The Dissolution of the Monasteries: a Quantitative Investigation Period: 16th-19th century Area: England

My thesis seeks to use the detailed record of Church property laid out in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 to examine the short-, medium-, and long-run impacts of the Dissolution of the Monasteries which began in 1536. The project will be split into three papers, each building on previous data collection to address a different aspect of the Dissolution. The first will examine the series of rebellions which broke out immediately after the first round of the Dissolution, using differences in monastic presence and activities to predict the outbreak of rebellion. The second will look deeper into the budget items laid out in the Valor in order to examine the effects of the immediate removal of monasteries' poor relief, education, infrastructure maintenance, and pilgrimage functions for local communities. Finally, the last paper will use additional data on long-term economic development and crop production to examine the long-run effects of the Dissolution on later economic structure and productivity, particularly in the agricultural sector.