Henry VIII after 1529 monasteries

Question 1

1535 VALOR ECCLESIASTICUS

Answer 1

Census carried out- visitations showed that spiritually the monasteries and religious houses were in a poor condition
This made it easier to convince parliament of the necessity to close down the smaller houses which were portrayed as ‘decayed’

Question 2

Act of Suppression in 1536

Answer 2

Small monasteries with an income of less than £200 a year were closed and their money was taken by the Crown.
praised the larger houses and so it can be argued there was no plan to close all monasteries at this time BUT within 4 years they were closed

Question 3

Argument that there wasn’t a plan to close all the monasteries in 1536

Answer 3

Dissolution act praised the larger houses- no plan to close all monasteries at this time BUT within 4 years they were closed

Question 4

Second act of dissolution (1539)

Answer 4

Confirmed the voluntary surrender
Promised the wealth from the dissolution would be used to establish new bishoprics and other social benefits- is this the reason why MPs agreed?

Question 5

How much did the crown gain financially from the dissolution?

Answer 5

500 dissolved- crown income doubled, resale of monastic land £1.3 mil

Question 6

Religious motives summary

Answer 6

• Bad behaviour of monks (however, it is suggested these visitations exaggerated the corruption, so Cromwell could convince the parliament to dissolve them)
• Religious motive for protestantism (Cromwell), monasteries upheld catholicism
• Monasteries owed allegiance to the main house (usually outside of England) which conflicted with the idea in the ACT IN RESTRAINT OF APPEALS that England was supreme
• Opponents of the reformation were monks

Question 7

Financial motives more successful summary

Answer 7

• Financial security became more important as break from Rome left henry under threat from a catholic crusade
• Many of the larger monasteries had net incomes of over £1000 per year this money was used to build fortifications on the south coast; funds would also remove the need for parliamentary taxation
• More land, could be sold to build crown income or used as a patronage or reward for loyalty.
• Henry was able to buy off potential opposition to his religious changes by offering land in return of support which was SUCCESSFUL as Catholics, such as the Duke of Norfolk, put greed before religious beliefs

Question 8

Financial motives less successful

Answer 8

• Still necessary to introduce a bill in 1539 promising a range of benefits from dissolution BUT very few of the promised benefits were seen as most of the gains went to the king and the ruling elites
• Many of the monks did find jobs as priests BUT a significant number were left in poverty
• Although the dissolution retained about half of the lands by henry’s death, it was usually the wealthy who gained from it as they were able to buy the land