Alex Hadfield

Year 1
The Reformation: England and Europe 1520-1560
Margaret Hems
12/12/14

Essay: 'The monasteries were dissolved for

religious reasons. Discuss.'

The main reason behind the dissolution of the monasteries is one that is debated by historians.
Scholars such as Lucy Becket and Howard Colvin would argue that greed was the prevailing
motivation behind the dissolution. In an article for The Times Literary Supplement, Lucy Becket
made the claim that the dissolution was 'surprisingly short of ideology, let alone theology......'1
.Whereas, Bernard himself argues that, authority, notably Henry's sense of royal supremacy.....
were more valid motivations for dissolution.2
Perhaps, to properly debate this topic, historians should first examine the events leading up to the
dissolution.
A key defining moment in the English reformation was Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of
Aragon as it was at this point that Henry first began to challenge the Pope's authority. Catherine had
previously been married to Henry's brother Arthur until his death in 1502. Despite the practice of
marrying a deceased brother's wife being forbidden by the Catholic church, Henry VII obtained a
papal dispensation from Pope Julius II.3 In the mid 1520's, Henry began to look for a way to have
his marriage to Catherine anulled due to Catherine's inability, despite several pregnansies, to
produce a male heir.4 Henry's argument was initially based on two biblical texts, both from
Leviticus (18:16 and 20:21) 'Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife:it is thy
brother's nakedness' 'if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing:he hath uncovered
his brother's nakedness:and they shall be childless'.5
Following the Catholic church's refusal to grant Henry the divorce he sought, and the Act of
Praemunire in 1530, Henry took on the title of 'Supreme Head of the English Church'.6
Thomas Cromwell, being already Henry VIII's chief minister and Principle secretary, was given the
title of Vicegerent in 1535.7 The granting of this title enabled Cromwell to act on behalf of Henry
VIII and in the parliament of 1536, the Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries was
passed. This act was aimed at all monastic houses with an annual income of 200 or less which
numbered over 300. Between 70 and 80 houses were given a reprieve after submitting petitions to
parliament.8 Owing to the fact that it was only the lesser monasteries that were targeted in this first
dissolution, it can be argued that greed was most definitely not the main driving force for
dissolution as, in the case of Yorkshire, all of the 23 nunneries were worth less than 100 per year.9
Further evidence to support this view was given in Henry's address to the rebels in Lincolnshhire in
1536. In this address, Henry stated that No houses had been suppressed 'where god was well
served', only those 'where most vice, mischief and abomination of living was used'.10
Factional politics of the time also played a large part in the wholesale dissolution of the
monasteries. As stated, Thomas Cromwell had been granted the power to act as Henry VIII's proxy
and had authority to begin reformation of the English Church. Cromwell led the faction that was
calling for a full-scale reform of the church and was supported by Anne Boleyn, Henry's second
wife.11 This call for reform was born of Henry's need to assert his authority over the church
following his break with Rome.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

G.W Bernard, 'Dissolution of the Monasteries', History 96:324 (2011) pp390-409

Ibid
R. Rex, Henry VIII and the English Reformation, (Basingstoke, 2006)
W. Shiels, The English Reformation 1530-1570, (Harlow, 1989)
R.Rex
W. Shiels
Dictionary of National Biography
R. Rex
Ibid
R.W. Hoyle, 'Origins of the Dissolution of the Monasteries', The Historical Journal, 38:2 (1995) pp275-305
J.S. Block, Factional Politics and the English Reformation 1520-1540, (Bury St Edmonds, 1993)

Support for the view that money was indeed the main reason behind the dissolution can be seen in
the record of the parliamentory session of 1534. The list of legislation from this session shows that
Henry was worried about invasion and proposals include an act to divert all monetary payments
from the realm to the Pope into the king's coffers if Henry was excommunicated.12 Hoyle also
deems proposals 6 and 7 to be worthy of full quotation:
[6] Item, an act that if any bishop, dean, abbot, abbess or any other head or ruler of any body politic
within this realm or within the king's dominions comit or do any high treason and be there of
convict, that then they shall forfeit all the lands and tenements temporal to the king's highness
which they had in the right of their churches, dignities or houses. And the king's highness to have
those to dispose of for the defence of the realm.
[7] An act that if any war be attempted by the pope's occasion against the king or his realm, that
then immediately after the war intimate[d], the king's highness to levy and have for his defence and
the realm the moiety of all the temporal lands in the church so long as the war shall stand or endure
Although, as he points out, there is no evidence that these proposals were even put forward, they
show that government was preparing for a war with the Church.13
Bernard points out that it is true that the crown benefited financially from the dissolution and, if
Valor Ecclesiasticus - the survey of monastic wealth compiled by agents of Thomas Cromwell, is to
be trusted, then the amount of revenue coming from the wholesale plunder of the church was more
than likely double what the crown generated from its own estates at a sum of over 130,000 per
year. He also makes the point though, that if this monetary gain was deliberate, then the crown
estate would have been permanently enlarged.14
It wasn't until 1539 that the dissolution was given legal foundation and by this time, it was already
well into its final phase. The second Act of Dissolution gave validation to the king's title to all
monastic properties. Accompanying this was a statute which enabled Henry to found new dioces,
cathedrals and collegiate churches.15 This gives the argument that the dissolution was done for
religious reasons more weight as it is documented that eight monastic cathedrals were refounded as
secular cathedral corporations of dean and chapter, six more monasteries were refounded as new
cathedrals and two others became secular colleges.16 This further supports Henry's main motivation
for monastic dissolution which was for the church to recognise his status as the supreme head of the
church under the terms of the Act of Supremacy.
As can be seen, there were many probable reasons for the wholesale dissolution of the monateries
between 1536 and 1540 during the reformation in England. It seems that this is a subject that will
continue to be debated by historians as there is no clear evidence to support any one claim over the
others. Due to the financial gain to the crown, it is easy to assume that the main motivation was
greed. Similarly, it can also be argued that due to Henry's break with Rome, religious reform was at
the centre of the dissolution. However, owing to the restrictions placed on the church by the Act of
Praemunire, this view of religious reform being the main driving force for dissolution seems to lead
back to monetary gain for the crown as a factor for consideration. The political angle too, has strong
links with money since parliament needed to raise taxes for foreign wars and the defence of
England.

12
13
14
15
16

R.W. Hoyle
Ibid
G.W. Bernard
R. Rex
Ibid

Bibliography

B.W. Beckinsale, Thomas Cromwell: Tudor Minister, (Basingstoke, 1978)

G.W. Bernard, 'Dissolution of the Monasteries', History 96:324 (2011) PP390-409
J.S. Block, Factional Politics and the English Reformation 1520-1540, (Bury St Edmonds, 1993)
M. Collinson, 'Monastic Cash at the Dissolution', Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 80 (2008)
PP239-43
G.R. Elton, Reform and Reformation: England 1509-1558, (London, 1977)
G.R. Elton, Policy and Police: The Enforcement of The Reformation in The Age of Thomas
Cromwell, (Cambridge, 1972)
R.W. Hoyle, 'The Origins of the Dissolution of the Monasteries', Historical Journal 38:2, PP275305
D.G. Newcombe, Henry VIII and the English Reformation, (Abingdon, 1995)
R. Rex, Henry VIII and the English Reformation, (Basingstoke, 2006)
D. Rosman, From Catholic to Protestant, (Abingdon, 1996)
W.J. Shiels, The English Reformation 1530-1570, (Harlow, 1989)