Chapter 4: reign of Henry VIII after 1529

• religious changes (1929-36)

  • desire for divorce, so pressure put on church
  • praemunire
  • Submission of the Clergy (1533)
  • pressure also put on Pope
  • Act in Restraint of Annates (1532) = little impact
  • parliament passed laws to abolish papal power
  • Act in Restraint of Appeals (1533) = prevented Catherine from appealing to Rome to stop divorce
  • Act of Supremacy (1534) = confirmed Henry as Head of CofE
  • payments to Rome stopped
  • Archbishop of Canterbury given powers of dispensation & exemption
  • Pope's role ended in Church appointments
  • Crown given power to define religious belief
  • large changes, but ordinary people largely unaffected (no changes to doctrine or belief)
• religious changes (1536-39)

  • Act of Ten Articles (1536) = rejected 4/7 Catholic sacraments
  • Royal Injunctions (1536 & 38) = attacked pilgrimages, & ordered an English Bible in parishes ordered the removal of relics
  • Bishop's Book (1537) = reduced the importance of mass & purgatory
  • Matthew's Bible (1537) = Protestant version of the Bible
  • Publication of the Great Bible (1538)
  • still evidence of traditional practices
  • John Lambert executed for denying transubstantiation
  • Six Articles (1539) confirmed transubstantiation & forbade communion
  • considerably influenced by Cromwell
• religious changes (1539-43)

  • Henry upheld belief in Eucharist & punished those who disagreed
  • Henry had influential in policy
  • Six Articles (1539)
  • marriage to Catherine Howard = Catholic
  • Act for the Advancement of True Religion (1543) = restricted access to the Bible
  • published conservative King's Book (1543)
• religious changes (1543-47)

  • very few changes
  • arrangements for Protestant Regency Council
  • England was not Protestant by the time of Henry's death
  • few decisive doctrinal changes & majority of population was still Catholic
• opposition to religious changes (1529-47)

  • greatest challenge = Pilgrimage of Grace (1536)
  • some individuals (eg. John Fisher, Thomas More, & some monks & friars) objected developments
  • many changes had little impact on people so no reason for opposition
  • threat of severe penalties (including death) deterred people from rebelling
  • Cromwell ran propaganda campaign in parliament & country to ensure support
• Act in Restraint of Appeals (1533)


  prevented Catherine from appealing to Rome to stop divorce
• Act of Supremacy (1534)


  confirmed Henry as Head of the Church in England
• Act of Ten Articles (1536)


  rejected 4 of 7 sacraments of Catholic belief
• Royal Injunctions (1536)


  attacked pilgrimages
• Bishop's Book (1537)


  reduced importance of mass & purgatory
• Matthew's Bible (1537)


  Protestant version of the Bible
• Royal Injunctions (1538)


  ordered English Bible in parishes, discouraged pilgrimages & removed relics
• Six Articles (1539)


  confirmed transubstantiation & forbade communion of both kinds
• Act for the Advancement of True Religion (1543)


  restricted access to the Bible
• closure of smaller monasteries

  1536
• closure of larger monasteries

  1539-40
• Valor Ecclesiasticus (1535)


  census which looked at the wealth of the Church
• When was the Valor Ecclesiasticus issued?

  1535
• How did Cromwell describe the monasteries?

  "decayed"
• How did Cromwell inspect the monasteries?

  • Valor Ecclesiasticus (1535)
  • sent inspectors to look at conditions and behaviour
  • visitations showed monasteries in poor spiritual condition ("decayed")
• How were the monasteries shut down?

  • Act of Dissolution (1536) shut down smaller monasteries
  • Second Act of Dissolution (1539) shut down larger monasteries, despite initially being praised
  • many larger houses surrendered voluntarily
  • another Act promised in 1539 which would use money from dissolution to establish colleges, new bishoprics, & social benefits
  • MPs voting for the Second Dissolution thought funds would go to other uses
• religious motives for dissolution

  • poor behaviour of monks in reports (appears these were exaggerated to persuade parliament)
  • monasteries upheld religious beliefs in purgatory & offered prayers for dead (Catholic practices)
  • had been dissolved in Germany & Scandinavia
  • had been criticised by writers, eg. Erasmus
• financial motives for dissolution

  • Cromwell promised to make Henry "richest man in Christendom"
  • ran out of inheritance from Henry 7th & feared invasion following break from Rome = needed to prepare for Catholic crusade
  • used money to build fortifications along south coast
  • Dissolution meant Henry didn't need to ask parliament for money
  • Dissolution gave lots of land (could be used to buy off opposition)
• Pilgrimage of Grace (1536)


  • largest rebellion in Tudor England
  • 40,000 men (greater than the 8000 raised by Henry)
  • involved much of northern England
  • Oct 1536 - Feb 1537 (Bigod's Rebellion suppressed in Cumberland)
  • rebels took control of York & captured Pontefract Castle (major city & 'gateway to the south')
  • Henry forced to negotiate & offered compromises
• When was the Pilgrimage of Grace?

