Dissolution

Question 1

Social causes for the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 1

Henry’s first Poor Law (1536) meant that the charitable role of monasteries was no longer so important

Printing press meant monastic scribes no longer needed

Question 2

Political causes of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 2

Henry needed to uphold ‘caesero papism’, which he felt was undermined by the existence of monasteries loyal to Rome

Monasteries typically contained clerics most loyal to the Pope, e.g. the London Carthusians

Question 3

Economic causes of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 3

The monasteries owned 1/3 of all landed property had an income which the Valor Ecclesiasticus revealed to be 10x that of the Crown

Henry needed to build up a war chest to prepare against an anticipated Habsburg-Valois alliance

Question 4

Religious causes of the dissolution?

Answer 4

‘Black Book’ published in 1536 revealed that 2/3 of all religious houses were filled with ‘abominable living’

e.g. Cistercian Abbey of Hailes claimed to possess the blood of Christ, which turned out to be honey coloured with saffron

e.g. pregnant nuns at Lambley Abbey and a religious house in Lichfield

Question 5

Negative - Social consequences of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 5

Many of those employed by the monasteries became vagabonds

Beautiful buildings left ransacked (e.g. Thetford Priory, ancestral burial ground of the Dukes of Norfolk, Lindisfarne Priory, dating back to the 7th century)

Closure of hospitals, schools, places of accommodation and care for the poor

Cultural destruction - e.g. Worcester Priory had around 600 books, but after the dissolution, only 6 survived

Question 6

Positive - Social consequences of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 6

Henry invested some of the wealth into education, establishing cathedral grammar schools and donating to Christ Church, Oxford and Trinity College, Cambridge (however, this was a very small amount of the overall profit)

Gentry class expanded as they were able to buy ex-monastic land (e.g. site of Llanthony Priory sold off for £160)

Question 7

Positive - Economic consequences of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 7

Crown authority deepened by the 4 new courts set up by Cromwell in response to influx of wealth

Provided Henry with an extra £160,000 per year - his normal income was £100,000 per year

Beneficial to foreign policy - funded war with France and Scotland, allowed Henry to construct a strong Royal Navy

Question 8

Negative - Economic consequences of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 8

7000 monks were pensioned off. By 1551, this cost £44,000 per year

Question 9

Positive - Religious consequences of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 9

Six new bishoprics created in 1542 (e.g. in Chester, Gloucester, Peterborough)

Church of England boosted by 8000 priests (former monks) who were well-educated - addressing problem of ill-educated clergy

Dissolution represented final break of formal links between England and the Catholic Church

Question 10

Negative - Religious consequences of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 10

Huge loss of ancient religious scholarshipw - e.g. Worcester Priory had 600 books, but only 6 survived the dissolution

Question 11

Positive - Political consequences of the dissolution? (no neg)

Answer 11

Henry’s authority was increased by removing abbots from the HoL, replacing them with compliant bishops

Lords were able to purchase monastic land at reduced rates - increased loyalty

Enabled Henry to impose his authority on England’s localities

Question 12

Historiography on the dissolution?

Answer 12

Hoskins argues that the dissolution was an act of pure exploitation - ‘Stalin of Tudor England’

Haigh argues that the dissolution was an act of avarice cloaked in the language of spiritual reform

Youings - ‘a revolution in land ownership’

Question 13

How many religious houses were there in England and Wales in 1530?

Answer 13

825

Question 14

What had Wolsey done that pre-empted the dissolution?

Answer 14

Dissolved 29 ‘decayed’ monasteries in the 1520s

Question 15

How did Cromwell assess Church wealth and standards?

Answer 15

Sent two commissioners, Legh and Leyton, who compiled the Valor Ecclesiasticus

Question 16

What happened in terms of the dissolution in 1536?

Answer 16

Small religious houses (with a value under £200 were closed)

Question 17

How many small religious houses were closed in 1536?

Answer 17

300 fell into the category of ‘small religious house’ - all but 67 were closed

Question 18

How can it be argued that Henry did not intend to close ALL religious houses after the 1st Act of Dissolution?

Answer 18

Founded 2 new houses in 1536-7

Question 19

What happened in terms of the dissolution in 1537?

Answer 19

‘Voluntary’ (pressured) surrender of some larger religious houses such as Lewes Priory

Question 20

What happened in terms of the dissolution in 1538?

Answer 20

202 further large houses surrendered

Question 21

What happened in terms of the dissolution in 1539?

Answer 21

2nd Act of Dissolution - legitimised all of the surrenders of the 2 years prior and forcibly closed any remaining houses

Question 22

Example of forcible closure of a religious house after the 2nd Act of Dissolution?

Answer 22

Glastonbury Abbey refused to surrender, so Abbot Richard Whiting was hung, drawn and quartered along with 2 of his monks