2024_AQA: AS HISTORY Religious Conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
Component 2D The Break with Rome, c1529–1547
(Merged Question paper and marking scheme): Monday 20 May 2024
AS
HISTORY
Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
Component 2D The break with Rome, c1529–1547
Monday 20 May 2024 Afternoon Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7041/2D.
Answer two questions.
In Section A answer Question 01.
In Section B answer either Question 02 or Question 03.
Information
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
Advice
You are advised to spend about:
– 50 minutes on Section A
– 40 minutes on Section B.
,AS History: Religious Conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
Component 2D: The Break with Rome, c1529–1547
May 2025
Key Areas to Revise:
1. Context of the Break with Rome:
The Role of Henry VIII: Begin by reviewing Henry VIII's personal and political motives for
seeking a break with Rome. His desire for a male heir, which led to his frustration with his marriage
to Catherine of Aragon, was a key driving factor. The inability of Catherine to produce a male heir
led Henry to seek an annulment from the Pope, which was famously denied.
Papal Power and Influence: Understand the role of the Pope and the Catholic Church's influence in
England. Henry's authority was challenged by the Pope’s refusal to annul his marriage, which
prompted Henry to reconsider his relationship with Rome.
2. Key Events Leading to the Break:
The King’s Great Matter (1527–1533): Henry’s desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of
Aragon, whom he had married in 1509, became known as the King’s Great Matter. His frustration
with Pope Clement VII’s refusal to annul the marriage led Henry to break with the Catholic Church.
The Role of Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cranmer:
o Cardinal Wolsey was initially tasked with securing the annulment. However, his failure to
achieve this led to his fall from power.
o Thomas Cranmer, a leading figure in the Reformation, supported Henry’s divorce and was
appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer's influence was critical in the Act of
Supremacy (1534), which declared Henry the Supreme Head of the Church of England.
3. The Act of Supremacy (1534):
Understand the significance of the Act of Supremacy passed in 1534, which established Henry VIII
as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, effectively severing England’s ties with the Papal
authority. The act marked the official break from Rome and established the legal basis for the
Church of England’s independence.
Study the religious and political impact of the act, which led to the dissolution of monasteries, the
redistribution of church lands, and the centralization of religious authority in the king’s hands.
4. The Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536–1541):
The Dissolution of the Monasteries was a major consequence of the break with Rome. Henry
ordered the closure and destruction of monasteries, abbeys, and convents across England, which
resulted in the redistribution of wealth and land, as well as a shift in the power balance between the
monarchy and the Church.
Review the economic, political, and social consequences of the dissolution. Consider the impact on
the poor and on religious communities, as well as how the monarchy benefited from the seizure of
Church property.
5. Opposition to the Break:
Thomas More and John Fisher: Both Thomas More (a former Chancellor) and John Fisher
(Bishop of Rochester) refused to accept Henry as the head of the Church of England. They were
executed for their loyalty to the Pope, symbolizing the tension between Catholicism and the English
Reformation.
IB/M/Jun24/G400A/E6 7041/2D
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From a letter to Thomas Cromwell sent by Sir Richard Grenville, July 1539. Grenville was
an MP in the Reformation Parliament and a landowner in Devon and Cornwall.
I am one of the few men of this realm not to have some piece of this suppressed monastic
land, either by purchase, or by gift of His Majesty. As God knows, I am as glad as any
man that these haughty monks, who took away the glory of Christ, have been suppressed.
They stole the wealth of this country and were spies for the devilish Bishop of Rome.
Because of this I will gladly, if it might be the King’s pleasure, buy some of the suppressed 5
land in these parts. I will send to the King evidence that I will pay. I am not acting out of
greed but to be the same as others.
Source B
From ‘A History of Exeter’ by John Hooker, a leading Exeter city councillor, written in the
1570s. As a child in 1536, he had witnessed the suppression of its monastery.
The commissioners went to dinner and commanded that a man should pull down the rood
loft in the Priory church of St Nicholas. In the meantime, certain women came in haste to
the church to stop the suppression. Some had shovels, some pikes and some with such
tools as they had to break down the church door. Finding the man in the church pulling
down the rood loft, they hurled stones at him. When he sought refuge in the tower, they 5
pursued him so eagerly that he was forced to jump out of a window. The women then
fastened the doors and defended the church against the Mayor. Nevertheless, he broke
in, arrested them and sent them to prison.
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which
of these two sources is more valuable in explaining reaction to the Dissolution of the
Monasteries?
[25 marks]
IB/M/Jun24/7041/2D
, 3
Section B
Answer either Question 02 or Question 03.
