Suppression of Religious Houses Act 1535
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1535 c. 28 |
| Year | 1535 |
(27 Hen. 8) C A P. XXVIII.
'FOrasmuch as manifest synne, vicious, carnal and abominable Living is dayly used and committed commonly in such little and small Abbeys, Priories and other Religious Houses of Monks, Canons and Nuns, where the Congregation of such Religious Persons is under the Number of twelve Persons, whereby the Governors of such Religious Houses, and their Covent, spoyle, destroye, consume and utterly waste, as well their Churches, Monasteries, Priories, principal Houses, Farms, Granges, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, as the Ornaments of their Churches, and their Goods and Chattels, to the high Displeasure of Almighty God, Slander of good Religion, and to the great Infamy of the King's Highness and the Realm, if Redress should not be had thereof. And albeit that many continual Visitations hath been heretofore had, by the Space of two hundred Years and more, for an honest and charitable Reformation of such unthrifty, carnal and abominable Living, yet neverthelesse little or none Amendment is hitherto had, but their vicious Living shamlessly increaseth and augmenteth, and by a cursed Custom so rooted and infected, that a great Multitude of the Religious Persons in such small Houses do rather choose to rove abroad in Apostasy, than to conform themselves to the Observation of good Religion; so that without such small Houses be utterly suppressed, and the Religious Persons therein committed to great and honourable Monasteries of Religion in this Realm, where they may be compelled to live religiously, for Reformation of their Lives, the same else be no Redress nor Reformation in that Behalf. In Consideration whereof, the King's most Royal Majesty, being supreme Head on Earth, under God, of the Church ofEngland , dayly studying and devysing the Increase, Advancement and Exaltation of true Doctrine and Virtue in the said Church, to the only Glory and Honour of God, and the total extirping and Destruction of Vice and Sin, having Knowledge that the Premisses be true, as well by the Accompts of his late Visitations, as by sundry credible Informations, considering also that diverse and great solemn Monasteries of this Realm, wherein (Thanks be to God) Religion is right well kept and observed, be destitute of such full Number of Religious Persons, as they ought and may keep, hath thought good that a plain Declaration should be made of the Premisses, as well to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, as to other his loving Subjects the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled: Whereupon the said Lords and Commons, by a great Deliberation, finally be resolved, that it is and shall be much more to the Pleasure of Almighty God, and for the Honour of this his Realm, that the Possessions of such small Religious Houses, now being spent, spoiled and wasted for Increase and Maintenance of Sin, should be used and committed to better uses, and the unthrifty Religious Persons, so spending the same, to be compelled to reform their Lives:' And thereupon most humbly desire the King's Highness that it may be enacted by Authorityof this present Parliament, That his Majesty shall have and enjoy to him and his Heirs for ever, all and singular such Monasteries, Priories and other Religious Houses of Monks, Canons and Nuns, of what kinds of Diversities of Habits, Rules or Order soever they be called or named, which have not in Lands, Tenements, Rents, Tithes, Portions and other Hereditaments, above the clear yearly Value of two hundred Pounds. (2) And in like manner shall have and enjoy all the Sites and Circuits of every, such Religious Houses, and all and singular the Manors, Granges, Meases, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Reversions, Services, Tithes, Pensions, Portions, Churches, Chapels, Advowsons, Patronages, Annuities, Rights, Entries, Conditions, and other Hereditaments appertaining or belonging to every such Monastery, Priory or other Religious House, not having as is aforesaid, above the said clear yearly Value of two hundred Pound, in as large and ample Manner as the Abbots, Priors, Abbesses, Prioresses, and other Governors of such Monasteries, Priories and other Religious Houses now have, or ought to have the same in the Right of their Houses. (3)And that also his Highness shall have to him and to his Heirs all and singular such Monasteries, Abbies and Priories, which at any Time within one Year next before the making of this Act hath been given and granted to his Majesty by any Abbot, Prior, Abbess or Prioress, under their Covent Seals, or that otherwise hath been suppressed or dissolved, and all and singular the Manors, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Services, Reversions, Tithes, Pensions, Portions, Churches, Chapels, Advowsons, Patronages, Rights, Entries, Conditions, and all other Interests and Hereditaments to the same Monasteries, Abbeys and Priories, or to any of them appertaining or belonging; (4)to have and to hold all and singular the Premisses, with all their Rights, Profits, Jurisdictions and Commodities, unto the King's Majesty, and his Heirs and Assigns for ever, to do and use therewith his and their own Wills, to the Pleasure of Almighty God, and to the Honour and Profit of this Realm.
II They shall enjoy those Abbey Lands to whom the King hath given them.
II. And it is ordained and enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every Person and Persons, and Bodies Politick, which now have, or hereafter shall have, any Letters Patents of the King's Highness, of any of the Sites, Circuits, Manors, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Reversions, Services, Tithes, Pensions, Portions, Churches, Chapels, Advowsons, Patronages, Tithes, Entries, Conditions, Interests or other Hereditaments, which appertained to any...
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