Historians have often treated the Reformation as if it was one big event. All Henry VIII did was throw a switch in 1529 and then gradually everyone changed religion until later kings and queens switched it back again. A case study into the effects of the Reformation on the parish of St James, Bramley, Hampshire asks pupils to work out if this is true.
With thanks to David Bond, Hampshire Record office for sourcing original documents and to Sarah Herrity and Laura Dowd of Wyvern Technology College, Fair Oak , Hampshire , for sharing their experience of how they adapted the original lesson
Learning Objectives
- pupils grasp the main changes that affected parish churches during the Reformation
- they are able to cross-reference to see how quickly change was implemented
- they are able to make judgements about how swiftly the changes were introduced and make inferences from evidence in 16th century churchwardens accounts
- they develop the confidence to critique an over-simplified model and attempt a better one for themselves.
Does it look from this church’s records as if the churches changed as soon as a new law was passed?
St James, Bramley was very similar to many small churches throughout England. Some
