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HistoryThe English Reformation, 1509–160338 min★★ difficulty

Lesson 4: Dissolving the monasteries

Between 1536 and 1540 hundreds of religious houses were closed and their assets transferred.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Britain 1066-1901: Understand the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745, including the English Reformation and its impact
  • Britain 1066-1901: Understand the development of the Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745, including the theory and practice of monarchy and the origins and progress of the English Reformation
  • Historical enquiry: Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources, and how and why historians have interpreted the past in different ways

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Assess the motives and consequences of the dissolution

Key learning points

  • • Survey and closure
  • • Money, power and reform
  • • Local consequences

This lesson at a glance

  • 38 minutes
  • 24 parts to scroll through
  • 3 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

assessmotivesconsequencesdissolutionsurvey

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 24 · Discover4%
1

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Part 1 of 24

Lesson 4: Dissolving the monasteries illustrationArchive-led lesson

Historical enquiry

Lesson 4: Dissolving the monasteries

Between 1536 and 1540 hundreds of religious houses were closed and their assets transferred.

In a nutshell

Assess the motives and consequences of the dissolution

2

What you already know

Part 2 of 24

Before we start

What you already know

You should already know that royal supremacy gave Henry control of the English Church, and that monasteries owned large amounts of land.

Recap: Lesson 3: Breaking with Rome
3

Key words

Part 3 of 24

Key words

Words you'll need today

Dissolution
The closure of monasteries and transfer of their property to the Crown.
Visitation
An official inspection of religious houses.
Monastery
A community of monks or nuns living under religious rule.
Patronage
Rewarding supporters with land, office or favour.
4

Reset break

Part 4 of 24

Pause

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Stop here for now
5

Your lesson plan

Part 5 of 24

Lesson brief

Why were the monasteries closed—and who gained?

By the end, you will be able to

  • • Explain the Valor and visitations
  • • Identify winners and losers
  • • Evaluate hostile government evidence

Resources

  • • Dissolution records (1530s)
  • • Lesson notes and marked knowledge check
4 minRecall the chronology and frame the enquiry
15 minRead the textbook explanation and build the argument
11 minInterrogate the archive evidence in context
8 minAnswer the checks and write a supported conclusion
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Learning cycle

Part 6 of 24

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Closing the houses

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

7

Explore the idea

Part 7 of 24

Learn

Survey and closure

The Crown assessed monastic wealth, investigated houses and legislated first against smaller monasteries, then the rest.

8

Reset break

Part 8 of 24

Pause

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 24

Learn

Money, power and reform

Royal finance, control and criticism of religious life all mattered. Land sales helped create supporters with a stake in the settlement.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 24

Quick check

Who organised much of the dissolution?

Give me a hint
11

Quick check

Part 11 of 24

Quick check

Why treat visitation reports carefully?

Give me a hint
12

Reset break

Part 12 of 24

Pause

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
13

Learning cycle

Part 13 of 24

Learning cycle 2 of 2

What communities lost

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

14

Explore the idea

Part 14 of 24

Learn

Local consequences

Communities lost worship, charity, employment and hospitality, while buildings and land found new uses. Effects varied by place.

15

Quick check

Part 15 of 24

Quick check

A major consequence was…

Give me a hint
16

Reset break

Part 16 of 24

Pause

That's sitting 4 of 6 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
17

Investigate evidence

Part 17 of 24

Evidence 1 of 1

primary

Dissolution records

Thomas Cromwell's commissioners, 1530s

The reports record monastery property, income and alleged faults before houses were surrendered to the Crown.

Commissioners gathered information for a government preparing to close religious houses. Their records are direct evidence of administration, but their purpose may have encouraged hostile reporting.

Think like a historian

How might the commissioners' employer and purpose shape what they recorded?

Source: The National Archives, Discover the Dissolution education collection

View the archive record ↗
18

Common mix-ups

Part 18 of 24

Common mix-ups

Things people often get wrong

  • People often think monasteries were closed purely because they were corrupt. Visitation reports were written to justify closure.
  • People often think the Crown kept all the land. Much was sold, creating owners with an interest in defending the changes.
19

Challenge round

Part 19 of 24

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

20

Reset break

Part 20 of 24

Pause

That's sitting 5 of 6 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
21

Challenge round

Part 21 of 24

Game · Recall cards

Who led the western Church in 1509?

Card 1 of 4

22

Exit quiz

Part 22 of 24

Exit quiz

Show what you've learned

6 questions, marked together at the end. Nothing is timed.

  1. 1. Who organised much of the dissolution?

  2. 2. The dissolution took place mainly between…

  3. 3. Why treat visitation reports carefully?

  4. 4. Selling monastic land helped the Crown by…

  5. 5. A major local consequence was the loss of…

  6. 6. Motives for dissolution are best described as…

23

Mastery quiz

Part 23 of 24

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Lesson 4: Dissolving the monasteries

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. Who led the western Church in 1509?

  2. 2. Which source best reveals parish spending?

  3. 3. Which judgement is strongest?

  4. 4. What was Henry seeking?

24

Lesson round-up

Part 24 of 24

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

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Points this lesson

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Best run

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How this is going

  • Not looked at yet

    Understand the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745, including the English Reformation and its impact

  • Not looked at yet

    Understand the development of the Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745, including the theory and practice of monarchy and the origins and progress of the English Reformation

  • Not looked at yet

    Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources, and how and why historians have interpreted the past in different ways

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