parliment

Henry’s reign (1536-1547)

The Break with Rome meant that Parliament began to meet much more frequently, and played a greater role than every before – but specifically in this period, the following religious legislation:

·         Parliament passed the Act of Six Articles (1539) – reconfirming Catholic doctrine

·         Parliament passed the Act for the Dissolution of the Greater Monasteries (1539)

·         Parliament passed the Act for the Advancement of True Religion (1543) – restricted access to the English Bible

·         Parliament passed the Chantries Act (1545) – though it was never enforced

Henry did not need Parliament to agree to subsidies/taxation to provide him with funds for his foreign policy in this period, due to the money he gained from dissolving the monasteries – it had been Cromwell’s intention that the profits from this would make the government finically independent of Parliament in the foreseeable future. 

Edward’s reign (1547-1553)

Social Policy/Law and Order:

• Vagrancy Act (1547)
• Repealed the Vagrancy Act (1547)

Finance:

• Parliamentary taxes raised £336,000 to try to deal with the financial deficiencies resulting from inherited…