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18 March 1536
Dissolution of the monasteries
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Parliament passes the Act of Suppression, which dissolves the smaller
monasteries. Between this date and 1540, Henry
VIII abolishes all the monasteries, seizes their lands and sells them
to his nobles and the gentry. His motive is partly religious (many monks
are lazy and corrupt) and partly secular (he needs money for his wars
against France). In all, about a quarter of the land in England changes
hands, passing from the clergy to the laity. This effectively gives most
of the nobility and gentry a stake in the Reformation
and makes it hard for them to support a return to Rome. But the dissolution
of the monasteries proves unpopular because, despite individual abuses,
they have played a major role both in spiritual life and in local charity.
As a result, in 1536, there is a major rising called the Pilgrimage
of Grace, followed by Kett's rebellion
in 1549. The last monastery to be dissolved, in March 1540, is Waltham
Abbey.
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