Henry VIII - Essay Plans

Possible questions

To what extent is the Break from Rome best understood in terms of the king's desire for wealth and power?

To what extent had England become a Protestant country by 1547?

To what extent did Henry VIII pursue a consistent religious policy?

How great was the impact of the Dissolution of the Monasteries on English society between 1536 and 1547?

Why did all opposition to the Henrician Reformation ultimately fail?

To what extent was Henry VIII ever seriously threatened by opposition to his religious changes between 1533 and 1547?

To what extent is the Break from Rome best understood in terms of the king's desire for wealth and power?

LOA: The best explanation for the cause of the Break from Rome was to legitimize Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, in order that he could pursue a relationship with Anne Boleyn.

Structure:

- Wealth and power - defined as War with France/imperial gains + money

- Anti-clericalism/concerns over the state of the church

- Divorce

- Henry's Religion

Counter: Anti-clericalism/concerns over the state of the church was the most important reason for the Break from Rome.

A mood for reform

Dismissed Wolsey → epitome of clerical abuses

Replaced Wolsey with More

Summoned parliament ⇒ guaranteed to voice anticlerical concerns

Argument: Anti-clericalism/concerns over the state of the church was NOT the most important reason for the Break from Rome.

Clear that Wolsey was mainly dismissed due to his inability to grant Henry a divorce.

Summoning parliament --> anachronistic understanding of parliament; no intrinsic guarantee.

Visitation records do not provide evidence of widespread complaints.

Counter Argument: Henry VIII's religion was the main reason for the Break from Rome.

Could be argued that Henry wished to leave England as a Protestant country by the end of his reign.

1544: 6 year old Edward given a Protestant Humanist tutor

1546: Heavily Protestant regency council named

Argument: Henry VIII's religion was NOT the main reason for the Break from Rome.

anachronistic, this all happened a decade AFTER the Break from Rome

Also, eg Act of Six Articles 1549 was Catholic.

Conventionally pious: shrines + money to monastic houses

The Defence of the Seven Sacraments (1520) --> 'defender of the faith'

Divorce/Marriage

Marries Catherine of Aragon (1509), when he comes to throne

She does not bear male children → no heir.

Mid 1520s: Henry becomes convinced it is a fruitless marriage.

Anne Boleyn catches his eye, but she is only willing to pursue a relationship with him if he gives her a formal position.

Turns to Wolsey --> falls from grace because he fails as a result of his mild approach

Sending Cranmer on his trip around Europe was clearly not religiously motivated → the point was to find a way around divorce NOT to reform religion in England. The work that Cranmer produced: 'Collectanea Satis Copiosa' was what the supremacy act was based on - no religious basis, therefore.

Turns to law to find a dossier of precedence to back up his case and weaken the church's resistance - praemunire etc.

Counter Argument: Wealth and power was the most important reason for the Break from Rome.

Monasteries = intrinsic part of Catholic society, you can't dissolve them if you're connected to Rome

First fruits and tenths tax

To fund more wars and France

Argument: Wealth and power was NOT the most important reason for the Break from Rome.

Unlikely he would Break from Rome solely for this reason.

Plus, some spoilation of the church would have been possible without e,g; clerical taxation, some monastic dissolution → Wolsey had closed some smaller abbeys and so did Cromwell in 1530 without breaking from Rome.

Added advantage, rather than the primary cause.

To what extent had England become a Protestant country by 1547?/To what extent did Henry VIII pursue a consistent religious policy?

LOA: England had only become a Protestant country to a small extent by 1547.

Structure:

- Religious acts

- Reformation from below

- Actions of Henry VIII

Argument: Religious acts were not very Protestant, especially at the end of Henry VIII's reign.

- 1539 Act of Six Articles

- 1543 Act for the Advancement of True Religion

- 1539 Dissolution of the Smaller Monasteries

- Cromwell- Cromwell behind most Prot acts (many disappear after his death), so 7 years after fall sees reverse (also Act of Six Articles passed when he is sick)

Counter Argument: Actions of Henry VIII suggest that the country is very Protestant by 1547.

- Prince Edward VI:

1544 - Protestant Tutor

1546 - heavily protestant council named

Argument: Actions of Henry VIII suggests that the country is NOT very Protestant by 1547.

Rebuttal: Henry may have just been looking for stability and continuity into Edward's reign, especially during his minority rule and therefore does not shed light on whether he was Catholic/Protestant.

Executions --> John Lambart and Anne Askew for denying transubstantiation.

