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Original poster

AIBU to think Cromwell

95 replies

Justanotherdramalama · 06/09/2025 04:25

If you were visiting a castle in England and the name Cromwell was mentioned numerous times. Who would automatically come to mind?

OP posts:
Toomanywaterbottles · 06/09/2025 09:31

Ratafia · 06/09/2025 09:26

Thomas, because I don't really associate Oliver and the Parliamentarians with castles.

But that’s one of the major things he is associated with! The civil war and the destruction of royalist castles around the country! My home town’s castle lies ruined because of it.

Mimosa3andmore · 06/09/2025 09:29

My DD has a History degree and I have a keen non academic interest in history. We had quite a confusing debate about Cromwell a few months ago. Only a few days later did I realise she was talking about Oliver and I was talking about Thomas 😂

Ratafia · 06/09/2025 09:28

TheDandyLion · 06/09/2025 08:57

Not being familiar with Thomas Cromwell doesn’t make me not British. That’s a strange bit of gatekeeping. Britain has centuries of history, and no one person is obliged to carry around the same trivia set as you.

Show quote history

You really can't describe Thomas Cromwell as trivia. Even if you haven't read or watched Wolf Hall, if you know anything about Henry VIII you should know about Thomas Cromwell.

Ratafia · 06/09/2025 09:26

Thomas, because I don't really associate Oliver and the Parliamentarians with castles.

FlorenceAgainstTheMachine · 06/09/2025 09:22

CruCru · 06/09/2025 07:05

Oliver. If you were in an old monastery, I would think of Thomas.

Yes, this. Oliver for castles, Thomas for monasteries.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 06/09/2025 09:10

Thomas has completely displaced Oliver in my head, even though the castles reference should put him first.

I went past Wolf Hall last summer. I was a bit over-excited 😄I have ancestors who lived locally and would presumably have seen Henry VIII and his entourage when they visited.

GRex · 06/09/2025 09:10

Tudor is Thomas, civil war is Oliver. For a castle, I would think Oliver. Religious monasteries or Tudor palace then Thomas.

Thissickbeat · 06/09/2025 09:09

Oliver.

WestwardHo1 · 06/09/2025 09:09

Pre Wolf Hall, Oliver. Now it's a bit more of a grey area.

Though still Oliver probably.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 06/09/2025 09:08

Oliver

hmmnotreallysure · 06/09/2025 09:05

Oliver

EleanorReally · 06/09/2025 09:04

oliver

SuziLikeSuziQ · 06/09/2025 09:03

Both, mainly due to the fact I went to school where the Sixth Form centre is a country house formerly owned by the Cromwell family (ex-nunnery given to Thomas after the dissolution).

Geranium879 · 06/09/2025 09:03

Thomas ! But time another Wolf hall/tutor history fan

HotBathwater · 06/09/2025 09:03

PaddlingSwan · 06/09/2025 07:17

Oliver. Proof that the UK does not do well as a republic.

I’m hoping this is said with heavy irony.

pizzaHeart · 06/09/2025 09:00

Oliver. I haven’t seen the Wolf Hall.

TheDandyLion · 06/09/2025 08:57

BMW6 · 06/09/2025 07:27

Not heard of Thomas Cromwell?

Instrumental in the Bible being printed in English?
Henry VIII's right-hand man?
Engineered Anne Boleyn's demise?
Advanced Protestantism immeasurably?
The Dissolution of the Monasteries?

I presume you are not British?

Show quote history

Not being familiar with Thomas Cromwell doesn’t make me not British. That’s a strange bit of gatekeeping. Britain has centuries of history, and no one person is obliged to carry around the same trivia set as you.

Weepingwillows12 · 06/09/2025 08:02

I think both would pop in my head pretty similar time. In a castle probably Oliver but would depend if it was a Tudor linked castle or not.

Dontlletmedownbruce · 06/09/2025 07:57

Oliver, and as an Irish person the name makes me shudder a little each time.

I probably would ask for clarification though as Thomas is very well known too.

HarrietBond · 06/09/2025 07:57

Thepeopleversuswork · 06/09/2025 07:37

They were distantly related as well weren’t they? Or did I imagine this…

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Oliver was his sister’s great grandson I think? Or great great?

Ilovemyshed · 06/09/2025 07:57

Itsnottheheatitsthehumidity · 06/09/2025 07:12

Novel by Hillary Mantel, and a TV series.

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Named after the ancestral home of Jane Seymour which was located in Wiltshire and after which the book was named.

napody · 06/09/2025 07:55

HarrietBond · 06/09/2025 07:16

Cromwell as a single surname has always meant Oliver. He is a huge figure in British history.

Thomas Cromwell wasn’t all at well known until Wolf Hall (he wasn’t even Henry VIII’s best know minister called Thomas!) so I’d usually expect someone to use both his names talking about him even now.

This.

HarrietBond · 06/09/2025 07:53

BMW6 · 06/09/2025 07:27

Not heard of Thomas Cromwell?

Instrumental in the Bible being printed in English?
Henry VIII's right-hand man?
Engineered Anne Boleyn's demise?
Advanced Protestantism immeasurably?
The Dissolution of the Monasteries?

I presume you are not British?

Show quote history

As someone who got interested in Thomas Cromwell doing A levels in the 90s I can tell you that very few people had heard of him until Hilary Mantel made him famous, despite what he did.

florizel13 · 06/09/2025 07:53

Thomas....love Tudor history

Arlanymor · 06/09/2025 07:52

As others have said - castles: Oliver, palaces and monasteries: Thomas. Although there was a Richard - the Welsh soldier known also as Sir Richard Williams…

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