The 1536 Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries: Same Suppression ...

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service. 27 In 1519-20, Wolsey too presented reform proposals to the Augustinians and Benedictines. 28 On 19 March 1519 he issued new statutes for the Augustinian canons, and two years later, on 12 November 1521, he summoned the abbots and priors of the Benedictine order to discuss reforms with them. 29 Wolsey wanted reform through discipline, with an emphasis on the rigorous application of the founder‘s rule and an enforced retreat from worldliness. These ideas for reform resembled those attempted by Henry V. Henry VIII also imposed injunctions on all the religious houses, but he also used closures as a means for reform. Wolsey called a meeting of bishops on 9 September 1519 in the interest of reform, but as it turns out, he was more successful with his suppressions than with his reforms. The meeting largely dealt with the question of supervision, or visitation. Visitations would find problems among the orders and sought to mend them, such as monks regularly visiting nearby taverns or overly socializing with women, which disrupted the religious life of the whole house or at least its image. However, as Peter Gwyn puts it, ―self-respect may be a better guarantee of the health of an institution than any amount of outside control.‖ 30 It is difficult to change someone or an institution unless they are willing to change, and in this case it is implied that those who did not conform to the injunctions did not intend to better themselves. Indeed, Gwyn was right. Despite Wolsey‘s efforts to reform the order, in 1522 he was still criticizing the Benedictines for avarice and irregular lifestyles. 31 Perhaps, then, suppressing religious houses with vast degrees of corruption and transferring inmates who wished to remain in the order to other, well-functioning houses was a better means for reform. 27 Taunton, 28-9. 28 Thompson, ―Monasteries, Societies and Reform,‖ 186; Brown, 221. 29 Greg Walker, ―Cardinal Wolsey and the Satirists: the Case of Godly Queen Hester Re-Opened,‖ in Cardinal Wolsey: Church, State and Art, ed. S.J. Gunn and P.G. Lindley (Cambridge,1991), 249. 30 Peter Gywn, The King’s Cardinal: the Rise and Fall of Thomas Wolsey (London: Pimlico, 1992), 271. 31 Walker, 249. 37
The question of reform, and whether or not monasticism was declining, can be illustrated through Boxgrove, Folkestone, and Horsham St. Faith. The number of religious at Boxgrove increased at first, but began to dwindle by the end of the fifteenth century. Boxgrove initially held three monks, brought over from the Norman Priory, with the two and a half hides provided by Robert de Haye. His daughter, Cicely, increased the number from three to six, and her two sons were also quite generous to the Priory. William St. John gave endowments to enable the maintenance of thirteen monks. Additional tithes brought the total to fifteen. William‘s brother Robert also gave gifts to the priory, eventually enabling the Priory to sustain sixteen monks. The sixteenth monk, however, was to be a chaplain at the manor house of Halnaker. 32 Nearly a century later, the numbers increased to nineteen ―when Williamm of Kainesham, Canon of Chichester, provided for the maintenance of a nineteenth in 1230.‖ 33 These numbers fell after the Black Death. There were ten monks in 1478, and only eight by the time of the 1536 Dissolution. 34 The sources available do not say whether these numbers declined due to a lack of financial support or due to problems with recruitment. Problems with the rule itself within Boxgrove are revealed through visitation records. Between 1204 and 1207, Bishop Simon found the brothers were inclined to quarrel amongst themselves, and some living in the house were not even professed. In 1275, Archbishop Robert Kilwardby of Canterbury issued a series of injunctions to the priory due to its rule being too lax. He stated the monks were living too well, and that they have been eating meat too regularly when it is only supposed to be allowed under strict conditions. Furthermore, the monks were wearing brown robes instead of the proper black, and the chaplain gossiped too much on his way to Halnaker House and was thus told to go straight to the chapel henceforth without stopping. 32 Wells, 10. 33 Ibid., 12. 34 Ibid. 38
Page 1 and 2: The 1536 Dissolution of the Lesser
Page 3 and 4: Abstract A case study of the priori
Page 5 and 6: Contents Abstract .................
Page 7 and 8: King‘s Crown to handle the new in
Page 9 and 10: were a new phase. 13 In addition, W
Page 11 and 12: Chapter One: THE PRECEDENT FOR DISS
Page 13 and 14: insisted on the performance of the
Page 15 and 16: of Conches where they vowed to buil
Page 17 and 18: the aliens and use their revenues f
Page 19 and 20: independent convent. 46 Additionall
Page 21 and 22: some conventual priories were allow
Page 23 and 24: transfer the inmates to other monas
Page 25 and 26: was head of the Church of England a
Page 27 and 28: first needed to be aware of the res
Page 29 and 30: shrines, pilgrimage, and idolatry,
Page 31 and 32: pilgrimages is not one which had be
Page 33 and 34: transfers were sensible because the
Page 35 and 36: The Court of Augmentations was esta
Page 37 and 38: Chapter Three: QUESTIONING THE CLOS
Page 39 and 40: Both arguments concerning the healt
Page 41: eing carried out. 23 For example, P
Page 45 and 46: inventory of all moveable and immov
Page 47 and 48: Benedictine order. 49 There also ap
Page 49 and 50: Boxgrove and Horsham appeared to be
Page 51 and 52: their own financial needs. Indeed,
Page 53 and 54: of closures should be viewed as dis
Page 55 and 56: cluny is the main abbey and all oth
Page 57 and 58: GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION 25 Edwardi,
Page 59 and 60: Gwyn, Peter. The King’s Cardinal:
Page 61: Walker, Greg. ―Cardinal Wolsey an

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