Context
At the start of Henry VIII’s reign - there was very little indication towards fundamental changes to the English Church.
There were complaints about factors such as the worldliness (low quality) of the clergy but they fulfilled the requirements of most people and improved due to the dissolvement of redundant monasteries.
The destruction of the Catholic Church in England was credibly unpredictable. Prior changes under previous Kings would have minimal impact on the people.
Events
| Key Events | Social impact of Change |
|---|---|
| Replacement of redundant monasteries (early) | Reduced unused/redundant functionality, replaced with education focuses |
| Amicable Grant (1525) | Tax to fund invasion of France Refusal to pay by many, widespread opposition, strong resistance; over 4,000 taxation resisters arrested Some were unable to pay Led to the demonstration that Henry could not operate in defiance of the taxpaying classes - Henry supplemented his invasion of France with revenue from selling monastic lands |
| Henry VII’s break from Rome (1536) | Few welcomed the change, no popular support, control through fear (executions) |
| Dissolution of monasteries | Reduced the accessibility of education, related to next row Loss of monastic schools Due to their strong places within communities and society, communities went to great lengths to protect them - including gatherings of armed men Cripples some communities Rise of future middle classes (opportunities) |
| Destructive royal injunctions (generalised) | Provoked fear of attack on parish (local) churches, injunctions attacked traditional practice and harmed religious livelihoods (i.e., punished for accusedly supporting the Pope) Led to major rebellion - Lincolnshire, Autumn 1536 “Pilgrimage of Grace” |
| Land transfer from Church to Crown | Made the King more powerful although large amounts were sold to fund war-like foreign policy By 1547, two-thirds of monastic land had been sold off or granted away |
| Employment of Monks (dissolution of monasteries) | Monks and nuns were rendered unemployed, with some monks being able to secure placement as secular priests, some others receiving pensions Positions of nuns became dangerous |
Secular (non-religious) Changes
| Key Social Issue | Secular Causes | Impact on Society |
|---|---|---|
| Dissolution of monasteries | The Great Cause - Henry’s need for an annulment, due to split away from Catholic Church | Loss of business opportunities Loss of employment (monks, nuns) Loss of education Loss of town-centrals Loss of charitable functions Possible loss of parish churches Fear of impoverished north Fear of further North-South disparity Loss of useful facilities and services |