POWER

Assessment focus: British depth study
Assessment focus: British depth study
Comments
There is no need to improve this
answer – it is a Gold response. It has
a clear opening and it then sticks to
the line that the opening suggests
it will follow. The final sentence is not
necessary, but it is a nice ending to
the answer.
There is a good analysis of two
separate causes. In each case the
answer explains how each factor
made the Church wealthy. It would be
an easy mistake to simply list wills,
pilgrimages, etc. without explaining
why they made the Church wealthy.
Advice
Select: Focus on the reasons why the Church became wealthy. Select at least two
causes.
Organise: The important thing is to organise your knowledge in a relevant way to
answer the question. Have a clear sense of what you are trying to say. In this question,
a good way to organise your answer might be:
There were many reasons why the Church was so wealthy in the 1530s.The most
important was that the church was the centre of people’s lives and so they gave the
church money. Another reason was that the Church was very effective in making
money.
Fine tune: Do all the usual checking but make sure you say which of your reasons you
think is more important.
Example answer
There were many reasons why the Church was so wealthy in the 1530s. The most
important was that the Church was the centre of people’s lives and so they gave it
money. Another reason was that the Church was very effective in making money.
The Church was extremely important in people’s lives. Religion was central to
everyone’s life. One of the main reasons for the wealth of the Church was bequests.
Many people, especially wealthy nobles, gave land to the Church during their
lifetimes or in their wills when they died, to show their faith and possibly to gain
favour with God. Many ordinary people gave donations to the Church to pray for their
souls, which would mean that they would go to Heaven more quickly when they died
and not have to suffer as long in Purgatory. Many people also gave money to the
Church because they were grateful. The Church took care of the old and the sick, for
example.
The Church was also very wealthy because it was good at making money. One source
of wealth was the tithe. This was a tax that all people had to pay and was one-tenth
of their annual income and this went to the Church . The Church also made money
out of the sale of indulgences. The Church also made money from pilgrimages.
People would travel many miles to shrines like Walsingham or holy places like
Canterbury. The Church made money providing accommodation or selling religious
artefacts like crosses.
Factors like these made the Church so rich that by around 1530 the Church ’s income
was around 10 times greater than the Crown’s.
Practice
There are plenty of practice questions at the end of every topic. Go back and try a
couple of the 10-mark ‘Explain…’ questions. Then read over your answer and see which
medal you might award yourself.
Question 2
Question 2 is a challenging question that requires effective use of knowledge and
evaluation of sources. There will always be three sources and the question will ask you
to explain how far the sources support a particular view. For example:
Study Sources A–C.
‘The dissolution of the monasteries was a popular measure.’ How far do Sources A–C
convince you that this statement is correct? Use the sources and your knowledge to
explain your answer. (20 marks)
Note: this question carries an additional 5 marks for effective use of spelling,
punctuation and grammar and the use of specialist terminology.
Uncorrected proof
Source A From a report on monastic
houses published in 1535. The report
was commissioned by King Henry
VIII and supervised by the king’s chief
minister, Thomas Cromwell.
Lichfield: Two of the nuns were with child.
Whitby: Abbot Hexham took a share of
the proceeds from piracy.
Bradley: The prior has six children.
Abbotsbury: Abbot wrongfully selling
timber.
Pershore: Monks drunk at mass.
Source B From the Act to Suppress the
Lesser Houses (the smaller monasteries and
convents), 1535.
So much sin and disgusting living is seen daily in the
small abbeys, priories, and other religious houses of
monks, canons and nuns. This is upsetting to Almighty
God and the king. Therefore these small houses will be
utterly suppressed. The monks and nuns in them will
be moved to the great and honourable monasteries
in this realm, where they may be required to improve
their lives. The possessions of these houses shall be put
to better uses. They will be given to the king and his
heirs to honour God and for the good of the realm.
Question 2 specialist advice
If you are not careful things could go badly wrong with this question. It asks: ‘How far
do Sources A–C convince you …?’. It does not ask: ‘How far do you personally agree with
…?’. So you must focus your answer on the sources and relate them to the viewpoint.
Show you understand what each sources is saying. This means comprehension and
inference. An example of comprehension would be: ‘Source A is saying that two nuns
were pregnant.’ An example of inference would be: ‘Source A is saying the monasteries
are immoral places.’ This is an inference because the source does not say this
anywhere. The candidate has inferred what the source’s author is really trying to say –
similar to working out the message of a propaganda poster or a cartoon.
Relate what the sources say to the view in the question – for example, whether the
source convinces you that the statement is right or not.
Examiners often use the ‘so what?’ test when reading what candidates have written. If
you only write ‘Source A is saying that two nuns were pregnant’ then the examiner will
ask, ‘So what? What’s your point?’ You may have thought that it was obvious that the
writer disapproves and that this shows how people supported the dissolution, so you
did not need to spell it out for the examiner. But you do need to spell it out! For example:
Source A suggests that the statement is right. The author clearly disapproves of
what is happening in the monasteries and convents. That is why he mentions the
nuns being pregnant and other bad things. This writer would want the dissolution.
Remember – examiners cannot give marks for what you were probably thinking. They
can only reward what you actually say.
Evaluate the sources in terms of whether they provide convincing support for the
statement. This is partly about judging the reliability of the sources (but remember
sources can never be reliable or unreliable in themselves. They can only be reliable or
unreliable about something.) but it is also much more. So in answering this question it is
much better to use the words convincing and unconvincing and using a range of tools to
help you.
The table below outlines some reasons why a source might be convincing or
unconvincing about whether the dissolution was popular.
The Question 2 medal ceremony
●
Bronze (up to 25% of marks) : You says ‘yes’
or ‘no’ and pick out a few details from the sources.
●
Silver (up to 60% of marks): You put together a clear
argument and support it using the content of the sources.
●
Gold
Source C From a letter
by Robert Aske, one
of the leaders of the
Pilgrimage of Grace,
1536.
The closing of the
monasteries means that
religious services will not
be carried out, and the
poor will not be looked
after. The monasteries
are much loved by
the people.
(up to 100% of marks): You put together a clear argument
and support it using the content of the sources, but you also evaluate
the sources in a way that is valid and relevant to your answer.
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