Breadth 2: Gaining cooperation of the localities - part 1

Question 1

Why was the local gov so important to the monarch?

Answer 1

• To assert royal control in the regions further from London
• No professional civil service, meant needed support
• Unpaid and responsible for law and order
• Had to suppress rebellion and collect tax

Question 2

What were the marcher regions?

Answer 2

Regions on the boarders of Scotland and Wales

Question 3

Why did the nobility in the marcher regions have so much power?

Answer 3

They had their own laws and customs. Nobility had lots of military power, quasi kings (no titles). These powers eroded as royal control extended

Question 4

Give examples of the gov in Wales being out of step with England?

Answer 4

Before 1530s Wales had their own legal system. Possible to commit crime in one lordship and flee to another one to escape justice. Allowed blood feuds - family could take revenge

Question 5

Why was control of Wales so important?

Answer 5

• Lawlessness
• Nobility could build power bases to launch invsion.
• Henry VII used this method to overthrow Richard III - used his Welsh estates in Pembroke to raise army
• Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham built army in Wales of 400 men - executed for teason 1521

Question 6

How did Henry VII try to control Wales before 1530s?

Answer 6

Used the council of Wales and the marches. Based at Ludlow castle, led by nobility and royal family, Jaspar Tudor became head of council in 1490, Henry VII’s son Arthur made Prince of Wales in 1501 but died 1502

Question 7

How did Henry VIII try to control Wales before the 1530s?

Answer 7

• Appointed his 9 year old Princess Mary to COW in 1525 but she left in 1528. She like Arthur was given a court at Ludlow

Question 8

What first solution to control Wales did TC introduce?

Answer 8

• Law in Wales Act 1535 - appointed Rowland Lee to act as Lord President of the COW
• Given powers to tackle crime and disorder.
• Pincipality of Wales abolished. Replaced with 12 English style counties with JPs, sheriffs and coroners
• Banned use of Welsh in courts
• Each county had 2 MPs, end of military control

Question 9

Why was control of the North difficult?

Answer 9

Geographically remote, poor communication and threat of Scottish invasion. Marches divided into Eastern, Western and Middle. Contolled by wardens who kept law and order. Cross boarder raids common.

Question 10

What additional problems did Henry face as a usurper?

Answer 10

Meant his rivals were liable to invade over Scottish boarder. Yorkshire = loyal to Richard III - he’d controlled it successfully.

Question 11

Why were regions like Yorkshire particularly unsettled?

Answer 11

North suffered economic hardship in 1489. Tax revolt in Yorkshire - led to murder of Henry Percy - Earl of Northumberland. In charge of tax collection.

Question 12

How did Henry VII deal with problems in the North?

Answer 12

Appointed Thomas Howard as Earl of Surrey as Lieutenant in the North. Acted as representative of the king. Remained this post until 1499.

Question 13

Who were the major noble families under Henry VIII?

Answer 13

Dacres, Clifford and Percys (Northumberland earls) and Nevilles ( Westmoreland earls)

Question 14

Why couldn’t Henry VIII rely on his major nobles to keep the peace?

Answer 14

Involved in complex feuds with one another. 1525 Lord Dacre fined £1000. Attempt to revive CON in 1525 - Henry Fitzroy - illegitimate son - made president. Died early 1536

Question 15

What made intervention in the North more perminant?

Answer 15

Although partly the result of peaceful relations with Scotland from 1570, increased royal control through the permanent council meant the traditional northern nobility were no longer able to rule the North as they pleased.

Question 16

What were the changes introduced in the Law of Wales Act (1542)?

Answer 16

• English law introduced to Wales
• Ended blood fued
• Reorganised the marches - COW - control of king
• 2 law courts per year
• COW now a formal body - president
• Lord Lieutenants by Liz’s reign

Question 17

What changes to the council of the North did TC make following 1536?

Answer 17

• Gave it powers to hear and decide cases of treason, murder and felony.
• Became the voice of gov in London.
• Responsible for passing on and enforcing all royal proclamations and orders.
• Oversaw food supplies, regulated trade and musters for miliary campaigns.
• Governed Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmoreland.

Question 18

How did the choice of president enhance the authority of the CON?

Answer 18

Either a bishop or a member of the nobility that usually came from the South or Midlands. President from 1538-1540 was Robert Holgate, Bishop of Llandoff (Wales)

Question 19

What benefits did it have to appoint a southerner to the con?

Answer 19

Had no vested interest in the decisions made. Rest of the con made up from local gentry, lawyers and clergy from the North.

Question 20

How did York MPs react to religious changes that were happening in Edward’s parliaments?

Answer 20

They didn’t mention the two prayer books of 1549 and 1552 in any of their letters

Question 21

What were borough MPs?

Answer 21

Usually not actually townsmen, tended to not even live in the towns they represented - Reformation parliament (1529-36) 1/2 borough MPs were townsmen

Question 22

What % of the 1559 parliament borough MPs were actually from the borough they represented, how had this changed by 1603?

Answer 22

23% - fell to 14% by 1603

Question 23

How were borough MPs paid?

Answer 23

They could claim expenses form their constituency to cover the costs of sitting in parliament. