1.4 society Flashcards
Structure: How did the plague effect society? What was this called, and what did it result in?
-Because the majority of the population had died out, peasants (at the bottom of the social structure) were able to demand more pay for the work they were doing, and therefore increase their influence.
-This resulted in ‘social mobility’, and a growing middle class.
Structure: In the countryside, who (other than the king) was most important? Who was below them?
-Nobility: Wealthiest Lords were worth up to £6000 pa. About 50/60 men, who inherited their land.
-Gentry: Land-owners, usually knights or squires. They could earn between £10 and £200 pa
-Yeomen: Freeholders or leaseholders with long leases. They could vote, and often had servants or subtenants. They made money from farming?
Structure: Who were the lower classes in the countryside?
-Husbandmen: Farmed between 10-30 acres of land, which they held on a lease. Formed the ‘peasants’ along with labourers.
-Labourers: Seasonal workers, who were hired in return for wages. They were in a very unstable position.
Structure: In the towns, who was the highest in society?
-Merchants: Made up 5% of the urban population, and earned their wealth through trade.
-Professionals: Growing middle class, comprised of lawyers, surgeons, clergy, apothecary. Made up 5-10% of urban population.
Structure: In towns, who were some of the lowest in society?
-Skilled Tradesmen: Made up at least 40% of the urban population. They undergo an apprenticeship in order to learn a specific trade.
-Unskilled Tradesmen: Poor workers who lived in towns, and worked easier, less skilled jobs.
-Vagrants: Unemployed people who travelled between towns begging.
Structure: What was a Bastard Feudalism?
-Replaced the Feudal system.
-It was a contract system in which annuities (annual payments) were given instead of land grants, by tenants-in-chief to knights.
-These temporary financial relationships were sometimes solidified by indentures.
Structure: Why was bastard feudalism a problem? What did Henry do to solve it?
-Nobles were able to retain armies through this system, which was worrying for Henry as they would easily be able to raise armies, and therefore stage a rebellion.
-Henry therefore placed more legal limits on retaining:
-In 1486, Peers & MPs had to take an oath against retaining
-1487 law banned it, and the 1504 Act solidified this.
Nobility: What is some evidence that Henry trusted the nobility?
-Gave Patronage to those who had been loyal before/after Bosworth (Earl of Oxford became landowner in East Anglia, Jasper made Duke of Bedford)
-Order of the Garter was given out 37 times
-People were given positions in the king’s council, like Lord Dinham was Treasurer. Richard Fox was Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (1487-1516). John Morton also held his position for 14 years.
-Thomas Howard was allowed to regain his land, as he ‘refused to escape the tower’ in 1487
Nobility: What was some evidence that Henry was fearful of the nobility?
-Acts of Attainder, there were 9 passed against nobles. Thomas Howard never gets to be Duke of Norfolk
-Thomas Grey was forced to give all his land to trustees, and pay recognisances of £1,000 in 1492
-Katherine Woodville had £7,000 feudal dues, for marrying w/o his consent
-In 1506, Lord Bergavenny was fined £70,550 for illegally retaining.
Nobility: How did Robert Willoughby I show Henry’s loyalty?
-Willoughby had been key in the Buckingham Rebellion in 1483, and in the same year fled to Brittany with Henry.
-As a result of his support, Willoughby was given a seat on the King’s Council, in Lords, and became JP for Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, and Wiltshire.
-He was given many government roles throughout his lifetime, so it was clear the he was somebody that Henry intimately trusted, and therefore demonstrates Henry’s loyalty.
Nobility: How did Robert Willoughby II show Henry’s distrust of new nobles?
-After his father’s death, he was fined heavily, £400 for livery of lands, £600 to acquire some local offices.
-Lost land that his father had gained in 1504, this was given back to the crown & was forced to give a bond of £500
-In 1505 he was brought before the Council Learned.
-It was clear that Henry was not willing to favour Willoughby II, despite his father.
Rebellion: Why did the Yorkshire rebellion start? Did it have popular support?
-Henry had instated a tax of £100,000 in 1489 for aid in Brittany. Residents in Yorkshire were disgruntled by this, as they felt that this conflict had little to do with them. After the Earl of Northumberland was unable to revoke the tax, a rebellion began.
-Had large popular support, as the whole community was involved in the uprising.
Rebellion: Was the Yorkshire Rebellion violent? Was it close to the king? Did it have geographical scope? Did it have Noble Support?
-The Earl of Northumberland was murdered upon his return.
-Yorkshire was very distanced from London, so was not threatening in terms of proximity.
-The tax was felt broadly, but the rebellion itself was only on a regional level.
-Had noble support, as Sir John Egremont (an illegitimate member of the House of Percy) was its leader.
Rebellion: How successfully was the Yorkshire rebellion dealt with? What were some consequences of it?
-John a Chambre (who had supposedly killed the Earl of Northumberland) was executed, and Egremont fled to Burgundy.
-The rebellion was wholly unsuccessful, and Henry’s 8,000 army (led by Howard) easily crushed it.
-Thomas Howard became the Earl of Northumberland, as the Percy heir was a minor, so it was easy to replace him with a more loyal noble.
Rebellion: Why did the Cornwall rebellion start? Did it have popular support?
-Another request for money ignited the rebellion.
-In 1497, Parliament approved another heavy tax to finance resistance against Scotland & Warbeck. Cornwall felt this did not affect them.
-Comprised of 15,000 rebels, with support from Lord Audley, so quite popular.
