Wolsey’s fool, given to King Henry as a gift at the start of Wolf Hall.
The story so far…
Week 2: At Austin Friars / Visitation
“What in God’s name is he doing here?” Cromwell says when we first meet Patch on the riverbank of the Thames. Their master is in disgrace, but Path makes a joke. When the king brings a gift and hope of reprieve, Wolsey makes Patch a gift to the king. Cromwell notes that he “shouldn’t have drawn attention to himself”.
Week 7: Entirely Beloved Cromwell (Part 2)
The next time we see Patch again he is playing his old master Wolsey in a farce at Hampton Court. It is 1530 and Wolsey is dead. He calls Cromwell “the Italian” and Cromwell warns him he can “fix” him. “Come and meet me here, ten years today, if you’re still alive,” says Patch. Cromwell: “You would have a fright if I was dead.”