Dissolution of the monasteries

Motivations of power

Henry doesn’t like that the monasteries owe allegiance to Pope/Rome over him

-the monks are some of the most outspoken critics

Religious motivations

critics of monasteries were gaining popularity, Germany + Scandinavia dissolving religious houses

Financial motivations

Crown in desperate need of income, monasteries had lots of wealth, closing them enriched the crown.

• monasteries seem easy target, dwindling numbers and view that they didn’t have enough respect for the amount of wealth they had

• Crown embarking on plan to fortify England against potential attack from Catholic countries (expensive, needs money)

Corruption motives

used as a pretext for closing monasteries

• corruption, misuse of funds, fraud, alleged offences of treason, widespread immorality, sexual perversion

Comperta Monastica date

1535

What was the Comperta Monastica

Book containing list of monks’ transgressions and abuses

• Cromwell organised agents to visit religious houses

• agents: Richard Layton, John ap Rhys, John Vaugh

When was the Valor Ecclesiasticus

1536

What was the Valor Ecclesiasticus and what did it show

survey of ecclesiastical wealth + property

• undertaken by local gentry

• every parish + monastic institution visited

• net value income £320,000 - £360,000

How did Cromwell use the Comperta and Valor

used as evidence for:

• corruption

• alleged treason

• immorality (drunkenness, gambling)

• sexual perversion

• misapplication of funds (only 3% of income regularly allocated to charity)

When was the dissolution of lesser monasteries

1536

Impact of dissolution of lesser monasteries

• 399 suppressed; members told to join larger monastery or rejoin society

• heads of houses were pensioned off

• 67 remain but suffered large financial penalty

When was the Pilgrimage of Grace

1536 - 37

• revolt in North against religious change

When was the dissolution of remaining monasteries

1538 - 40

Act legalising dissolution

1539, passed by Parliament

Log term consequences

• cultural vandalism of church

• wealth of monasteries squandered (1547, > ½ of monastic lands in Henry’s possession)

• 1547, crown made £800,000 from sales

• power to normal people at local level from sale of land - some evidence of landownership extending down social ladder but only some

Short term consequences

• some wealth invested in education e.g new grammar schools in Canterbury, Bristol and Chester

• monks/friars find paid employment in other areas of church but nuns suffer

• nuns not allowed to marry priests

• exacerbates situation of poor

Do the monasteries accept their dissolution

• most but not all

• those who don’t face death e.g Richard Whiting Abbot of Glastonbury

How many monastic houses closed by 1540

800

• only a small number transformed into schools/hospitals

Why could the monasteries offer little resistance

• piecemeal policy of closure meant it was hard to organise resistance

• H has law on his side as supreme head

• senior abbots + friars had been bought off, no leadership

social and economic consequences

• impacts economy as they employed a lot of farm workers

• loss of charity; contributed to begging, crime and social instability

• some Abbeys became cathedrals e.g Westminster

What does it tell you about Cromwell

• has significant influence

• main focus is serving Henry, will put everything else aside to do so