1 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Henry VIII – The Renaissance Prince

• Ascended to throne 1509

• No rival contenders – elder brother died 1502
• Catholic England – acknowledged the authority of the
Pope – Church extremely powerful
• Strong athlete – enjoyed dangerous sports e.g.
jousting
• Musician – sang, played instruments, composed
• Educated – spoke French, Spanish and Latin
• Social – good dancer and enjoyed entertainment
• Very stubborn – difficult to get him to change mind
 2 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Views on monarchy and government

• Believed in Divine Right of Kings – had been chosen

by God to be king
• People had a duty to obey him
• Used the Privy Chamber and Royal Council to help
him make decisions
• Increasingly made use of advisers and chief ministers
– Wolsey up to 1529; Cromwell 1529-40
• Delegated his power as routine tasks bored him – this
increased the power of his advisers
 3 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Henry VIII
Strengths
• Popular – young and unlike his
father who was disliked due to
heavy taxing
• Handsome – looked like a king
• Stable – England had an
established system of
government and little threats
of rebellion
• Wife – Catherine of Aragon –
strong connections with Spain
• Rich – Country was rich and
Crown had no debt
Weaknesses
• Naïve – only 18 and little
experience of government,
spent a lot of money on wars
and his court as thought this
was the king’s right
• Disinterested – little interest
in government and happy to
delegate jobs to ministers
giving them a lot of power
• Risk taker – dangerous sports
• Overconfident – not take
advice which led to costly
mistakes
 4 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Henry VIII Aims

• Create a government where king decided policy and

the ministers carried it out
• Achieve victory in battles and look good in Europe
• Win back lands from France
• Create an amazing royal court – best dress,
entertainment and buildings
• Govern well and maintain law and order
• Committed to the Church
• Produce a male heir to continue his line
 5 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Henry VIII’s Wives Overview

 6 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Henry VIII’s Government Structure

King

King’s closest friends Privy

Chamber
Nobles and servants who
Royal advised the king
Household
Nobles and churchmen who
helped govern country Royal Council
Nobles who entertained and
Court advised the king

Passed laws proposed by the

king Parliament
Nobles who kept law
and order around
Justices of the Peace country
 7 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Wolsey’s Rise to Power Timeline

• 1473 – Born in Ipswich – father was a butcher

• 1498 – Oxford University degree, became priest
• 1509 – Became member of Royal Council as Royal
Almoner (in charge of giving money to poor)
• 1514 – Became Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of
York
• 1515 – Became Lord Chancellor and Henry’s chief
minister (most important adviser)
• 1518 – Became Papal Legate (Pope’s representative)
the most powerful churchman in England
 8 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Wolsey’s Rise to Power

• Henry didn’t involve himself in day-to-day government so this

increased Wolsey’s power as he had to carry out the tasks
Henry didn’t want to do
• Appointment as Royal Almoner 1509 made him a member of
Royal Court so had access to Henry to impress him
• Henry disliked many of his father’s advisers so made way for
Wolsey
• Wolsey impressed Henry 1512 by providing well-equipped
and supplied army for war with France
• Persuasive personality and good at flattery
• Financially ruined his rivals to get them out the way
 9
Wolsey’s Reforms
Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

• Enclosure - fences to divide land into fields to graze sheep so

owners could sell wool, reduced land available to renting farmers
and poor, Wolsey enquiry in 1517 to reduce effect on poor, 260
court cases but made unpopular with landowners
• Justice System – wanted fairer system of justice so rich not above
law, strengthened Star Chamber (royal court), encouraged poor to
being cases to court, increased court work rate, again not popular
with rich
• Eltham Ordinances – tackle misspending of palaces, cut spending
on meals / servants, firing unneeded servants, reducing expenses,
reducing Privy Chamber from 12 to 6 men
• Finance – Took back Crown lands from nobility = £15,000, forced
loans from landowners in 1522 and 1523, clerical tax – gifted
money from church, subsidy – tax on income - more you earn the
more you pay, 1/15s (rural) and 1/10s (urban) taxes on moveable
goods
 10 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Wolsey’s Amicable Grant 1525

• France defeated by Charles V, Henry wanted to take
back lands from France by invading, needed money
to pay for the invasion = Amicable Grant
• Tax on 1/3 of property owned by priests and 1/6
owned by ordinary people
• Controversial – order by King not parliament – only
10 weeks to pay
• Failed and damaged Wolsey’s reputation
 11 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Wolsey’s Amicable Grant 1525