Either
0 2 ‘By c1529, attacks on the behaviour of the clergy and the practices of the Church were
the most serious challenges faced by the Church in England.’
Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
[25 marks]
or
0 3 ‘By the end of 1536, Henry VIII had made a complete break with Rome and its
teachings.’
Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
[25 marks]
END OF QUESTIONS
IB/M/Jun24/7041/2D
, 4
There are no questions printed on this page
Copyright information
For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after
each live examination series and is available for free download from www.aqa.org.uk
Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and
AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team.
Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
IB/M/Jun24/7041/2D
,AS
HISTORY
7041/2D
Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
Component 2D The break with Rome, c1529–1547
Mark scheme
June 2024
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal
use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for
internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The
descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level.
Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as
instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme.
Step 1 Determine a level
Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the
descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in
the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it
meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With
practice and familiarity, you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the
lower levels of the mark scheme.
When assigning a level, you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in
small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If
the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit
approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within
the level, ie if the response is predominantly Level 3 with a small amount of Level 4 material it would be
placed in Level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the Level 4 content.
Step 2 Determine a mark
Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate
marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. There will be an
answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of the mark scheme. This
answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer
with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then
use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example.
You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and
assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate.
Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be
exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points
mentioned in the Indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme.
An answer which contains nothing of relevance to the question must be awarded no marks.
3
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Section A
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which of
these two sources is more valuable in explaining reaction to the Dissolution of the
Monasteries?
[25 marks]
Target: AO2
Analyse and evaluate appropriate source material, primary and/or contemporary to the period,
within the historical context.
Generic Mark Scheme
L5: Answers will display a very good understanding of the value of the sources in relation to the issue
identified in the question. They will evaluate the sources thoroughly in order to provide a
well-substantiated conclusion. The response demonstrates a very good understanding of context.
21–25
L4: Answers will provide a range of relevant well-supported comments on the value of the sources for
the issue identified in the question. There will be sufficient comment to provide a supported
conclusion but not all comments will be well-substantiated, and judgements will be limited. The
response demonstrates a good understanding of context. 16–20
L3: The answer will provide some relevant comments on the value of the sources and there will be
some explicit reference to the issue identified in the question. Judgements will however, be partial
and/or thinly supported. The response demonstrates an understanding of context. 11–15
L2: The answer will be partial. There may be either some relevant comments on the value of one
source in relation to the issue identified in the question or some comment on both, but lacking
depth and having little, if any, explicit link to the issue identified in the question. The response
demonstrates some understanding of context. 6–10
L1: The answer will either describe source content or offer stock phrases about the value of the
source. There may be some comment on the issue identified in the question but it is likely to be
limited, unsubstantiated and unconvincing. The response demonstrates limited understanding of
context. 1–5
Nothing worthy of credit. 0
4
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Indicative content
Note: This content is not prescriptive and students are not obliged to refer to the material
contained in this mark scheme. Any legitimate answer will be assessed on its merits according to
the generic levels scheme.
Students must deploy knowledge of the historical context to show an understanding of the
relationship between the sources and the issues raised in the question, when assessing the
significance of provenance, the arguments deployed in the sources and the tone and emphasis
of the sources. Descriptive answers which fail to do this should be awarded no more than Level 2
at best. Answers should address both the value and the limitations of the sources for the
particular question and purpose given.
In responding to this question, students may choose to address each source in turn or to adopt a more
comparative approach in order to arrive at a judgement. Either approach is equally valid and what
follows is indicative of the evaluation which may be relevant.
Source A: in assessing the value of this source as an explanation, students may refer to the
following:
Provenance and tone
The source is valuable as the author is Richard Grenville who was an MP and therefore part of the
Reformation Parliament which passed the Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries. He is
representative of the landowners who wished to gain more property. However, it is one-sided in its
argument.
the tone of the letter to Cromwell is pleading in that Grenville stresses that he is potentially being
treated unfairly, but also seeks to gain the favour of the King
the letter is valuable as it is written to Cromwell which reinforces that Cromwell was personally
supervising the sale/gifts of monastic property.
Content and argument
the source is valuable as it shows that the purchase, or gifts of land by the King, were widespread in
the period shortly after the dissolution of the smaller monasteries and the start of the dissolution of the
greater monasteries
the source is valuable in that Grenville makes his request for property alongside an attack on the
monks and suggests that the Bishop of Rome was the anti-Christ. Clearly, Grenville believes that this
approach would chime with Henry’s views and by favour he will be given property
Grenville emphasises that he is not doing this from greed. This is valuable as it demonstrates that
such a criticism was being levelled by contemporaries.
