Prebendaries' Plot
Encyclopedia
The Prebendaries' Plot was an attempt made by religious conservatives in England to oust Thomas Cranmer
from office as archbishop of Canterbury
. The events took place in 1543 and saw Cranmer formally accused of being a heretic
. The hope was that this would stop further religious reforms
in Kent
and end his and other Protestant reformers' influence at the royal court.
It is named after the five prebendary
canon
s of Canterbury Cathedral
(including William Hadleigh, a monk at Christchurch Canterbury prior to the monastery's dissolution) who formed its core. Others involved were two holders of the new cathedral office of "six preacher" (created in 1541), along with various local non-cathedral priests and Kentish gentlemen (eg Thomas Moyle
, Edward Thwaites and Cyriac Pettit). Simultaneous agitation at the court in Windsor
, and the conspiracy in general, was led covertly by Stephen Gardiner
, bishop of Winchester
.
Henry VIII
's chaplain Richard Cox
was charged with investigating and suppressing it, and his success (240 priests and 60 laypeople of both sexes were accused of involvement) led to his being made Cranmer's chancellor (and later, under Elizabeth
, bishop of Ely
). Gardiner survived, though his relation German Gardiner
, who had acted as his secretary and intermediary to the plotters in Kent, was executed in 1544 for questioning the Royal Supremacy.
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
from office as archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. The events took place in 1543 and saw Cranmer formally accused of being a heretic
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. The hope was that this would stop further religious reforms
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and end his and other Protestant reformers' influence at the royal court.
It is named after the five prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s of Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
(including William Hadleigh, a monk at Christchurch Canterbury prior to the monastery's dissolution) who formed its core. Others involved were two holders of the new cathedral office of "six preacher" (created in 1541), along with various local non-cathedral priests and Kentish gentlemen (eg Thomas Moyle
Thomas Moyle
Sir Thomas Moyle was a commissioner for Henry VIII in the dissolution of the monasteries, and speaker of the House of Commons in the Parliament of England from 1542 to 1544.-Life:...
, Edward Thwaites and Cyriac Pettit). Simultaneous agitation at the court in Windsor
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, and the conspiracy in general, was led covertly by Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...
, bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
.
Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's chaplain Richard Cox
Richard Cox (bishop)
Richard Cox was an English clergyman, who was Dean of Westminster and Bishop of Ely.-Biography:Cox was born of obscure parentage at Whaddon, Buckinghamshire, in 1499 or 1500....
was charged with investigating and suppressing it, and his success (240 priests and 60 laypeople of both sexes were accused of involvement) led to his being made Cranmer's chancellor (and later, under Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, bishop of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
). Gardiner survived, though his relation German Gardiner
German Gardiner
German Gardiner was a Roman Catholic layman, nephew to Stephen Gardiner, who became involved in the Prebendaries' Plot against Thomas Cranmer....
, who had acted as his secretary and intermediary to the plotters in Kent, was executed in 1544 for questioning the Royal Supremacy.
Sources
- Ethan H. ShaganEthan H. ShaganEthan H. Shagan is an American historian of early modern Britain.Professor Shagan is an Associate Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley, where he also serves as Director of the Center for British Studies. He received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his...
, Popular Politics and the English Reformation, page 199-204 - Brian M. Hogben, 'Preaching and Reformation in Henrician Kent', Archaeologia Cantiana 101 (1984), p1690-185
- Eamon DuffyEamon DuffyEamon Duffy is an Irish Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, and former President of Magdalene College....
, The Stripping of the AltarsThe Stripping of the AltarsThe Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, 1400–1580 is a work of history written by Eamon Duffy and published in 1992 by Yale University Press.-Summary of the book's argument:...
, chapter 12 - Diarmid MacCulloch, Thomas Cranmer, chapter 8
- M. I. Zell, The Prebendaries' Plot
- Peter Clark, English Provincial Society from the Reformation to the Revolution, chapter 2