Secrets of The National Archives: King’s Book and Compendium Compertorum

In 1534 Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church in England, breaking from centuries of papal authority. In the following years, the king and his agents undertook two very different historic surveys of the English Church – the Compendium Compertorum which assessed spiritual, moral and religious behaviour in religious houses, and the Valor Ecclesiasticus which sought to provide a full valuation of the finances of the church, a survey on the scale of Domesday centuries earlier.

Euan Roger and Sean Cunningham, collections specialists from The National Archives, will compare these two iconic surveys side by side, exploring the picture they paint of a complex religious landscape which would shortly be dissolved and lost forever.

Secrets of The National Archives showcases some of the most notable documents and stories from the collection. From iconic documents such as Domesday, to hidden gems, discover The National Archives’ unique and rich collection and explore history as it happened. Discover the rest of the series here.

Image credit: Valor Ecclesiasticus, 1535, TNA E 344/22 f2

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