Henry VIII: Religion - Reform of the Church - Causes of the Dissolution of the Monasteries

Question 1

How many religious houses were there in the early 16th century?

Answer 1

• At least 825 religious houses in England and Wales
• Over 500 were monasteries, others being nunneries and friaries

Question 2

What were the monasteries’ reputation like in the Middle Ages?

Answer 2

• Established as places where people could devote their lives to saying prayers on behalf of souls of the living and dead
• Held powerful reputation within Church
• Lived apart from communities
• Owned much land and hired many labourers

Question 3

How did monasteries help the community?

Answer 3

• Places of shelter for travellers
• Sources of medicine and food for needy
• Centres of education for wealthy

Question 4

How did the reputation of monasteries change by the 16th century?

Answer 4

• Some monasteries became wealthy and acquired servants and luxuries
• Used money they received from renting

Question 5

Why did Henry focus on monasteries?

Answer 5

• Henry became Supreme Head of Church
• Questions regarding reform of Church institutions had to be addressed

Question 6

What was the Valor Ecclesiasticus?

Answer 6

• In 1535, Valor Ecclesiasticus was created
• Survey set up by Cromwell to inspect the wealth and abuses of the monasteries
• Four visitors inspected all monastic institutions around country, but had been instructed to find evidence of weakness and corruption

Question 7

What was the impact of the Valor Ecclesiasticus?

Answer 7

• Discovered that corruption was common in smaller monasteries, probably exaggerated
• Justified the introduction of an Act of Parliament in 1536 to dissolve smaller monasteries

Question 8

What was the Act of Parliament in 1536?

Answer 8

• Dissolved smaller monasteries, those with income of under £200 per annum or less
• Claimed to preserve and improve quality of monasticism, arguing smaller religious houses let standards slip

Question 9

What did the Valor Ecclesiasticus reveal about the wealth of the Church?

Answer 9

• Monasteries were wealthy institutions
• Survey revealed monasteries could double the Crown’s annual income
• Henry had expensive foreign policies (funding wars), so this was a major factor for dissolution

Question 10

What benefits did seizing monastic lands have?

Answer 10

• Gave Crown additional property to distribute to gain support from nobility and gentry at times of instability

Question 11

What power-related issues did monasteries hold?

Answer 11

• Acted as permanent reminders of Catholic Church
• Monks and nuns acted as potential centres of resistance to royal supremacy

Question 12

What issues did monasteries pose to new Protestant ideas?

Answer 12

• Primary role of monasteries was to pray for salvation of souls, this did not align with new Protestant theology of individual faith in God
• Monasteries were outdated and irrelevant institutions to reformers