Short Term Consequences Long Term Consequences
• People refused to pay
• Suffolk – full-scale rebellion
10,000 men gathered to
protest at tax but still loyal to
Henry
• The tax was abandoned
• Henry postponed invading
France and made peace
instead
• Wolsey humiliated and
reputation damaged
• Wolsey unable to raise any
more taxes after
• Henry began to doubt
Wolsey’s judgement
• Wolsey’s enemies in Royal
Court strengthened
• Showed limits on the king’s
power – he could no raise
taxes without Parliament’s
support
 12 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Wolsey’s Foreign Policy Timeline

1512 – England and
Spain form anti-French
Alliance
1520 – Henry and Francis
I meet at the ‘Field of the
Cloth of Gold’
1525 – French defeated
at Battle of Pavia, Francis
I taken prisoner
Successes
1512-14 – Henry’s first 1518 – Treaty of London
war with France – Battle
of the Spurs
1521 – Treaty of Bruges 1522-25 – Henry’s
second war with France
1525-29 – Anglo-French 1528 – England and
Alliance France declare war on
Charles V
1529 – Treaty of Cambrai Failures

Foreign Policy  a government's strategy in

dealing with other nations
 13 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Wolsey’s Foreign Policy Successes

• 1514 – The Battle of the Spurs – final battle that
gave Henry the victory
• 1518 – Treaty of London – promised universal peace
by proposing each state followed a non-aggressive
foreign policy to not attack each other. If one did
attack, all the others attack back Signed by 20
European leaders and Pope Made Henry look good
as peacemaker Prevented war for 3 years.
• 1520 – Field of the Cloth of Gold - Francis I and
Henry meet. Nothing decided or agreed at meeting
but made them both look good
 14 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Wolsey’s Foreign Policy Failures

• 1522 – 1525 – Treaty of Bruges – French war and alliance
with Charles V failed because Wolsey’s support for Charles V
against France in Treaty of Bruges. Based on idea Charles
would help seize French land and give Henry French throne.
Didn’t happen.
• 1525 – Battle of Pavia – Charles ignores Henry’s decision to
divide France and Henry get the throne. Instead he releases
Francis I from captivity. War cost £430,000 = very unpopular!
• 1925-1529 Anglo-French Alliance against Spain – failed as
French defeated and Henry didn’t send much support so
looked bad
• 1529 – Treaty of Cambrai – Francis I made peace with Charles
V but left Wolsey and Henry out of negotiations.
 15 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Catherine of Aragon and the succession
• Catherine was pregnant at least 6 times between 1509-1520 but
only one child survived, Mary. She was 6 years older than Henry so
by 1527 at 42yrs was unlikely to get pregnant again
• Threatened the succession as no male heir would encourage
others to claim the throne  could lead to invasion / civil war
• Henry blamed her for not giving him a healthy son – he had a son
with a mistress so obviously couldn’t be his fault!
• He lost interest in her and started looking at younger women 
Anne Boleyn!
• Thought he was being punished by God for marrying his dead
brother’s wife. Bible = if this happens they will be childless
• Could only end marriage with annulment but only the Pope to
grant it and would upset his Catholic nephew, Charles V
• Catherine didn’t want it as would make her a mistress and Mary,
her daughter, would lose claim to the throne
 16 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Wolsey’s tries to get an annulment
• 1527 – Henry instructs Wolsey to persuade Pope Clement VII to grant an
annulment on the grounds that the marriage was ungodly

• Pope Clement VII didn’t want to offend Charles V who had troops close to
Rome

• 1528 – Wolsey, as Papal Legate, said he would rule on the case with the
Pope’s representative Cardinal Campeggio. Failed as Pope instructed
Campeggio to drag it out so by 1529 the case was adjourned (stopped
without a decision being made)

• Throughout this lots of pressure put on Catherine. Suggested she become

a nun and was accused of hating the king. Publicly begged him to keep
her. Henry threatened to ignore their daughter Mary and exclude her
from succession.
 17 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Reasons for Wolsey’s Fall From Power

