Summary

Part I, Chapter 1 – It is 1500 in Putney. Young Thomas Cromwell is savagely beaten by his father, Walter, a blacksmith and brewer. Thomas is treated by his sister, Kat, and questioned by her husband, Morgan Williams. It is not the first time Thomas has been beaten up by his father. He blames the current episode as punishment for his having fought with other boys down by the river. Thomas knows he must get out of town, and Morgan and Kat give him money to do so. Thomas manages to gain passage with three elderly wool cloth-selling Lowlanders aboard a ship. He tells them he is 15, but they do not believe him. Thomas puts a holy medal around his neck, a gift from Kat, and looks forward to the open sea.

Part I, Chapter 2 – It is now April, 1527. Thomas Cromwell, a veteran mercenary...