Wolsey, Thomas c. 1475-1530. English cleric
and politician. In Henry VIII's service from
1509, he became archbishop of York 1514,
cardinal and Lord Chancellor in 1515, and
began the dissolution of the monasteries. His
reluctance to further Henry's divorce from
Catherine of Aragon, partly because of his
ambition to be pope, led to his downfall in
1529. He was charged with high treason in
1530 but died before being tried.