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The son of an Ipswich butcher, in the early 1500s, Wolsey established himself as an indispensable administrator both for the crown and the English church. A court chaplain from 1507, in 1509 he was made royal almoner and, effectively, royal secretary.In 1514, Wolsey was created Archbishop of York and, a year later, he was made a cardinal by the Pope and Lord Chancellor by Henry VIII. By 1518 he held legatine powers in England but in 1522 (when Adrian VI was elected) and 1523 (Clement VII) he was passed over for Pope. He spent lavishly and built palatial residences at York House (Whitehall) and Hampton Court. Wolsey dominated Henrician court and patronage and took an active interest in judicial and financial review.
This caused his downfall as, when he was unable to accomplish Henry\'s divorce from Katherine of Aragon, there was no one else to blame. On 4 November 1530, Wolsey was arrested at Cawood Castle, Selby, near York. He died at Leicester, en route to London to be tried for treason
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