How did Henry go about dissolving the Monasteries?

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1533

Act in Restrait of Appeals to Rome, Henry annonced the intention to unite the Crown with the Clergy's land, as it was his right as he was now the Head of the Chruch

The Clear Goal was to increase Crown Revenue by taking over Church's land

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1534

Nothing happened from 1533, intention suggested to confiscate all ecclesiastical lands. From the proceeds of these lands, the Crown was to supprot the Clergy with annual saleries.

Seeds of Cromwells scheme to make the Crown finacially self-sufficient. 

The wealth of the Church could help Henry avoid imposing taxation

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1535

Cromwell's aim to enhance the King's finances seen in Valor Ecclesiasticus- 'Value of the Chruch' 

Cromwell sent inspectors to look at spiritual health of the Chruch

Two Clear Aims: Gauge true extent of Church Wealth and how to increase Crown Income

Spetember 1535- Started visitations- evidience of corrution of relgious life in England. - Either fabricated or exaggerated

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1536

Henry passed the First Act of the Dissolution of the Monastries

This meant:
All houses under £200 a year were dissolved, only smaller monestries and the minority of relgious houses

Head of houses offered pensions if they retired with monks transferring to surviving larger monastries

Larger monastries were praised- act agrued it was an attempt to strenghten greater monastries

Henry had the power to exempt any house 

The Pilgrimage of Grace was a protest against the King and Cromwell in a reaction to the initial dissolution

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1537

Number of indivdual so-called voluntary surrenders of larger houses due to pressure exerted by royal commisioners, with property passing to Cromwell

Process of dissolution was now clear all monasteries large and small were under attack

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1538 & 1539

1538

Cromwell and his agnets embraked on dissolution of remaining large monasteries

16 months- 202 houses surrendered

1539

Second Act of Dissolution of the Monasteries was passed

'Voluntary' surrenders and parliamentary sanction on Cromwell and his agents work

All property of the great houses was transferred to the Crown

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1540

Surrender of Waltham Abbey in March 1540

In all, 563 houses had been dissolved, 8,000 monks had been pensioned off

Crown income had doubles from £120,000 p.a to £250,000 p.a

Resale value of Monastic land standing at 1.3 million

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