My 9th Great Grandmother Elizabeth Cromwell
If the name Cromwell rings a bell that's because it has some rather famous historical characters associated with it. Thomas Cromwell was famously beheaded. He was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540. You may remember his participation in the Ann Boleyn scandal. Hollywood offers many versions of his story. Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex is my 13th great uncle. Then there was Oliver Cromwell,one of the generals on the parliamentary side in the English Civil War against King Charles I . He was a key figure in the overthrow of the Stuart monarchy . As lord protector, he was responsible for England becoming a great European power again after it lost some of its power after the death of Queen Elizabeth I . He was said to be a man of outstanding gifts and forceful character. His biography says ,"He was one of the most remarkable rulers in modern European history. Although a convinced Calvinist , he be