Bishops' Book --> revision by Henry showed strong Catholic tendencies (eg confession, transubstantiation etc)

Counter Argument: Reformation from below indicates that the country is very Protestant by 1547.

Hutton

- no purchase of new images suggesting shift towards Protestantism

Argument: Reformation from below indicates that the country is NOT very Protestant by 1547.

Churchwardens' accounts at St Martin's Leicester 1546-7 - plateau in reform as little evidence of Protestant tendencies.

Hutton:

- no purchase of bibles - therefore not Protestant.

Bowker- Clergy

- Between 1536 and 1547 much smaller uptake of the priesthood

How great was the impact of the Dissolution of the Monasteries on English society between 1536 and 1547?

LOA: the dissolution of the monasteries did not have a massive impact on English society.

Structure:

- social

- economic

- religious

- political (if time)

Counter Argument: the dissolution of the monasteries had a massive negative social impact

monastery residents were stripped of their livelihoods

the poor suffered significantly from the dissolution, as alms were no longer provided

Argument: the dissolution of the monasteries DID NOT have a massive social impact.

6500/8000 monks found work

many nuns were from wealthy families

The lack of monastic aid added to an already existing problem

Only 183/900 open monasteries, so not a large amount of aid anyway

Counter Argument: the dissolution of the monasteries had a massive financial impact on England.

Traditional view that Henry squandered money and sold off all monastic land, ultimately leading to parliamentary monarchy

Commons- took spoils from abbeys, allowing them to use it in their personal lives or sell it

Destruction of buildings that were previously used as hospitals for the sick and the poor - hub of community destroyed.

Argument: the dissolution of the monasteries DID NOT have a massive financial impact on England

Retained ½ of all land at end of reign and all land sold at face value

Financial security allowed Henry to focus on dynastic security

Could not have predicted outcome and money wisely spent on war against France and Scotland, as attempting to win monarchal glory

many buildings reused for infrastructure

- eg law courts set up in St Albans Abbey

Counter Argument: the dissolution of the monasteries DID NOT have a massive political impact on England

Showed precarious situation and widespread discontent in distant north-very concerning

Threatened dynastic security

Already unpopular with all groups (e.g. taxation in peacetime)

Argument: the dissolution of the monasteries had a massive political impact on England

Pilgrimage of Grace 1536- in response to dissolution and anger at crown intervention in religion- all social groups bound by religious alienation

Lead to Cumberland Rising 1537

To what extent was Henry VIII ever seriously threatened by opposition to his religious changes between 1533 and 1547?

LOA: Not seriously threatened - all were dealt with effectively

Structure:

- Popular opposition

- Religious individuals

- significant individuals/nobles etc

Counter Argument: Popular opposition was serious

Pilgrimage of Grace: 40000 men

showed concerning lack of control and ineffectiveness of Council of the North

had a power base at Pontefract Castle - the gateway to the North.

showed enough organisation to be more than just chaotic rabble

list of demands given - Pontefract Articles

Nobility involved - Robert Aske

Argument: Popular opposition was not serious

Bigod's rebellion (1537) - post Pilgrimage of Grace - small and crushed easily - learnt lessons.

Very disorganised ⇒ reflected in Pontefract Articles which do not have a clear line of complaint - people from North being summoned to appear before the law courts in London

Proximity to Scotland = threatening due to the Auld Alliance

ultimately a weak rebellion that never gained much traction

They never gained support in the South; support in Windsor quickly snuffed out.

No full scale army was sent out in defence

Counter: Opposition from religious individuals was very serious

Elizabeth Barton (Holy Maid of Kent):

would have altered public opinion and could be used to justify rebellion.

popularity lead to belief in her visions

Observant Franciscans and Carthusians:

opposition was concerning largely due to their proximity to court - Greenwich and Charterhouse

openly denied Royal Supremacy

Argument: Opposition from religious individuals was NOT very serious

Barton:

- little agency or influence as a woman and a nun

Observant Franciscans and Carthusians:

not a long-term threat, dissolved in 1539.

Monks could show little active resistance and could only advise others who could take their discontent further.

Counter Argument: Opposition of influential figures was somewhat serious to the Henrician Reformation.

John Fisher:

- named in Barton's Act of Attainder (1553)

- Public outrage at the execution

- 1533: wrote to Charles telling him to invade England

Thomas More:

imprisoned for refusing to swear an oath and executed in July 1535.

his execution damaged Henry's reputation

Argument: Opposition of influential figures was not serious to the Henrician Reformation

John Fisher:

The fact that he was not executed alongside Barton shows little perceived threat.

Charles' invasion did not materialize at all.

Thomas More:

Never showed an active opposition