Reform and Rebellion: How the Henrician Reformation Led to the Consolidation of English Rule in Ireland

Abstract

This thesis seeks to answer what caused the consolidation of English rule in Ireland, also known as the Tudor Conquest. The Henrician Reformation and the governmental reforms that accompanied it directly led to this consolidation. Each chapter is separated into different time periods and is listed in chronological order to demonstrate how the Crown’s perspective of Ireland changed which led to a more direct rule. The first chapter examines Henry VIII’s first military campaign in Ireland followed by the Kildare Rebellion, a direct response to the Reformation policies from the Irish. The second chapter looks at Leonard Grey’s implementations of these policies and the Irish Parliament of 1536 as well as the Irish response to them. The third and last chapter focuses on the first kings of Ireland and the policy changes that accompanied them.

Most of the information in this thesis comes from careful readings of parliamentary documents and letters written by contemporary English and Irish magnates. By analyzing the actions of contemporaries and their written sentiments, it is clear that the increased control of English rule in the Dublin administration led to worsened relations between the English and the Irish. As this consolidation was a result of governmental changes implemented to support the Henrician Reformation, it is evident that the Reformation is the main cause behind the increased control. Other policy changes were meant to protect England from continental enemies that could use Ireland to their advantage. The relations between England and continental powers were worsened due to the Henrician Reformation. Even if the English magnates’ changes to the Dublin administration were not intended to be a direct support to the Reformation, they were still a consequence of it.