  1536
• How many men in the Pilgrimage of Grace?

  40,000 (vs 8000 raised by Henry)
• religious motivations/demands for Pilgrimage of Grace

  • timing of the revolt suggests religious motivation
  • had religious demands
  • sang a rebel ballad (religious connotations)
  • marched with banner of the Five Wounds of Christ
  • Pilgrim Oath
  • rebels restored some monasteries = suggests religious motivation
• other motivations for Pilgrimage of Grace

  • poor harvest in 1535-36
  • enclosure was an issue around York & Lake District
  • complaints about rents & entry fines
  • disliked taxation in peacetime (1534 subsidy)
  • complaints about Cromwell & other advisors
  • anger over exclusion of Mary from the succession
• results of the Pilgrimage of Grace (1535)

  • Henry was forced to negotiate with the rebels
  • offered rebels compromises
  • went back on his word when the rebels rose again in 1537
  • royal army crushed the uprising
• How did Thomas Cromwell rise to power?

  • also from a humble background (like Wolsey)
  • architect of the break with Rome, suggesting way to fix marriage problem
  • secured Royal Supremacy for Henry
  • brought Henry considerable wealth through Dissolution
  • made the king supreme in his own realm (removed power of the Pope)
  • promoted Protestantism during this period
  • carried out many changes in govt = 'Tudor revolution in govt'
  • appeared indispensable (but eventually fell in 1540)
• reasons for Cromwell's fall

  • was closely linked with reformist beliefs & legislation
  • charged with heresy (accusers argued he was plotting fully Protestant church; unlikely = would've concerned Henry)
  • foreign situation
  • France & Habsburgs made peace, leaving England isolated
  • fears of Catholic crusade after Henry was excommunicated in 1538
  • convinced Henry of need for marriage to German Anne of Cleves (alliance)
  • marriage to Anne of Cleves
  • Henry soon after appointed Cromwell as Earl of Essex (unlikely that the marriage = main reason for fall)
  • disaster = Henry found her unattractive
  • was unnecessary as France & Habsburgs soon at war again
  • factional politics
  • Catholic faction able to entice Henry with Norfolk's second niece C.Howard
• When was Cromwell arrested & charged with treason?

  28th July 1540 (same day as marriage to Catherine Howard)
• How old were Henry 8th and Catherine Howard when they married?

  Henry 8th was 49 years old and Catherine Howard was around 16/17 years old
• Who lead the Catholic faction?

  Stephen Gardiner & Duke of Norfolk
• Who was the second niece of the Duke of Norfolk?

  Catherine Howard
• Who was second uncle to Catherine Howard?

  Duke of Norfolk (leader of the Catholic faction)
• Chief Minister after Cromwell

  none - Henry ruled by himself
• fall of Catherine Howard

  • became bored with Henry & unable to pretend she loved him
  • Cranmer told Henry of her adultery & pre-marital affairs via letter (scared of his reaction)
  • Catherine was executed (February 1542)
  • Henry allowed Norfolk to withdraw from court (recognising previous loyal service, instead of executing him)
• Who told Henry about Catherine Howard's adultery & pre-marital affairs?

  Thomas Cranmer, via letter
• attacks on Thomas Cranmer

  • Cranmer = Archbishop of Canterbury & the man who granted the annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon
  • fall of Cromwell left Cranmer vulnerable
  • accused of heresy by Catholic faction, who wanted him arrested
  • Henry warned Cranmer & gave ring (sign of confidence)
  • Cranmer was ordered to investigate the charges himself (charges dropped)
  • Henry in control:
  • stood by his loyal servant
  • wanted to show his power & how everyone depended on him (instead of dropping the case immediately)
  • Henry out of control:
  • could've stopped case developing altogether, yet didn't?