Dissolution of the monasteries

This article may require copy editing for prose. You can assist by editing it. (March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

History of Christianity
in the British Isles

The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, dissolved in 1539 following the execution of the abbot
General
Anglican Communion Catholic Church in England and Wales Calendar of saints (Church of England) Religion in Ireland Religion in Scotland Celtic Christianity Religion in Wales
Early
Christianity in Roman Britain Legend of Christ in Britain
Medieval
Early Christian Ireland 400–800 Christianity in Medieval Scotland Anglo-Saxon Christianity Celtic Rite Hiberno-Scottish mission
Early Modern
Dissolution of the monasteries Welsh Bible Scottish Reformation Wars of the Three Kingdoms Bishops' Wars English Civil War Book of Common Order Puritanism and the Restoration
Eighteenth century to present
18th century Church of England 19th century Church of England Church of England (recent) Catholic emancipation Disestablishment of the Irish Church Religion in Scotland - present Welsh Methodist revival 1904–1905 Welsh Revival Disestablishment of the Welsh Church Church of Scotland Act 1921
v t e

Part of a series on
Anglicanism
Theology Christian theology Anglican doctrine Thirty-nine Articles Books of Homilies Caroline Divines Chicago–Lambeth Quadrilateral Episcopal polity Sacraments Mary
Ministry and worship Ministry Music Eucharist King James Version (Book of Common Prayer) Liturgical year Churchmanship (High, Low, Central, Broad) Monasticism Saints Jesus Prayer
Christianity Jesus Christ Paul Christian Church First seven ecumenical councils
Background and history Celtic Christianity Augustine of Canterbury Bede Medieval cathedral architecture Apostolic succession Henry VIII English Reformation Thomas Cranmer Dissolution of the monasteries Church of England Edward VI Elizabeth I Matthew Parker Richard Hooker James I Charles I William Laud Nonjuring schism Latitudinarian Anglo-Catholicism (Liberal) Oxford Movement
Anglican Communion Anglican Communion history Archbishop of Canterbury Anglican Communion Primates' Meetings Lambeth Conference Bishops Anglican Consultative Council Ecumenism Ordination of women Windsor Report
Continuing Anglicanism Anglican realignment Bartonville Agreement Congress of St. Louis North American Anglican Conference
Christianity portal
v t e

The dissolution of the monasteries, occasionally referred to as the suppression of the monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541, by which Henry VIII disbanded Catholic monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries in England, Wales, and Ireland; expropriated their income; disposed of their assets; and provided for their former personnel and functions.

Though the policy was originally envisaged as increasing the regular income of the Crown, much former monastic property was sold off to fund Henry's military campaigns in the 1540s. He was given the authority to do this in England and Wales by the Act of Supremacy, passed by Parliament in 1534, which made him Supreme Head of the Church in England. He had broken from Rome the previous year, separating England from papal authority. The monasteries were dissolved by these two Acts of Parliament: First Suppression Act (1535) and the Second Suppression Act (1539).

While Thomas Cromwell, vicar-general and vicegerent of England, is often considered the leader of the dissolution, he merely oversaw the project, he had hoped to use for reform of monasteries, not closure or seizure. The dissolution project was created by England's Lord Chancellor, Thomas Audley, and Court of Augmentations head, Richard Rich.

Historian George W. Bernard argues that:

The dissolution of the monasteries in the late 1530s was one of the most revolutionary events in English history. There were nearly 900 religious houses in England, around 260 for monks, 300 for regular canons, 142 nunneries and 183 friaries; some 12,000 people in total, 4,000 monks, 3,000 canons, 3,000 friars and 2,000 nuns. If the adult male population was 500,000, that meant that one adult man in fifty was in religious orders.^[1]