5
Component 2D The Break with Rome, c1529–1547
(Merged Question paper and marking scheme): Monday 20 May 2024
AS
HISTORY
Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
Component 2D The break with Rome, c1529–1547
Monday 20 May 2024 Afternoon Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7041/2D.
Answer two questions.
In Section A answer Question 01.
In Section B answer either Question 02 or Question 03.
Information
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
Advice
You are advised to spend about:
– 50 minutes on Section A
– 40 minutes on Section B.
,AS History: Religious Conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
Component 2D: The Break with Rome, c1529–1547
May 2025
Key Areas to Revise:
1. Context of the Break with Rome:
The Role of Henry VIII: Begin by reviewing Henry VIII's personal and political motives for
seeking a break with Rome. His desire for a male heir, which led to his frustration with his marriage
to Catherine of Aragon, was a key driving factor. The inability of Catherine to produce a male heir
led Henry to seek an annulment from the Pope, which was famously denied.
Papal Power and Influence: Understand the role of the Pope and the Catholic Church's influence in
England. Henry's authority was challenged by the Pope’s refusal to annul his marriage, which
prompted Henry to reconsider his relationship with Rome.
2. Key Events Leading to the Break:
The King’s Great Matter (1527–1533): Henry’s desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of
Aragon, whom he had married in 1509, became known as the King’s Great Matter. His frustration
with Pope Clement VII’s refusal to annul the marriage led Henry to break with the Catholic Church.
The Role of Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cranmer:
o Cardinal Wolsey was initially tasked with securing the annulment. However, his failure to
achieve this led to his fall from power.
o Thomas Cranmer, a leading figure in the Reformation, supported Henry’s divorce and was
appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer's influence was critical in the Act of
Supremacy (1534), which declared Henry the Supreme Head of the Church of England.
3. The Act of Supremacy (1534):
Understand the significance of the Act of Supremacy passed in 1534, which established Henry VIII
as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, effectively severing England’s ties with the Papal
authority. The act marked the official break from Rome and established the legal basis for the
Church of England’s independence.
Study the religious and political impact of the act, which led to the dissolution of monasteries, the
redistribution of church lands, and the centralization of religious authority in the king’s hands.
4. The Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536–1541):
The Dissolution of the Monasteries was a major consequence of the break with Rome. Henry
ordered the closure and destruction of monasteries, abbeys, and convents across England, which
resulted in the redistribution of wealth and land, as well as a shift in the power balance between the
monarchy and the Church.
Review the economic, political, and social consequences of the dissolution. Consider the impact on
the poor and on religious communities, as well as how the monarchy benefited from the seizure of
Church property.
5. Opposition to the Break:
Thomas More and John Fisher: Both Thomas More (a former Chancellor) and John Fisher
(Bishop of Rochester) refused to accept Henry as the head of the Church of England. They were
executed for their loyalty to the Pope, symbolizing the tension between Catholicism and the English
Reformation.
IB/M/Jun24/G400A/E6 7041/2D
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Source A
From a letter to Thomas Cromwell sent by Sir Richard Grenville, July 1539. Grenville was
an MP in the Reformation Parliament and a landowner in Devon and Cornwall.
I am one of the few men of this realm not to have some piece of this suppressed monastic
land, either by purchase, or by gift of His Majesty. As God knows, I am as glad as any
man that these haughty monks, who took away the glory of Christ, have been suppressed.
They stole the wealth of this country and were spies for the devilish Bishop of Rome.
Because of this I will gladly, if it might be the King’s pleasure, buy some of the suppressed 5
land in these parts. I will send to the King evidence that I will pay. I am not acting out of
greed but to be the same as others.
Source B
From ‘A History of Exeter’ by John Hooker, a leading Exeter city councillor, written in the
1570s. As a child in 1536, he had witnessed the suppression of its monastery.
The commissioners went to dinner and commanded that a man should pull down the rood
loft in the Priory church of St Nicholas. In the meantime, certain women came in haste to
the church to stop the suppression. Some had shovels, some pikes and some with such
tools as they had to break down the church door. Finding the man in the church pulling
down the rood loft, they hurled stones at him. When he sought refuge in the tower, they 5
pursued him so eagerly that he was forced to jump out of a window. The women then
fastened the doors and defended the church against the Mayor. Nevertheless, he broke
in, arrested them and sent them to prison.
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which
of these two sources is more valuable in explaining reaction to the Dissolution of the
Monasteries?
[25 marks]
IB/M/Jun24/7041/2D
, 3
Section B
Answer either Question 02 or Question 03.
Either
0 2 ‘By c1529, attacks on the behaviour of the clergy and the practices of the Church were
the most serious challenges faced by the Church in England.’
Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
[25 marks]
or
0 3 ‘By the end of 1536, Henry VIII had made a complete break with Rome and its
teachings.’
Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
[25 marks]
END OF QUESTIONS
IB/M/Jun24/7041/2D
, 4
There are no questions printed on this page
Copyright information
For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after
each live examination series and is available for free download from www.aqa.org.uk
Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and
AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team.
Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
IB/M/Jun24/7041/2D
,AS
HISTORY
7041/2D
Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
Component 2D The break with Rome, c1529–1547
Mark scheme
June 2024
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal
use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for
internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The
descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level.
Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as
instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme.
Step 1 Determine a level
Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the
descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in
the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it
meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With
practice and familiarity, you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the
lower levels of the mark scheme.
When assigning a level, you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in
small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If
the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit
approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within
the level, ie if the response is predominantly Level 3 with a small amount of Level 4 material it would be
placed in Level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the Level 4 content.
Step 2 Determine a mark
Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate
marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. There will be an
answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of the mark scheme. This
answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer
with the example to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then
use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example.
You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and
assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate.
Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be
exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points
mentioned in the Indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme.
An answer which contains nothing of relevance to the question must be awarded no marks.
3
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Section A
0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, which of
these two sources is more valuable in explaining reaction to the Dissolution of the
Monasteries?
[25 marks]
Target: AO2
Analyse and evaluate appropriate source material, primary and/or contemporary to the period,
within the historical context.
Generic Mark Scheme
L5: Answers will display a very good understanding of the value of the sources in relation to the issue
identified in the question. They will evaluate the sources thoroughly in order to provide a
well-substantiated conclusion. The response demonstrates a very good understanding of context.
21–25
L4: Answers will provide a range of relevant well-supported comments on the value of the sources for
the issue identified in the question. There will be sufficient comment to provide a supported
conclusion but not all comments will be well-substantiated, and judgements will be limited. The
response demonstrates a good understanding of context. 16–20
L3: The answer will provide some relevant comments on the value of the sources and there will be
some explicit reference to the issue identified in the question. Judgements will however, be partial
and/or thinly supported. The response demonstrates an understanding of context. 11–15
L2: The answer will be partial. There may be either some relevant comments on the value of one
source in relation to the issue identified in the question or some comment on both, but lacking
depth and having little, if any, explicit link to the issue identified in the question. The response
demonstrates some understanding of context. 6–10
L1: The answer will either describe source content or offer stock phrases about the value of the
source. There may be some comment on the issue identified in the question but it is likely to be
limited, unsubstantiated and unconvincing. The response demonstrates limited understanding of
context. 1–5
Nothing worthy of credit. 0
4
, MARK SCHEME – AS HISTORY – 7041/2D – JUNE 2024
Indicative content
Note: This content is not prescriptive and students are not obliged to refer to the material
contained in this mark scheme. Any legitimate answer will be assessed on its merits according to
the generic levels scheme.
Students must deploy knowledge of the historical context to show an understanding of the
relationship between the sources and the issues raised in the question, when assessing the
significance of provenance, the arguments deployed in the sources and the tone and emphasis
of the sources. Descriptive answers which fail to do this should be awarded no more than Level 2
at best. Answers should address both the value and the limitations of the sources for the
particular question and purpose given.
In responding to this question, students may choose to address each source in turn or to adopt a more
comparative approach in order to arrive at a judgement. Either approach is equally valid and what
follows is indicative of the evaluation which may be relevant.
Source A: in assessing the value of this source as an explanation, students may refer to the
following:
Provenance and tone
The source is valuable as the author is Richard Grenville who was an MP and therefore part of the
Reformation Parliament which passed the Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries. He is
representative of the landowners who wished to gain more property. However, it is one-sided in its
argument.
the tone of the letter to Cromwell is pleading in that Grenville stresses that he is potentially being
treated unfairly, but also seeks to gain the favour of the King
the letter is valuable as it is written to Cromwell which reinforces that Cromwell was personally
supervising the sale/gifts of monastic property.
Content and argument
the source is valuable as it shows that the purchase, or gifts of land by the King, were widespread in
the period shortly after the dissolution of the smaller monasteries and the start of the dissolution of the
greater monasteries
the source is valuable in that Grenville makes his request for property alongside an attack on the
monks and suggests that the Bishop of Rome was the anti-Christ. Clearly, Grenville believes that this
approach would chime with Henry’s views and by favour he will be given property
Grenville emphasises that he is not doing this from greed. This is valuable as it demonstrates that
such a criticism was being levelled by contemporaries.
5
