8.2 Domestic policies under Wolsey Flashcards
What two areas of Domestic affairs did Wolsey control
- Law and Government
2. Finances
What Courts did Wolsey increase the power of
- The Court of Chancery
2. The Star Chamber
What was the Court of Chancery
Public court in which justice was based on applying fairness.
What type of cases did the Court of Chancery deal with
It dealt with cases to do with wills and property
Was the Court of Chancery successful
It was partially successful.
+ Good concept
- Limited in scope due to a finite amount of courts
What was the Star Chamber
It was an offshoot of the kings council. Wolsey aimed to increase fair justice through its use
It took no notice of noble status
What type of cases did the Star Chamber handle
Cases of perjury and contempt of court
Was the Star Chamber and its reforms by Wolsey successful
The Star Chamber heard 10x as many cases under Henry VIII than under Henry VII. It was therefore successful.
What were Wolsey’s contributions to finance
- The Tudor Subsidy
- Amicable Grant
- Act of Resumption
What was the Tudor Subsidy
It was expected that taxpayers would pay for extraordinary expenses when required. This was done by subsidy
How did Wolsey change the way in which Subsidy’s worked
Insted of using local commisioners who would assess taxpayers wealth, who were often too generous to local nobility, Wolsey created a national committee to which he headed himself
What was the impact of Wolsey’s changes to the Tudor Subsidy
With much more accurate estimations of wealth, far more money was brought in through subsidies.
How much money did the Tudor Subsidy bring in for Henry’s aggressive foreign policy
£300,000 on 4 occassions
What was the Amicable Grant
In 1525 Wolsey attempted to raise more money for war; it was meant to be a ‘free gift’ to the king - but in reality it was a heavy tax, levied without parliamentary sanction.
What was the impact of the Amicable Grant
There was significant trouble following the implementation of the ‘benevolence’ - Some refused to pay, others couldn’t.
There was a rising in Lavenham, Suffolk, but was stopped before it could raise too much traction. The town bells had been removed, otherwise it may have been more successful.
In the long term it was the beginning of Wolsey’s downfall, he had embarrassed the king and himself by begging for the rebel leaders forgiveness in the Star Chamber. It was the first time Wolsey failed to meet the demands of the King - Henry’s foreign adventures had to be ceased earlier and force a peace treaty with France
