In 1536, Henry VIII began destroying English monasteries through acts of suppression in order to remove reminders of the Catholic Church with which he had broken ties and to gain control of the monasteries' great wealth to fund his wars, as his lifestyle had left him in need of money. Over 30,000 marched to demand the monasteries be reopened but failed, with leaders arrested and over 200 executed. While the Crown profited greatly, it also led to the loss of monastic libraries and their precious manuscripts.

1. 1536
In 1536 the destruction of the monasteries began; it was wanted by Henry VIII Tudor for two main
reasons: first of all, monasteries were a reminder of the Catholic Church, with which Henry had had
a break, but they were also the wealthiest institution in the country, and Henry’s lifestyle had led to
a lack of money.
That’s why in 1536, with the Act of Suppression, and later in 1539, with the Second Suppression
Act, the Crown took every small and large monastery and religion house.
But not everyone was in favour: over 30.000 people marched to York in October 1536 to demand
that the monasteries should be reopened, but they didn’t achieve what they wanted, actually their
leaders had been arrested and over 200 people executed.
It is said that the King’s own treasury in this period profited by one and a half million pounds, but
he spent a great part of this money on his wars against France and Scotland.
One of the saddest consequences of the Dissolution was the loss and the destruction of monastic
libraries and their precious manuscripts.