Essay
How accurate is it to say that it was the dissolution of the smaller monasteries in 1536 that caused rising of 1536?
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How accurate is it to say that it was the dissolution of the smaller monasteries in 1536 thatcaused rising of 1536?
Following Henry VIll's break with Rome, symbolised by the Act of Supremacy 1534,
relations between the Church and state deteriorated rapidly. There was a general motion of
unhappiness after this break which was heightened by factors such as Cromwell’s actions as
Vicegerent of Spirituals, the dissolution of the monasteries and other economic factors.
Therefore, it is highly debatable How accurate is it to say that it was the dissolution of the
smaller monasteries in 1536 that caused rising of 1536.
One method of removing Papist influence in England was the dissolution of small
monasteries, which simultaneously enabled Henry to acquire property and wealth to fund his
wars with France and Scotland. Henry's closest advisor, Thomas Cromwell, conducted
visitations of the monasteries to determine their annual income and value. The monastic
buildings and lands of each 'small' monastery, meaning the institution generated an annual
income of less than £200, were confiscated and sold to families who sympathised with the
break with Rome. These dissolutions instigated unrest in the localities, primarily in the North
where Catholicism remained prominent. Therefore, effectively reversing Henry VIl's efforts
to secure the Tudor dynasty and diminish conflicts between Lancastrians and Yorkists in the
North. Religious grievances including the dissolution or smaller monasteries were partially
responsible for the uprisings which ensued, namely the Lincolnshire Rising and the
Pilgrimage of Grace. However, religious grievances were not the sole focus of the rebels'
discontent, as political discontent instigated the involvement of the gentry and economic
hardship provoked the discontent of peasants and agricultural labourers.
On one hand, the dissolution of the smaller monasteries was primarily responsible for the
risings of 1536, because the dissolution symbolised Henry's dismissive attitude towards the
views of people in the localities. For example, the monasteries were effectively a lifeline for
the local community, many of whom relied on the institutions for employment, education or
support. Many agricultural labourers became unemployed as the monastery had previously
acted as their landlord. This contributed to the economic hardship experienced in the North,
which had already been hightened by the demands for taxation dictated by the 1534 subsidy.
Furthermore, monasteries formerly coordinated financial support for the poor and pastoral
care for the sick and elderly, who were at risk if alternative provisions were not arranged
immediately. Monks also copied out and preserved ancient texts, which maybe lost or
destroyed in the dissolution. Both the Lincolnshire Rising and the Pilgrimage of Grace
declared their intentions of preventing the dissolution of the monasteries in their respective
manifestos, thus implying that the dissolutions were a pertinent issue in the lives of many
rebels.
However, the dissolution of the smaller monasteries was not the extent of the religious
grievances expressed by the rebels. Rebels involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace also stated
their discontent surrounding Cromwell's attacks on traditional Catholic practices. Cromwell
claimed that the Catholic church, with its elaborate hierarchy, shrines and indulgences, was
irrelevant to the human condition. However, by undermining the traditions of the Catholic
church, Cromwell left people fearful of whether their soul would be affected in the afterlife.
His religious reforms were evidently unpopular and influenced the rebels' motives,
demonstrated as nine out of the twenty-four Pontefract Articles published by Robert Ask
during the Pilgrimage of Grace were religious grievances. Therefore, while the dissolution of
the monasteries evidently contributed to the risings of 1536, the dissolutons were not the only
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