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The Prebendaries’ Plot was an unsuccessful attempt by religious conservatives in 1543 to oust the reformist Thomas Cranmer from his office of Archbishop of Canterbury. During the English Reformation that brought the Church of England into existence in the reign of King Henry VIII, Cranmer was Henry’s chief architect in overthrowing papal supremacy and reforming the church in England. The plotters hoped that by discrediting Cranmer they might prevent further religious reforms.[1]
The plotters presented evidence to the King that Cranmer and his allies were promoting heresy, expecting that would result in Cranmer’s arrest. But Henry instead appointed Cranmer himself to investigate the charges against him, during which time Cranmer purged Catholics from positions of power in his diocese.[2]
The plot is named after the five prebendaryForm of benefice used to provide a fixed and independent income to those members of a cathedral's chapter known as prebendaries. canons of Canterbury Cathedral who formed its core, but in the investigation that followed 240 other priests and 60 laymen were also among the accused, demonstrating the scale of the opposition to Cranmer’s reforms.[3]