The extent of religious change in the 1530's

Question 1

What was Boleyns influence on Henrys stance towards protestantism?

Answer 1

1. She drew Henry’s attention to the work of Tyndale

2. She encouraged the appointment of reformers to positions of power and influence within the church

Question 2

Did Anne Boleyns death affect Henry’s stance on Protestantism?

Answer 2

No as Jane Seymour came from a protestant family too

Question 3

Give 1 example of government propoganda that supported the reformation

Answer 3

1. They focused on the bible and the early history of the church, where temporal leaders like Henry had political control over early Christian Church
2. Reformers drew a distinction between ‘jurisdictionis’ (King’s right to exercise jurisdiction over church) and ‘potestas ordinis’ (right to exercise spiritual power’)

Question 4

How do we know that government propoganda was not COMPLETELY reformist?

Answer 4

Some conservatives published propoganda to emphasise the necessity of obedience to the sovereign and stressed the necessary hierarchy of obedience in society (with pope at the top)

Question 5

What were the Ten Articles of Faith?

Answer 5

Articles that attempted to gradually introduce protestantism, whilst retaining strongly Catholic elements
e.g. Wording of eucharist was Catholics, but Luthers views on gaining salvation by faith were also reflected

Question 6

How did Henry/Cromwell enforce the Ten Articles of Faith

Answer 6

1. They passed 2 sets of injunctions in 1536 and 1538, which ordered the clergy to follow the articles and explain them at their congregations
2. A bishops book was published in 1537, offering interpretation and advise on the articles

Question 7

What was the main aim in the Ten Articles of Faith, injunctions and the bishops?

Answer 7

• To attack the abuses and superstitions that came to be associated with the Church
• to encourage Protestant reformers and hence, spread protestantism

Question 8

When was the first translation of the bible in English introduced and who persuaded Henry to sanction it?

Answer 8

in 1537 and Cranmer

Question 9

Why was the translation of the bible significant?

Answer 9

It made the bible more accessible to a wider range of people, so that they would be able to interpret and debate the word of God for themselves

Question 10

What happened between 1538-1540?

Answer 10

There was a swing towards Catholicism

Question 11

Give examples of the swing to catholicism between 1538-1540

Answer 11

1. Parliament passes Six Articles of Faith, which was largely catholic in emphasis (e.g. clerical celibacy)
2. Catherine Howard’s catholic family was gaining influence

Question 12

How did the swing to catholicism impact Cromwell and reforming bishops?

Answer 12

Cromwell lost favour with Henry and was executed and other reforming bishops had to resign e.g. Latimer and Shaxton

Question 13

Why did the Protestants gain favour again in 1541?

Answer 13

Because the Howard family were discredited in 1541

Question 14

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

Answer 14

825

Question 15

How did monasteries play an important part in local/daily life?

Answer 15

1. They were places of shelter/sanctuary for travellers
2. They were sources of medicine and food for needy
3. They were centres of education for the wealthy
4. they were places where people devoted their lives to saying prayers on behalf of the souls of the living and dead

Question 16

Why did the number of clergy (monks etc) decline by the 16th century? (before Henry action against monasteries)

Answer 16

They declined as clergy started to acquire servants to acquire the day-to-day running of their houses and had accumulates luxuries by spending the money they received from renting out some of their land

Question 17

Why was the decline of clergy important in Henry/Cromwell’s advances against religious homes?

Answer 17

He was able to say that corruption and abuses were common in smaller monasteries, giving Cromwell an excuse to carry out a survey in 1535, and close them down

Question 18

What were the 4 most probable reasons as to why Henry/Cromwell decided to close down monasteries?

Answer 18

1. Monasteries were very wealthy institutions. A survey found that they could potentially 2x the Crowns annual income, and help Henry achieve his foreign policy
2. Seizure of monastic lands would give the Crown additional property to distribute as a way of buying support from nobility/gentry
3. Monasteries were permanent reminders of the church so could be potential centres of resistance to royal supremacy
4. Praying for salvation of souls went against protestant theology of individual faith in God

Question 19

What did Cromwell do, between the years 1534-1536, to destroy English monasticism?

Answer 19

1. 1534: Act of First Fruit and Tenths allowed Henry to tax church & Act of Supremacy gave Henry power to supervise/reform English religious establishments
2. 1535: Cromwell carries out survey to investigate value of monastic lands & properties, and a 2nd survey into the moral and spiritual standards in monasteries
3. 1536: Parliament passes Act for the Dissolution of smaller monasteries based on surveys, closing all religious houses with lands valued at under 200 a year

Question 20

What did Cromwell do, between the years 1537-1540, to destroy English monasticism?

Answer 20

1. 1537-1538: Opposition from monks led to executions
2. 1539: Parliament passes Act for Dissolution of Larger monasteries
3. 1540: Court of augmentations is established to handle property and income from dissolved monasteries

Question 21

Describe the different ways in which monasteries were destroyed

Answer 21

1. Monasteries had valuables confiscated and melted down

2. Others were sold off to become houses for the wealthy

Question 22

How much money did the Crown gain after the dissolution?

Answer 22

10% of the entire wealth of the entire kingdom

Question 23

What was the main consequence of the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 23

As wars escalated, Henry sold off monastic lands to raise money
1- Very little of the money was given to the courtiers as rewards
2- The Crown lost control of these lands and the inability to tax

This decreased possibility of loyalty from subjects and also decreased the monarchys financial independence

Question 24

Who else benefited from the dissolution of the monasteries (other than the king)?

Answer 24

1. Nobles who wanted to strengthen their existing regional holdings
2. Lesser gentry who wanted to establish their presence in a local community (dissolution is said to have led to the growing visibility of gentry)
3. Protestants who wanted to get rid of catholicism

Question 25

Who was the most disadvantaged due to the dissolution?

Answer 25

1. The inhabitants of the monasteries

2. Monks and nuns

Question 26

How were monks and nuns disadvantaged after the dissolution?

Answer 26

They lost their work and accommodation BUT most (1/5) of them found other paid positions within the church or received compensaton in the form of pensions

Question 27

Why do historians refuse to link the dissolution to a rise in poverty (of friars and nuns)?

Answer 27

Because the numner affected in each local community was not that great and there were other opportunities within the church for people to take up

Question 28

How did the dissolution of the monasteries affect learning?

Answer 28

1. libraries within monasteries were broken up as books were taken or burned
2. Some schools that were attached to monastic institutions re-opened after the dissolution