• Amicable Grant – failed to collect tax, Henry couldn’t invade

France
• Annulment – failed to get it, made Henry suspicious he was
working for the Pope and not the king
• Reforms – reforms to justice system, enclosures, and reclaim
crown land made him unpopular at court
• Foreign policy – failed to build an alliance against Charles V
• The Boleyns – Henry fancying Anne made her father and
brother powerful at court and they plotted against Wolsey as
he failed to get the annulment needed. Anne hated him!
• October 1529 – stripped of powers and sent to York
• July 1530 – summoned to court as accused of siding with
Pope instead of Henry but died on way to court
 18 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Cromwell’s Rise to Power Timeline

• 1485 – Born in Putney, father innkeeper

• 1503-1514 – Travelled and worked in Europe
• 1514-1519 – Returned to England, married Elizabeth Wyckes,
became successful merchant and lawyer
• 1519 – Became a member of Wolsey’s council and became
trusted adviser
• 1529 – Became MP for Taunton
• 1531 – Became a member of Privy Council
• 1534 – Became Henry’s chief minister (adviser)
• After annulment  became Chancellor of the Exchequer
1533 (finance), in charge of Church as Vicar-General in 1535,
Lord Privy Seal 1536 – unlimited access to Henry’s
documents, Lord Great Chamberlain 1540 (in charge of
Henry’s household)
 19 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Cromwell’s Rise to Power

• Loyalty – Remained loyal to Wolsey and defended him to

parliament and king. Impressed Henry who valued loyalty
• Wit and charm – Knew how to flatter and had a quick mind
• Ruthlessness – meant that Henry was prepared to rely on him
to manage violent and controversial acts. Also discouraged any
rivals trying to go against him
• Efficiency – followed Henry’s commands and supported Henry
when he became more involved in day-to-day government in
1530s
 20 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Cromwell and the annulment

• Cromwell knew Pope wouldn’t grant annulment so argued
that Henry should be able to grant annulments instead as
king
• Jan 1533 - Henry and Anne secretly married by Archbishop
Cranmer– was necessary as Anne was already pregnant and
the child needed to be legitimate
• March 1533 - Parliament passes ‘Act in Restraint of Appeals’
saying England is an empire and not under any foreign rule
(Pope). Henry is now head of the Church and only he could
annul his marriage to Catherine.
• May 1533 – Divorce hearing took place led by Archbishop
Cranmer and ruled Henry and Catherine were never legally
married and his secret marriage to Anne was legal
• Sep 1533 – Anne crowned as queen and had daughter
Elizabeth
 21 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Fall of Anne Boleyn Timeline

• Sept 1533 – Anne has daughter Elizabeth – not the son Henry
wanted
• 1534 – Anne has another miscarriage
• Jan 1536 – Another miscarriage and baby deformed – accused
of being a witch at court
• 2nd May 1536 – Cromwell investigates and accuses her of
adultery and treason so taken to Tower of London
• 15th May 1536 – Anne found guilty
• 17th May 1536 – Anne’s marriage to Henry is annulled
• 19th May 1536 – Anne is executed! (Beheaded)
 22 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Fall of Anne Boleyn Timeline

• Early 1536 Henry fancies Jane Seymour

• Henry fed up of no male heir and Anne was flirty in court so
causing him an embarrassment
• Anne had strong opinions on religion and foreign policy which
annoyed Henry
• Anne had many enemies in court who were happy to gossip
about her
• Cromwell knew Anne helped to bring down Wolsey so might
have wanted rid of her in case she did the same to him
• Anne and Cromwell had very different ideas on foreign policy
and how money should be spent
• Cromwell built the adultery case, interviewing and torturing
witnesses, and spying on her
 23 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Jane Seymour

• 30th May 1536 – married Henry, 11 days after Anne’s death

• Again, still needed a legitimate heir, preferably a son!
• Princess Mary and Elizabeth had been declared illegitimate
• Henry Fitzroy, Henry’s illegitimate son had died
• 12th Oct 1537 – gave birth to son, Edward (later Edward VI)
• Two weeks later Jane died, Henry went into mourning and
refused to marry for another 2 years, but still searched for
new wife
• Wanted a wife for more sons and to help an alliance in Europe
• Jane’s marriage gave the Seymour family big influence at court
– her brothers became advisers to Henry
 24
Cromwell’s Reforms
Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Royal Council
Too big (100 members) replaced with
Privy Council (20 advisers)
Mainly lawyers not noblemen
Wanted equal status
Clerk to record decisions
Finance
King’s Chamber used to deal with finance
and record income. Created 6
departments to share work after
dissolution of monasteries. Court of First
Fruits and Tenths – collected tax from
clergy. Court of Augmentations – dealt
with property / income from monasteries.
Other four departments dealt with King’s
income
Council of the North
Existed since 1472, mainly nobles and
churchmen but didn’t meet often.
Made it permanent – 1537 onwards
responsible for keeping law in North –
helped control rebellions e.g.
Pilgrimage of Grace
Wales 1536
Wales became officially part of
England and English law introduced
English official language
Wales represented by 26 MPs
Wales divided up into new counties
controlled by a Justice of the Peace to
tackle disorder and get Welsh nobles
on side
 25 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Cromwell’s management of Parliament

