Introduction and overview

1. Introduction and overview Paper 2 The Church in England: the Struggle for Supremacy, 1529-47 1 hour 30 minutes

2. Structure of paper • Answer Question 1 and either Question 2 or 3 • Question 1 is a (secondary) source based question in two parts worth 12 and 24 marks. • Questions 2 and 3 are in two parts, worth 12 and 24 marks. • So there are 72 raw marks available altogether, 36 for each question. • You would spend 45 minutes on each question – roughly 15 minutes on a 12 mark question and 30 minutes on 24 marker. • We will look at technique for this paper in depth as we go through the course, with lots of opportunities for practice.

3. 5 key topic areas • The Church in England on the eve of the Reformation, 1529 • The role of the state: the King’s Great Matter and the break from Rome, 1529–1535 • The Dissolution of the Monasteries, 1535–1541 • The Impact of the Reformation on Church and State, 1535–1541 • Henry’s final years: consolidation and court intrigue, 1542–1547

4. Key topics • The Church in England on the eve of the Reformation, 1529 • Church fabric and wealth; religious doctrine and practice; ecclesiastical organisation; anticlerical criticisms of the state of the Church and monasteries; popular Catholicism • Religious reformers including humanists, Lutherans and believers in Royal Supremacy • Religious conservatives and the Aragonese faction

5. The role of the state: the King’s Great Matter and the break from Rome, 1529–1535 • The King’s need for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon • Measures taken to prepare for the divorce, 1529–1532 • The Acts of the Reformation, 1533–1534 • Opposition to the Royal Supremacy

6. The Dissolution of the Monasteries, 1535–1541 • The motives behind the dissolutions • The enforcement of the dissolutions and the role of Thomas Cromwell • Reactions against the dissolutions: the Lincolnshire Rising and the Pilgrimage of Grace • The impact of the dissolutions on society, culture and the Church

7. The Impact of the Reformation on Church and State, 1535–1541 • Parliamentary legislation and Government actions to reform the Church: the relationship between the King and Parliament • The consequences of the Reformation for state finances • The impact of the Reformation on English foreign policy • Conservative reactions against the Reformation: the Six Articles, the role of the Conservative faction at court and the significance of the fall of Cromwell and of the Howard marriage

8. Henry’s final years: consolidation and court intrigue, 1542–1547 • The influence of Catherine Parr; faction and the position of Cranmer • The King’s Book and debates and arguments on the Eucharist, liturgy and Bible and their effect by 1547 • The foreign policy of later years • The influence of the Seymour faction, the demise of the Howards and signs of change by 1547 policy of later years

9. Why are royal babies big news?

10. The role of the state: the King’s Great Matter and the break from Rome, 1529–1535 • This is the key topic – everything begins with this. • It has enormous religious, economic and social consequences but it would be mistake to see it as primarily a religious event. It was politically motivated. • It was about the succession – not really about religion... but it became a religious matter later. • If we are to understand Henry’s motives we need to look at him against the background of the 15th century.

11. The Wars of the Roses • Battle of Towton – 1461 – 28,000 killed in one day (worse in fact that the first day of the Somme)… • It was in the interests of the nobility as well as the king, therefore, to secure the succession.

12. The royal sex life is not a personal matter… • Henry VI and Edward V were child kings… • Arthur died in 1502, and a couple of years after that Henry VII fell ill; • Throughout his reign, Henry is suspicious of anyone with royal blood – Duke of Buckingham executed in 1521; the de la Pole’s (except Reginald) are wiped out in 1538.

13. Now, what’s significant about this image of Henry (and so many others)?