Thomas Audley, lord, lord chancellor of England in the reign of Henry VIII., supposed to have been born at Earl's Colne, in Essex, died at his London residence in 1544. In 1529 he was made speaker of the house of commons in that long parliament which broke up the smaller religious houses throughout the kingdom. In 1532 he was knighted, and succeeded Sir Thomas More as keeper of the great seal, and on Jan. 26, 1533, became lord chancellor of England, which office he retained until his death. Audley presided at the trial of Sir Thomas More. In the distribution of the church lands, the priory of the canons of the Holy Trinity, usually called Christ church, in London, with all the real estate of the establishment, and the great abbey of Walden in Essex, fell to his share. The former he altered into a town residence for himself. In 1538 he was created Baron Audley of Walden. In 1542 he gave certain lands toward the support of the institution then known as Buckingham college, Oxford, which was thereupon incorporated under the name of St. Mary Magdalen.