Dissolution of the Monasteries

by George William Otway Woodward

Dissolution of the Monasteries

Genres: History, Tudor Period, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

George William Otway Woodward (1924 -2005) emeritus professor of history at University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Reviews

[Bettie]

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[. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unprecedented transfer of wealth; beginning with a partial dissolution and ending in the Spring of 1540 with outright abolishment: gone were the relics, the pilgrimages and a large chunk of mysticism.

There were 825 religious houses in England and Wales which employed about 9,300 out of a total population of about 3,500,000 - monks and nuns were a fairly common sight. But to justify their existence the monastic order would need to demonstrate some sort of social function that could not be met in lay society. Education, hospitality and alms were fine examples, but what it really boiled down to was the order's primary function: to provide the means by which a life could be devoted to worship and prayer.

And here lies the difficulty.

A report known as the Compendium Compertorum revealed a number of moral lapses which went a long way towards undermining public trust; the report is, however, horribly unreliable and at times simply fabricated but Woodward's point is that if it did not at least partially corroborate with the reputation already held by lay society then it is unlikely that such an act of sabotage would ever have been suffered so passively.

Perhaps we should look somewhere between the general weariness in the order itself and the lack of patience felt by an evermore secularised society? This book draws no firm conclusions.

[Tracy Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had the great fortune to be able to go on several immersion historical UK tours. Many covered the reformation or exclusively focused on the 16th century reformation. I had purchased this book on one of my travels.

I thought it was well written with even a timeline written from the time the 5th century through 1587. It would be an outstanding guide for anyone wanting a specific breakdown of events. The photographs of priories, abbeys and cathedrals were many with descriptions of each.

This is a great short read of how the Monestaries began through their complete dissolution. It names important figures throughout. Since the reformation is interesting to me, I enjoyed this book.

[Charles Mansfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise but helpful explanation of the surrender and dissolution of the monasteries in England and Wales between April 1536 and April 1540. In just four years 800 religious houses and their 10,000 inhabitants were removed from English life.
Well illustrated.

[Gail Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has lots of information about life in a big religious house in the late medieval period. It is an old book and style is very formal and dated. However it does look at the reasons behind things, politics and so on. This helps to put everything in context. It is written by a professor of history and so can be relied upon for its accuracy. Not a book to read in one go, or for light entertainment, but a good book for research.

[Andromeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative booklet that gives an exemplary good introduction to the moral, social, religious and cultural reasons for the dissolution of the monasteries.