3 - wolsey's domestic policy

Question 1

Why Wolsey rose to power in the early years of Henry 8th’s reign?

Answer 1

• hard-working & had talent
• supported Henry’s foreign policy
• was a flatterer
• Henry was less interested in domestic affairs
• had been Henry 7th’s chaplain & was sent on diplomatic missions for him
• shown organisational skill in 1513 expedition to France

Question 2

Wolsey’s role (1514-29)

Answer 2

Chief Minister

Question 3

Wolsey’s legal reforms

Answer 3

• civil law = more important than common law (as it led to unjust verdicts based on technicalities)
• used system for his own benefit against those he had a grudge agst
• ensured courts dispensed cheap & impartial justice (available to poor)
• Star Chamber used to hear cases agst the powerful
• Court of Chancery used to hear cases brought by poor
• so many cases that the courts couldn’t cope

Question 4

Wolsey’s financial reforms

Answer 4

• introduced subsidy (standard parliamentary tax & replaced fifteenth and tenth) in 1523
• unable to raise the £800,000 hoped for in 1523 -> only £300,000
• tried to raise funds via the non-parliamentary Amicable Grant (led to unrest in East Anglia)
• tried to increase revenue from crown lands but had limited success
• raised £820,000 through taxes by 1520 (didn’t meet £1.7 million Henry had spent on war)

Question 5

Wolsey’s social reforms

Answer 5

• “champion of the poor”
• attacked the practice of enclosure -> established an enquiry in 1517
• limited impact -> 1523, Wolsey accepted all existing closures in return for parliamentary subsidy
• many of his actions were against the nobility & gentry (vendetta agst them)

Question 6

Wolsey’s administrative reforms

Answer 6

• scarcely summoned parliament (only in 1515 & 1523 - funds needed for war)
• concerned with Privy Chamber
• 1526 -> introduced Eltham Ordinances (aimed to improve finances & efficiency of Privy Chamber, also to control access to King & ^ influence)

Question 7

Star Chamber

Answer 7

used to hear cases against the powerful

Question 8

Court of Chancery

Answer 8

used to hear cases brought by the poor

Question 9

Why was the subsidy a positive financial reform of Wolsey’s?

Answer 9

• greatly increased amount of money brought in
• was based on a far more realistic assessment of wealth

Question 10

How much money was Wolsey aiming to raise in 1523 from the subsidy, and how much did he actually raise?

Answer 10

hoped for £800,000 -> only managed £300,000

Question 11

Amicable Grant (1525)

Answer 11

• additional tax Wolsey demanded, in order to raise enough money for Henry’s expedition to France
• led to unrest in East Anglia & widespread non-payment
• Henry had to cancel the grant & forced Wolsey to apologise

Question 12

When was the Amicable Grant?

Answer 12

1525

Question 13

How much money did Wolsey raise?

Answer 13

• £300,000 through subsidy
• £820,000 through taxes

Question 14

Wolsey’s enquiry into enclosure (1517)

Answer 14

• action taken against 264 landowners (1518-29)
• 222 brought to court
• verdicts reached on 188

Question 15

Eltham Ordinances (1526)

Answer 15

aimed to improve finances & efficiency of Privy Chamber