• Cromwell used parliament more regularly

• Key changes in the Church and state were made by Acts of
Parliament (actual law)
• Strengthened king’s authority and got nobles, Church and
merchants onside
• Cromwell controlled parliament by ensuring ideas were
debated, sitting as an MP so he guide debates and get support
for laws he wanted passed, using threats to undermine
opposition
• Parliament now at centre of government
• Laws now passed with approval of both Houses of
Parliament and the king – strengthened his authority
• Parliament could no longer be ignored or bypassed by king
 26 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Anne of Cleves

• Anne was the second daughter of Duke of Cleves (German)

• 24 yrs old when came to England and spoke little English
• 1537 – threat of Catholic crusade against England by Charles V
(Spain) and Francis I (France)
• Anne of Cleves was German so could get German states
onside
• Duke of Cleves happy to marry Anne off to Henry
• Henry still only had one male heir – needed more!
• Duke of Cleves had also broken from Rome so
suggested Henry would also break from Rome too
• Henry when he met her, thought she was ugly!
 27 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Henry hates Anne of Cleves

• Cromwell encouraged Henry to marry Anne

• Henry gave permission for marriage negotiations to begin and
a marriage treaty was signed in Oct 1539
• Anne arrives in England in Dec 1539 and Henry hates her, he
told Cromwell ‘I like her not!’
• Marriage went ahead 6th Jan 1540 after persuasion from
Cromwell
• Summer 1540 – Catholic countries no longer threat so no
longer needed German alliance plus Henry fancied Catherine
Howard!
• Marriage annulled on grounds of ‘non-consummation’ (no
sex) and Anne given houses by Henry and title of ‘King’s sister’
• Henry blamed Cromwell for the unsuccessful marriage, Duke
of Norfolk (Catherine’s uncle) wants rid of Cromwell
 28
Cromwell’s Fall
Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

• 15th June 1540 – Cromwell arrested for treason and heresy

• 29th June 1540 – Cromwell taken to Tower of London and
Parliament passed an Act of Attainder, condemning him to
death without trial
• 28th July 1540 – executed on same day Henry marries
Catherine Howard
• Duke of Norfolk hated Cromwell as Cromwell supported
Protestant ideas and was jealous of him and his influence
• Duke of Norfolk got Catherine to spread rumours about
Cromwell saying he wasn’t doing a good job getting an
annulment for Anne of Cleves
• Cromwell hated by French Catholics – no Cromwell would
help relationship with France
• Hated by court and Church for dissolving the monasteries
 29 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Henry and the Catholic Church

• In the early stages of his reign, Henry was loyal to Catholic

Church and didn’t like Protestantism
• During Reformation (led by German priest, Martin Luther), the
Christian Church split in two; Catholic and Protestant
• Henry had written book in support of Catholics which led Pope
Leo X to call him ‘Defender of the Faith’ in 1521
• Luther’s writings had been publicly burnt by Wolsey
• BUT – Henry wanted more power over the Church because;
• The Pope wouldn’t give him his annulment to Catherine of
Aragon
• He liked the idea by William Tyndale that kings should rule
the Church
• There were many saying the Catholic Church was corrupt
 30 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Catholics vs. Protestants
Catholics
Accepted authority of the Pope
Believed in transubstantiation –
bread and wine actually is body
and blood of Jesus
Services and Bible in Latin
Could buy indulgences – gets you
into heaven quicker if sinned
Images and statues were sacred
Pilgrimage was necessary
Protestants
Rejected Pope’s authority and
though monarchs should lead
churches
Bread and wine only represent
blood and body of Jesus
Services and Bible in language of
country
Could only get to heaven by having
faith and avoiding sin
Praying to statues / images wrong
Pilgrimage unnecessary
 31 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Act of Succession and Supremacy
Act of Succession 1534
Only children from Henry’s second
marriage to Anne Boleyn could inherit
throne. His daughter Mary would be
illegitimate
Important because…
Act of Supremacy 1534
King and not Pope controlled English
Church – Henry now Head of the
Church of England – had powers
previously held by Pope
Important because…
Final rejection of Pope’s right to decide
if someone can divorce or remarry,
also stopped Pope’s authority in
England
All had to take a Oath of Succession
recognising Anne Boleyn as queen –
failure to do it meant treason and
possibly death
Henry could now decide;
- how Church was organised
- Church’s religious beliefs
- who to appoint to Church positions
Also controlled Church income and
could sell Church property and get
Church taxes – led to Court of
Augmentations and Court of First
Fruits and Tenths
 32 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Opposition from Elizabeth Barton

