Tudor Britain - Dissolution of the Monasteries

1. In 1536 England had over 800 monasteries, nunneries and friaries who owned a quarter of the land in England.

2. By 1540 all monasteries had been closed.

3. The Pope would not approve Henry’s divorce from Katherine of Aragon.

4. Henry VIII decided to break with the Catholic Church.

5. n 1534 an Act of Supremacy established a Church of England with Henry VIII as its head.

6. Henry was short of money due to previous wars and his own extravagant lifestyle.

7. He wanted to take some of the wealth from the monasteries.

8. Thomas Cromwell was ordered to report on the monasteries and he sent commissioners to find out about them.

9. Monks and nuns were quizzed on all aspects of life from food and clothing to their observance of rules of obedience.

10. Some monks and nuns maintained very high standards, but this was exceptional.

11. The commissioners reported that many monks and nuns were living vicious, abominable and sinful lives.

12. Henry VIII had the opportunity he needed to close the monasteries down.

13. All monks and nuns were required to swear an oath accepting Henry VIII as their new leader.

14. Those that did were treated well, given pensions and, in some cases, properties.

15. Those that did not surrender were executed, usually by being hung, drawn and quartered.

16. Monastic buildings were ransacked to prevent any attempt at reviving them.

17. Money and valuables went to the King and the land was sold, rented or gifted.

18. Libraries full of priceless, illustrated manuscripts were destroyed.

19. Lead from the roofs of the monasteries was smelted, timber ripped up and stones carried off.

20. A rebellion called "The Pilgrimage of Grace" took place in protest of the treatment of the monasteries and their inhabitants.

21. Many of the participants were executed.

22. Monasteries could be reduced to ruins in a day and scenes of destruction and desolation were left behind.

23. It is said that it was possibly the greatest act of vandalism in English history.