Henry VIII: Religion - Reform of the Church - Opposition to Religious Change Flashcards
1
Q
Give examples of groups and individuals who opposed the Reformation
A
- Thomas More, Chancellor after Wolsey’s fall
- Aragonese faction
- John Fisher
- Elizabeth Barton and Edward Bocking
- Monks
- Ordinary people
2
Q
How did Thomas More show opposition to religious change?
A
- 1534, the Succession Act was passed making Catherine of Aragon’s Catholic daughter, Mary, illegitimate
- More refused to swear an oath accepting this
- More didn’t explain why but likely due to him thinking it went against the Pope
3
Q
How did Henry respond to More’s resistance?
A
- Thomas Cromwell using ‘evidence’ from Sir Richard Rich rigged More’s trial
- Rich claimed to have heard More saying he did not accept Henry as head of the Church
- More was executed for treason on 6 July 1535
- More showed passive resistance but was famous and respected, so his opposition was potentially dangerous
4
Q
Who was Richard Rich?
A
- One of Cromwell’s supporters
- Becomes head of the Court of Augmentations in 1540
5
Q
What was the Aragonese faction?
A
- Group in court that supported Catherine of Aragon in the divorce situation
- Led by Henry Courtenay, Marquis of Exeter, and the northern Lords Darcy and Hussey
6
Q
How did the Aragonese faction show religious opposition?
A
- Wanted Catherine of Aragon’s daughter Mary to be made legitimate again
- Mary had been made illegitimate due to Succession Act (1536)
- Darcy and Hussey supported Pilgrimage of Grace
7
Q
How did Henry respond to the Aragon’s faction?
A
- Darcy and Hussey executed for treason for their involvement in the Pilgrimage of Grace
- Courtenay was executed after becoming involved in activities with his distant cousin, Reginald Pole, who was a descendant of Yorkist kings
8
Q
Who was John Fisher?
A
- Had been a Bishop of Rochester since 1504
9
Q
How did John Fisher show opposition?
A
- Prayed and believed that Henry’s actions against Catherine were wrong and told Henry directly
- Henry was lenient, until Fisher refused to swear an oath accepting the divorce
10
Q
How did Henry respond to Fisher’s opposition?
A
- Imprisoned in the Tower of London
- Pope declared that Fisher would become a Cardinal
- Henry acted fast and Fisher was accused of high treason, tried and executed
- Fisher gained support after Henry’s tyrannical actions
11
Q
Who was Elizabeth Barton and Edward Bocking?
A
- Elizabeth Barton had an illness in 1525 and apparently was miraculously cured by a vision of the Virgin Mary
- Ever since then (she was a teen), Barton was prone to visions
- She became famous in her local area and sent to a nunnery under the protection of Dr Edward Bocking, a Canterbury monk
- She was known as the Nun of Kent
12
Q
How did Elizabeth Barton and Edward Bocking show religious opposition?
A
- By 1528, Barton’s visions focused on the divorce between Catherine of Aragon and Henry
- She claimed bad consequences would occur if Henry has a divorce - he would be dead within a month of divorcing Catherine
- By 1530, Barton published books describing her visions and the warnings they contained
- Barton formed links with others who opposed religious change: More and Fisher; Courtenay and Hussey; the Carthusian monks in London
13
Q
How did Henry respond to Elizabeth Barton and Edward Bocking’s religious opposition?
A
- Their actions suggested a campaign was being prepared
- In September 1533 Cromwell acted, and the nun and her mentors were arrested
- They were publicly humiliated at St Paul’s Cross and Barton admitted that her visions were false
- They were all executed in April 1534
14
Q
What threat did Elizabeth Barton and her mentors posed?
A
- Elizabeth Barton seems innocent and genuinely believes her visions but her mentors exploited her to create a resistance movement that involved many important nobles and clergymen
15
Q
Was there monastic resistance?
A
- Many individual monks preached against the divorce, the supremacy and the new heresies that came with them
