RE: Abrogation of Feast of St. Thomas Becket
In Summer of 1536, after the fiasco of Anne Boleyn, Cromwell, Cranmer and Hugh Latimer, newly appointed Lenten Preacher Royal, met with others in Convocation and drew up the Ten Articles, the first official doctrinal formulary of the Church of England. 8 days after the Articles had been signed by Cromwell, members met again and drew up an Act for the Abrogation of Certain Holydays. Members complained that the excessive number of feast days caused superstition, decay of industry and "lycencyous vacacyon and lybertye." The Crown decimated the ritual year not only wiping out a multitude of local festivals but removing many major landmarks of the Sarum calendar. The main feast of July, that of Becket was abolished. Also abolished in the same Act were the feasts of: Sts. Margaret, Martin, Anne, Mary Magdalen, Lawrence, Augustine, Giles, Cuthbert, Austin of Canterbury, Alban, Cecilia, also Transfiguration and Holy Name of Jesus, among others.
The Act met with widespred resistance, especially at Beverley, Lincolnshire, Byrchforde, Kent and Norfolk where resistance fluctuated between quiet and riotous. A Pilgrimage of Grace was organized to rally prayerful resistance to the Act.
In response, Cromwell issued the iconoclastic Bishop's Book and began dismantling shrines all across England. By Sept 1538, Cromwell had issued a new set of Injunctions, criminalizing virtually any outward sign of devotion to the saints, including pilgrimages, processions, Angelus, rosary, the lighting of candles or any other such "superstition." A further Act in 1541 ordered the removal of all images of saints from churches, chapels and cathedrals. Of particular interest was the removal of images of Thomas Becket as he had become a favored champion of traditionalists.
From, The Stripping of the Altars, E Duffy.
"Of particular interest was the removal of images of Thomas Becket as he had become a favored champion of traditionalists."
By far the lowest act would have to have been the execution of the Abbott of Glastonbury. Abbott Whiting of Glastonbury at the age of 80 was dragged to the top of the Tor, beheaded, and chopped into pieces to set an example.