The dissolution of the monasteries : $b As illustrated by the suppression of the religious houses of StaffordshireHibbert, Francis Aidan
History
The dissolution of the monasteries : $b As illustrated by the suppression of the religious houses of Staffordshire
Hibbert, Francis Aidan
Great Britain -- History -- Henry VIII, 1509-1547; Monasteries -- England -- Staffordshire; Monasteries and state
The Act expressly exempted all monasteries whose annual value exceeded
£200 according to _Valor Ecclesiasticus_, and thus Burton-on-Trent
and Dieulacres escaped. It also exempted “such cells of Religious
Houses, appertaining or belonging to their Monasteries or Priories, in
which cells the Priors or other chief governors thereof be under the
obedience of the Abbots or Priors to whom such Cells belong, as the
Monks or Canons of the Convents of their Monasteries or Priories, and
cannot sue or be sued, by the Laws of this Realm, in or by their own
proper Names, for the Possessions or other Things appertaining to such
Cells whereof they be Priors or Governors, but must sue and be sued in
and by the Names of the Abbots or Priors to whom they be Obediencers,
and to whom such Cells belong; and also be Priors or Governors dative,
and removable from Time to Time, and Accountants of the Profits of such
Cells, at the only Pleasure and Will of the Abbots or Priors to whom
such Cells belong” (Art. 7). Dudley Priory accordingly remained till
its superior house at Wenlock fell in 1540.
The suppression of Calwich, already completed, was legalised by a
clause which gave to the King any religious house “that otherwise hath
been suppressed or dissolved.”
To deal with the treasure which would accrue to the Crown, a special
“Court of Augmentations” was created. It consisted of a chancellor,
treasurer, attorney and solicitor, ten auditors, 17 receivers,
etc., and its business was to take the surrenders and dispose of the
property and movables. The chancellor was Sir Richard Riche, the
Solicitor-General.[129]
The treasurer was Sir Thomas Pope, better known as the founder of
Trinity College, Oxford.[130] Of the auditors, the one most concerned
with Staffordshire was William Cavendish,[131] brother of Wolsey’s
biographer. The receiver who did most work in our neighbourhood was
John Scudamore.
No sooner was the Act passed than a most unseemly scramble for the
spoils began. Petitions flowed in to Cromwell and other people of
influence, begging, often in the most abject way, for favours. The
rights of Patrons and Founders were in theory respected by the Act
(Art. viii), but obviously little could be done for such persons when
the monasteries disappeared. Obviously all religious and spiritual
privileges and benefits vanished, and rights of nomination were
valueless when there was no house to which to nominate. The clause was
an elaborate pretence. How little the moral rights of founders were
regarded is shown in the case of Ronton.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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