Local Reception of Religious Change Under Henry VIII and Edward VI: Evidence from Four Suffolk Parishes

Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Summer 1-1-2012 Local Reception of Religious Change under Henry VIII and Edward VI: Evidence from Four Suffolk Parishes William Keene Thompson Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the European History Commons, History of Religion Commons, and the Medieval History Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Thompson, William Keene, "Local Reception of Religious Change under Henry VIII and Edward VI: Evidence from Four Suffolk Parishes" (2012). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 803. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.803 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Local Reception of Religious Change under Henry VIII and Edward VI: Evidence from Four Suffolk Parishes by William Keene Thompson A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Thesis Committee: Caroline Litzenberger, Chair David A. Johnson Thomas Luckett Jennifer Schuberth Portland State University ©2012 i Abstract From the second half of Henry VIII’s reign through that of his son Edward VI, roughly 1530 through 1553, England was in turmoil. Traditional (Catholic) religion was methodically undermined, and sometimes violently swept away, in favor of a biblically based evangelical faith imported and adapted from European dissenters/reformers (Protestants). This thesis elucidates the process of parish-level religious change in England during the tumultuous mid sixteenth century. It does so through examining the unique dynamics and complexities of its local reception in a previously unstudied corner of the realm, the Suffolk parishes of Boxford, Cratfield, Long Melford, and Mildenhall. This thesis asserts that ongoing alterations in religious policy under Henry VIII and Edward VI reflected an evolution in both governmental tactics and local attitudes toward the locus of religious authority. Contrary to the view that the Reformation was done to the English people, the parish-level evidence investigated herein shows that, at least in Suffolk, the reformation was only accomplished with their cooperation. Furthermore, it finds that while costly, divisive, and unpopular in many parts of England, religious change was, for the most part, received enthusiastically in these four parishes. Two types of primary sources inform the historical narrative and analysis of this thesis. First, the official documents of religious reform initiated by the crown and Parliament tell the story of magisterial reformation, from the top down. Second, the often-mundane entries found in churchwardens’ accounts of parish income and expenditure illuminate the individual and communal dynamics involved in implementing religious policy on the local level, from the bottom up. As agents operating between the ii distinct spheres of government authority and local interest, this study finds that churchwardens wielded significant power in the mediation of religious policy. The churchwardens’ accounts are also supplemented throughout by analysis of selected parishioners’ wills, which provide insight into personal beliefs of key individuals and hint at the formation of early religious affinity groupings within parishes. Chapter One summarizes the development of the pre-Reformation Sarum liturgy, its Eucharistic theology, and its relation to the late-medieval doctrine of purgatory. It also describes the richly decorated interiors of pre-Reformation English parish churches and their function as centers of community spiritual life. This provides a gauge through which to understand the extensive changes wrought to church liturgy and fabric during the Reformation. Chapter Two focuses on the unsettled nature of religious policy during the second half of Henry VIII’s reign and how it set the stage for more severe changes to come. Chapters Three and Four examine the reign of Edward VI, which saw the most radical efforts at evangelical reform ever attempted in England. In these three chapters, official changes in religious policy are interwoven with analysis of local reaction in the four Suffolk parishes, revealing some surprising local responses and initiatives. The conclusion presents a summary of the historical narrative and analysis presented in the preceding chapters, suggests possibilities for further research, and offers closing thoughts about the local experience of negotiating religious change during this period. iii Acknowledgments At the end of what has been a long and often solitary process of research, writing, and revision, it is a pleasure to acknowledge the friends, family, mentors, and others who have supported me along the way. Much of my time at Portland State University has been spent working as a Caroline P. Stoel graduate editorial fellow at the Pacific Historical Review. I could not have asked for a more stimulating and encouraging environment in which to work while pursuing my studies. I owe sincere gratitude to Dr. Susan Wladaver- Morgan for sharing her friendship and editorial wisdom with me. Thanks also to Dr. Carl Abbott for proving that it is possible to be a historian and still be cool. Special recognition is due to Dr. David Johnson for his indefatigable leadership of PHR and for his wise counsel and personal interest in my success while serving as my second field advisor. Thanks to the support of the John and Laree Caughey Foundation I have also had the opportunity to attend several professional conferences on behalf of the journal. As a member of the Portland State chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honorary society, I have benefitted from the experience of presenting papers at two regional conferences, both of which formed the basis of chapters in this thesis. Many thanks to Dr. Thomas Luckett, PAT faculty advisor, for his helpful comments on my work. I also owe a debt to my fellow graduate students and friends at PSU for their empathy, levity, and willingness to listen to my many thesis status updates. I am grateful for the generous financial support I received from the Lauren Banasky Scholarship for Graduate Research in History, which has facilitated the acquisition of primary sources for this study. I should also like to thank the archivists at iv the Suffolk and Norfolk record offices who helped me obtain copies of manuscript materials. I have also benefitted at key points from the timely advice and assistance of Melissa Johnson, Catherine McMillan, Dr. John Craig, and Dr. Jennifer Schuberth. I owe my greatest academic and intellectual debt at Portland State to my primary field advisor, Dr. Caroline Litzenberger. She has upheld the highest standards for graduate scholarship and I have no doubt that my comprehension of, and ability to explain, my subject is a direct result of her influence. From the start she championed my thesis topic and has worked tirelessly to push me toward its completion. This thesis has undoubtedly benefitted from her enthusiasm for, expertise on, and insight into the subject and any infelicities that remain are solely my own responsibility. Finally, it is my pleasure to recognize the encouragement and forbearance of my family. I have been blessed by the support of all my relatives and in-laws, but there are two to whom I owe the most thanks, and to whom this work is thus dedicated. Long before I ever thought about college or graduate studies, my mother, Linda Hibberd Larivee, recognized that I had a love of history and encouraged me in that pursuit. I thank her for all the sacrifices she made for me, for sharing with me her love of learning, and for always pushing me to do my best. Additionally, over the last few months, my wife, Lauren, graciously allowed me to sequester myself amidst stacks of books, notes, and papers, and yet she also had an uncanny sense of when I needed to take a break and relax. Amazingly, she has tied her star to mine and I am ever grateful for her love and support. For all the family and friends I have left unnamed, you are not forgotten, for each of you is an essential part of the mosaic of my life. Lacking just one of you would make it less than whole. Thank you all. v Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………i Acknowledgments………………………………………….….…………………………iii List of Figures…………………..…….……………………………….…….……...….....vi Abbreviations and Conventions…………………………………………….…….….…..vii Epigraph.…………………………………………………………………………...……viii Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1 Chapter One The Late Medieval Eucharist, Parish Church, and Sarum Liturgy….……………….......37 Chapter Two Religion and Reform during Henry VIII’s later years (1530–1547)…………………….56 Chapter Three Religion and Reform under Edward VI, Part I (1547–1550)………...…………………..87 Chapter Four Religion and Reform under Edward VI, Part II (1550–1553)……......………..….……124 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...…152 Epilogue Religion and Reform under Mary I & Elizabeth I (1553–1562)….....…….……...……164 Appendices Appendix A – Religious Change under Henry VIII……………………………182 Appendix B – Religious Change under Edward VI…………………………….183 Appendix C – Income from Sale of Church Plate.…..…………………………184 Works Cited…..…………………………………………………………………...……187 vi List of Figures Figure 1 Regional Context………………………………………………...….……………….......24

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