16th Century
RECTORS
1510 William Hardwick1545 John Medhope
1572 Henry More
1590 Roger Wetherall
THE REFORMATION
The 16th century brought about an enormous religious upheaval known as The Reformation. This started in Germany in 1517 when Martin Luther drew up his Ninety-five Theses. In 1521 Luther was excommunicated and the Protestant Reformation began to spread throughout Europe. In England, Henry VIII was in dispute with the Pope over his marriage to Catherine of Aragon which was declared null in 1533. The following year saw the Act of Supremacy when Henry VIII separated from the Roman Catholic Church and asserted control over the English Church. Thus began the Church of England.
In 1536 Henry began the dissolution of the monasteries and there was a rising in the North due to religious grievances.
William Hardwick who was Rector between 1510 and 1545 became the last Roman Catholic priest and the first Church of England priest although the old Latin service would still have been used until the introduction of the first English Prayer Book in 1549.
Two more English Prayer Books followed in 1552 and 1559. In 1570, Elizabeth was anathematised (solemnly cursed and denounced) by the Pope.
The Vavasours remained Roman Catholic, but as loyal subjects of the Tudors they were left unmolested and were allowed to keep their Roman Catholic chaplain at Hazlewood.
1513 Men from Addingham were recruited into an army, raised in Craven by Henry Clifford, "The Shepherd Lord", to fight at the Battle of Flodden,"From Penigent to Pendle Hill,
From Linton to Long Addingham;
And all the Craven coasts did tell
They with the lusty Clifford came."
