It was a survey, undertaken in 1535 on the finances of the church that England, Wales and English parts of Ireland had. Henry’s first action in his new role was to tax the clergy. Taxes traditionally paid to the pope were now given to the king. In late 1534, the king decided to introduce a new annual income tax of 10% on the income from all church lands. To assess the new tax accurately, a survey had to be undertaken. In January 1535, there were commissions throughout the country to undergo this survey. Members of the clergy were forced to give a testimony on all there income to prove that they weren’t lying about their profits. The commissioners used were unpaid and untrained but the survey was completed with speed (completed by the summer of 1535). This work still survives at the National Archives in Kent.
Lewis Angell
Lewis Angell