He should also be recognized as initiator of the Protestant Reformation when England broke from the Catholic Church, and formed the Church of England. Henry's wifely woes and the Reformation were intertwined. The collision of romance, politics, and religion helped lead to the dissolution and destruction of England's abbeys and monasteries.
Henry appealed to Rome for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He had fallen in love with the enchanting Anne Bolyn. Rome's denial did not deter him. In the 1530s, Parliament created Acts lessening the power of the Catholic Church. He married his lovely Anne (only to behead her later), and excommunication swiftly followed the marriage. Enter the monasteries with their immense wealth, at a time when England needed resources to continue their expansion throughout the world.
Pillaging and ransacking Catholic monasteries and abbeys, mostly non-violent, served many purposes. Monks were pensioned off. Agents of the crown confiscated hundreds of thousands of pounds, valuables, and even sold building parts as building material. Villagers scavenged for the leftovers. Aristocracy, granted large chunks of Church lands, ensured a separation from Rome and loyalty to the King. Approximately one-third of English land was seized during the Reformation.
Follow as we enter the ruined Abbeys . . .
Just counting your visits