• Nun who became ill and claimed to have vision of Virgin Mary
who cured her so many thought she was a holy woman with
miraculous powers so should be taken seriously
What she did Henry’s reaction What happened next?
From 1527, criticised Big threat to Henry as July 1533 – Barton and
Henry’s divorce from could cause a rebellion friends interrogated
Catherine of Aragon and Ordered Cromwell to act Nov 1533 – forced to
said he’d die a villains against her confess to lying about
death Her visions were an visions
Criticised Protestant embarrassment to Henry Condemned by Act of
ideas and told people to Attainder – execution
burn English Bibles without trial
1533, book published 700 copies of book burnt
containing her ideas Warning to others!
saying Henry would burn
in hell!
 33 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Opposition from John Fisher

• Bishop of Rochester in 1504, famous scholar who tutored

Henry when younger, was made a Cardinal by Pope in 1535
What he did Henry’s reaction What happened next?
Condemned Henry’s Henry hated him but he Henry remained
attempt to get divorce as hadn’t broken any law so suspicious and watched
well as his split from couldn’t do anything him closely
Rome
Fisher had links with Could have arrested him Fined him £300 instead
Barton for treason
Refused to take Oath of Sent him to Tower of Fisher executed June
Succession in April 1934 London 1935 for treason
 34 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Opposition from Thomas More

• Sir Thomas More, Henry’s Lord Chancellor after Wolsey, was

executed July 1935 for refusing to take Oath of Succession
• 1532 – More resigns from being Chancellor due to Henry
wanting divorce for Catherine of Aragon
• 13th April 1534 – Henry thinks if More doesn’t openly support
him then he is opposition so forces him to take Oath of
Succession but More refuses
• 17th April 1534 – More sent to Tower of London and refuses to
say why he won’t take the oath to avoid treason
• 1st July 1535 – Year in prison, Cromwell visits him to try and
persuade him to take Oath, still won’t. More put on trial and
false evidence given to suggest treason
• 6th July 1535 – Executed! People now scared to speak out
against Henry
 35 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Impact of Reformation on English Church

• Between 1534 -1540 conflict between whether English Church
should be more Catholic or more Protestant
• Henry was still practising Catholic beliefs
Reformers (Protestants) Traditional Catholics
Thomas Cromwell Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk
Archbishop Cranmer (re-married Henry) (Catherine Howard’s uncle)
Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester

• Cromwell and Cranmer worked to change the Church

1) Act of Ten Articles 1536 – Reduced Church ceremonies
2) Royal Injunctions 1536 – all priests to do the same thing 
discourage pilgrimage and highlight royal supremacy
3) Bishops Book 1537 – Catholic beliefs given less importance.
Main duty of a priest was preaching
4) Royal Injunctions 1538 – Every Church to have English Bible
and holy statues / images / pilgrimage sites destroyed
 36
Monasteries
Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

• 1509 – England had 800 religious houses served by over

10,000 mocks and nuns and played important role in
community
• Monasteries were very wealthy  owned 1/3 of all land in
England and top 20 had incomes of £1000 a year
• Refuge: monasteries were safe places for travellers or people
who felt threatened
• Medical: acted as hospitals for poor, sick and dying
• Education: monks often taught young boys and nobles – books
were kept there and they were places of learning
• Religious: places of religious reflection, daily worship by
monks and nuns
• Commercial: many were businesses controlling estates and
renting land to farmers
• Social: helped the poor and provided jobs for local people
 37 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Dissolution of the Monasteries

