiers looked down on him for not having been born into the gentry. (His father was reportedly a butcher.)
    He founded Christ Church College at Oxford.
    He effectively served as the army's quartermaster during Henry's successful military campaign in France (1513).
    A historian wrote, 'Wolsey rose at four in the morning and could work for twelve hours at a stretch without intermission.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying