monastries

• Act of Supremacy


  Henry becomes the supreme head of the church, weakening the power of the pope in England
• Vicegerent in spirituals


  Cromwell appointed by Henry to outrank any archbishop
• Creation of 6 new diocese


  1. Intended to improve administration of the church

  2. Bishops appointed by Cromwell
• Cromwell took power away from archbishops and bishops


  Trying to disrupt the traditional church hierarchy and give the power to Henry and Cromwell
• Valor Ecclesiasticus


  Cromwell's tactic to accurately find out how much resources could be plundered from the church
• Visitors sent around England


  Gain the ammunition to damn monasteries
• Church found to have an income of £320,000-£360,000 (103-122 million today)
• Only 3% of church's wealth went to charitable causes, the rest kept within
• Henry was sceptical about closing monasteries


  But was persuaded by the 'evidence' presented by Cromwell
• 'No feyned miracles'


  Monastic superstition attacked, also central popular practice like pregnancy and childbirth
• Comperta Monastica


  Exposed sordid details of monks and nuns
• Attempts to persuade people that the church was corrupt and in serious moral and religious reform
• Dissolution of monasteries


  1. 1536 parliament passes act for dissolution of smaller monasteries

  2. 1539 act dissolving the remaining monasteries

  3. By March 1540 all remaining religious houses dissolving
• Total value of the dissolution amounted to 10% of the entire wealth of the kingdom
• Improved royal finances after Henry almost left the crown corrupt due to his early French campaigns
• After Cromwell's execution in 1540 monastic land was sold cheaply
• By 1547 ⅔ of monastic land is sold
• Positive impact on society


  • Higher up members of the clergy who accepted dissolution early on were given money or received an annual pension
  • Members of the gentry saw their wealth and status increase through their purchase of monastic land
• Negative impact on society


  • Monasteries provided charity and education - communities lost this
  • Nuns and friars from poorer establishment struggled to secure paid work and lived in poverty
• Hexam prevented the beginning of the dissolution with armed men