1) 1935 – Cromwell does survey into workings of

smaller monasteries and nunneries
2) Led to inspections  said monks were not keeping
to moral codes and had mistresses, were
homosexual, gambled and nuns has children!
3) Survey said monasteries had a wealth of £160,000 a
year
4) 1536 – The Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser
Monasteries closed the smaller ones
5) 1538 – more visits led to many surrendering their
religious houses to the king – confirmed by the Act
for the Dissolution of Greater Monasteries 1539
 38 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers
Dissolution of the Monasteries – Winners and Losers
Winners Losers

Reformers – Closer meant powerful Monks – lost homes and jobs, many
symbol of Catholic Church was gone suffered unemployment, some employed
by churches
Henry VIII – gained a lot of wealth and Nuns – lost homes and jobs, couldn’t
made him financially independent and work in churches or marry so many
very rich! Helped end opposition from the resorted to begging 
Church about his rule
Devout Catholics – upset by the end of
Catholic practices like praying for dead in
monasteries
Nobility – received monastic land from Poor and Sick – had nowhere to go for
the king as a gift or could buy it cheaply. treatment or shelter – many became
Could now farm land commercially and beggars
increase their income and wealth
Tenant Farmers – had rented land from
monasteries now saw rent rise or thrown
off land by nobility who now owned it
 39
Pilgrimage of Grace
Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

• Major uprising in the North of England 1536

• Series of rebellions took place in Yorkshire (under Robert
Aske) and Lincolnshire (under Nicholas Melton)
• Participants thought they were Jesus’ soldiers aiming to
restore Catholic beliefs to England
• Didn’t want to fight with Henry, just negotiate!
ECONOMIC – resented the
RELIGIOUS – felt Catholic
continuing taxation, rising
beliefs were being attacked
rents, increase enclosures,
REASONS
and landowners not happy
SOCIAL – anger at closure of
with Statue of Uses 1536
monasteries – caused
which was a tax on
homelessness and hunger
inheritance
POLITICAL – resented Also bad weather led to bad
Cromwell’s interference in harvest so people were
Church and local issues poorer
 40 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Pilgrimage of Grace: Yorkshire

1) Oct 1536 – 40,000 rebels form 9 well-armed groups,
led by members of nobility, overall leader Robert Aske
2) 16th Oct – Aske enters York with 10,000 rebels
3) 19th Oct – Hull taken by rebels
4) 21st Oct – Pontefract Castle taken over
5) 27th Oct – Henry sends Duke of Norfolk with 8000 army to crush
rebellion. Met Aske and 30,000 rebels at Doncaster Bridge, Norfolk
decides to not fight but negotiate. Two leaders are allowed to
present grievances to King.
6) Aske demands Pontefract Articles; end of Protestantism, papal
authority, monasteries back and Mary to be legitimate
7) 6th Dec – Met and rebel leaders accepted king’s offer of pardon and
to discuss demands in Parliament. Aske sends home rebels
8) Henry doesn’t speak to Parliament, some small rebellions, leaders
arrested and Aske hung July 1537
 41 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Pilgrimage of Grace: Lincolnshire

1) 2nd Oct 1536 – 3000 rebels led by Nicholas Melton

2) 7th Oct – 10,000 rebels march to Lincoln – sent a set of articles to
the Henry about their anger at closer of monasteries
3) 10th Oct – Henry sends message threatening to punish them and
destroy land – sent Duke of Norfolk with 3000 men
4) 11th Oct – Rebels backed down and asked for royal pardon and
rebels went home
 42 Paper 2 – Henry VIII and His Ministers

Pilgrimage of Grace: Failure and Significance

• Unsuccessful as Robert Aske trusted Henry to keep his word

• Aske sent the rebels home once Henry agreed to pardon and discuss
the matter in Parliament so no longer a threat to him
• Henry could not accept the demands as would make him look weak
and might encourage others to challenge him

• Threatened the King – largest uprising in Henry’s reign, involved

40,000 rebels and capture of castles / cities
• Postponed plans for religious reform – North remained Catholic and
many rejected Henry’s policies. Made it dangerous for Henry and
Cromwell to introduce new Protestant reforms
• Sped up monastery closures – many had backed the rebellion
• Strengthened Council of the North – Henry gave more power to
nobles to crush future rebellions