Prayed for the souls of the dead

Devoted much of their lives to God Prayers, services, masses, contemplation

As many as 8 services a day

Day and throughout the night

Many cared for the poor, the sick and

distributed charity Open orders spent any income on the poor

But closed orders were often VERY rich

Some would offer education – For girls (nunneries) as well as boys

Mainly in preparation for running household

Farming and labouring Many were important landowners too: wealthy

And employers – workers to help farm the land

Caring for travellers

Local gentry sometimes used them to entertain important guests

• The more closed an order was, the less contact it had with life outside the monastery.

• Some orders were completely closed.

• Some orders were silent.

What will be the social and economic impact of

their dissolution?

800 monasteries / religious houses

Protestant influence increasing on Henry VIII Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell

Salvation achieved through faith alone

No purgatory

Plus Henry VIII’s Break With Rome: Praemunire Monks threat to Royal Supremacy

Some, like Carthusians, refused to swear the oath

Praemunire: Monks were Catholic; Pope = spiritual head

Also mother houses based abroad

Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries 1536

All those worth < £200

This was known because of

Valor Ecclesiasticus in 1535

Under this act, friaries and nunneries

dissolved from autumn 1538

Act for Dissolution of the

Greater Monasteries 1539

Dissolution carried out by commissioners

Usually took about six weeks

Revenues and resources accounted for and

handed over to Court of Augmentations

Land sold

Massive increase in revenues for Crown

Religious reasons?

Pilgrimages, holy relics etc. now condemned as superstition

Lutheran influence

E.g. abbey at Hailes attracted 100s of pilgrims and offerings

Blood of Christ = runny honey and saffron

Religious and economic combined!

Shrines – miracles – offerings –

e.g. St Thomas Becket @ Canterbury one of wealthiest shrines in Christendom

About 200 friaries

Little wealth but must submit to King’s authority

Observant Friars especially strong supporters of

Katherine of Aragon

Hotbeds of potential Roman Catholic opposition

Carthusian monks executed 1535

Pilgrimage of Grace 1536

Sparked by the Dissolution of the Monasteries

But also showed opposition to some of the religious changes more generally

Developments abroad: Roman Catholic crusade?

Treaty of Nice 1538

10 years peace between Spain and France

Pope Paul III ex-communicated Henry VIII in 1538

Marriage to Anne of Cleves?

1535 Cromwell appointed Vice-Gerent in Spirituals

Valor Ecclesiasticus

Visitations

Court of Augmentations established

1536 Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries About 500 Houses dissolved

A few were given reprieves

1536-7: Pilgrimage of Grace

1538 Treaty of Nice and ex-communicationof Henry VIII Cardinal Pole urged France and Spain to

overthrow Henry VIII

1539 Act for the Dissolution of the Greater Monasteries Some because of their role in the Pilgrimage of Grace

None escaped