The Dissolution of the Monasteries
Why Henry VIII closed the monasteries between 1536 and 1540, the role of the commissioners of Cromwell, and the impact on the crown, the gentry and local communities.
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The dissolution of the monasteries 💰
Between 1536 and 1540 Henry VIII closed the monasteries of England and seized their land and wealth. The commissioners of Cromwell reported that the religious houses were wealthy and corrupt, and the crown took what they owned.
Words for the dissolution 🔑
Learn these four terms before you judge the dissolution.
Winners and losers 🆚
The dissolution helped some and harmed others.
Grade 9 thinking 💡
To reach the top grades, weigh the reasons for the dissolution against its impact, and judge whether the gains to the crown outweighed the losses to communities.
Match the effect to what it was 🔗
- monastic charity
- monastic education
- the wealth of the crown
- sales of monastic land
- help given to the poor and sick
- teaching and learning for local people
- grew hugely from the seized property
- made nobles and gentry into beneficiaries
Match the term to its meaning 🧩
- monastery
- dissolution
- commissioners
- gentry
- a religious house of monks or nuns
- the closing down of the monasteries
- officials sent to inspect the monasteries
- landowners below the rank of nobles
Why dissolve the monasteries? ❓
What best explains why the monasteries were dissolved?
- The crown wanted their land and wealth, and the commissioners reported corruption.
- They were all empty and unused.
- They had all burned down.
Who lost out? ✅
Select the TWO groups who lost from the dissolution.
- The monks and nuns.
- The poor who relied on charity.
- The crown.
- The gentry who bought land.
Order the dissolution 🪜
An interactive activity.
Summarise the dissolution 📝
The commissioners of _____ inspected the monasteries in 1535. The smaller houses were closed in _____, and the larger ones were gone by _____. The crown gained great _____, while the _____ lost the charity they relied on.
Count the years 🔢
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Spot the two losers 🖍️
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Beneficiary or loser? 🧭
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Assess the dissolution ✍️
An interactive activity.