Last modified on September 07, 2024 at 16:00 UTC

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Historical Figure of the Month

Sir Richard Pollard MP (1505-1542), who was awarded the manor of Combe Martin from King Henry VIII in 1537, is a contentious figure because of his involvement in the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1540.

POLLARD, Richard (by 1505-42), of Putney, Surr., London and Forde Abbey, Dorset. | History of Parliament Online→

Acting as an agent for Thomas Cromwell who was chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540, Pollard oversaw the dissolution and seizure of monastic properties.

He oversaw the defacement and deconstruction of the shrines at Bury St. Edmunds, at Winchester, and at Canterbury which marked the end of a significant religious and cultural legacy associated with St. Thomas Becket.

By participating in the Dissolution, Pollard was part of a transformative period in English history. He has been called "one of the outstanding civil servants of the period", yet his actions caused significant upheaval and resentment among the affected communities.

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