Tudors: Chapter 1- Political and
social role of the church
Royal Advisors
Henry VII looked to the pope to secure his
authority in England. English kings were keen to
show their loyalty to the pope and the Catholic
Church, Henry VII built the Lady Chapel at
Westminster to secure the Tudor dynasty in the
eyes of the Church and the people.
Abbots and bishops sat in the house
of lords alongside the nobility. They
were instrumental in deciding new
legislation and advising the king.
Cardinal Wolsey: PRINCIPLE
ADVISER to the king, As
CHANCELLOR he had complete
control over the legal system,
ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, As
LEGATUS A LATERE he could act
on behalf of the pope.
Church's teachings on monarchical authority
Church law was known as cannon law and it covered the
beliefs and practices of the church. The church also taught
obedience to the monarch but the pope could
excommunicate the king if he was a heretic or tyrant. The
cannon law was based on the interpretation of the
Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
The church had control over the whole
population as everyone went to Church. Henry
was dependent on the church to hold social
control over the population. The king was
personally unknown outside a small circle of the
nobility. However the church was the center of
the community in many towns and villages and
everyone would know the priest.
Many parishioners could not read or
write but to enforce the law the
Church used wall paintings called
Doom Paintings which showed what
would happen if you defied the 10
Commandments. Social tensions too
were eased by the giving of alms and
the importance of giving to the poor
was stressed. The poor were often
supported during the times of
hardship by gifts from the rich.
Wealth of the church
The church in England was responsible for collecting
church taxes. Priests gained an income from their
parish and some owned more than one while some
of the money went to Rome and the king. Rome
recived about £4500 per year and Henry VIII got
£12,500.
Every household paid a penny to Rome each
year called peters pence. Another tax was the
tithe, where everyone gave 10% of what they
made that year to the church. This included
crops, wool and eggs.The tithe was stored in a
barn and was supposed to be used for the good
of the community but was often sold.
Most parishes were only 4 miles away from a
monastery or priory. They had great economic as
well as political power. The nobility would give
monasteries gifts of gold or silver making them
rich institutions. The poor might become lay
brothers and work at the monasteries.
Church courts
They could fine someone for not attending church and
breaking the 10 commandments. Cases of slander and
adultery were also brought before a church court. Church
courts could only execute you if you were found guilty of
heresy. The Church could also excommunicate you if you
were a heretic, this meant that you could not attend
services and you wouldn't be forgiven for your sins.
The church was also responsible
for reading out wills. It was
common for people to leave gifts
to the church as well as unpaid
tithes or taxes. People also paid for
the priest to pray for their soul so
that they would spend less time in
purgatory.
Parish Churches
Would have been the most magnificent building
most people would have entered. This was were
masses were held. The high alter was used for
masses on Sunday and where the sacrament was
held. During the week side alters would be used in
chantry chapels, sometimes chantry chapels were of
the sole benefit for a person or family. Masses were
said for the dead as well with some people joining
guilds so that prayers would be said for them at key
times.
The church was the physical center of the
parish. There were no pews so if you were old
or unwell then you would go to the wall.The
open space mean that it could be used for other
things than just services. It would hold people
and animals during bad weather and hold
markets as well as social activities.
The rich used the church as a way of showing off their wealth, Churches always excepted
gifts of gold and silver, vestments, alter cloths, service books and processional banners. All
would be given in the name of the donor and recorded as indication of their generosity.
Large gifts meant that the donor had their name recorded in stone.
Monasteries
When Henry became king there were over
850 monasteries in England. Large rural
houses were known as Abbeys.
Settlements in towns were priories. The
function of the institution was largely due
to its location. Abbeys werr places of
praying and learning with large land
holdings while priories worked within the
community, helping the poor and
sick.Monks were also used to leach the
sons of the gentry.
The land that the church had was incredibly
important to the local communities. Monasteries
gained land when sons of the gentry joined their
order or as a form of payment for prayers for the
dead. Farms on this land produced food not just
for the monastery but for market too and it
provided employment.