Monks, Friars, and the Royal Supremacy in Sixteenth-Century Yorkshire

Abstract

The revolutionary changes initiated by the Government in the 1530s obliterated at a stroke the centuries-old division in England between Church and State. The preamble of the Act in Restraint of Appeals to Rome of 1533 marks particularly clearly the country’s transition from a dual to a single allegiance, setting out in a quite unequivocal expression of the new royal supremacy how by divers sundry old authentic histories and chronicles it is manifestly declared and expressed that this realm of England is an empire, and so hath been accepted in the world, governed by one supreme head and king, having the dignity and royal estate of the imperial crown of the same, unto whom a body politic, compact of all sorts and degrees of people divided in terms and by names of spiritualty and temporalty, be bounden and owe to bear next to God a natural and humble obedience; he being also institute and furnished by the goodness and sufferance of Almighty God with plenary, whole and entire power, preeminence, authority, prerogative and jurisdiction to render and yield justice and final determination to all manner of folk resiants or subjects within this realm, in all causes, matters, debates and contentions happening to occur, insurge or begin within the limits thereof, without restraint or provocation to any foreign princes or potentates of the world.

The Involvement of the Religious Orders in the Northern Risings of 1536/7: Compulsion or Desire?

“…':" The Prior of restored Healaugh Park was committed, with a canon, to York Castle after the rebellion, but was able to convince the authorities that he had been forced back into the priory by the commons. 131 In the Pilgrimage, the Abbeys of Whalley and Jervaulx were allegedly threatened with destruction unless the Abbot and monks assisted the rebels. Abbot Paslew and eight monks were forced to take the commons oath after a two-hour siege and Abbot Sedbar was in fear of his life, being threatened with the words 'get a block to strike off his head upon'i'" In the second rising, at Iervaulx, a rebel leader allegedly said to William Thirsk, 'Ye churls monks, ye have too much and we have nothing', 133 which suggests a general absence of monastic help to the rebels.…”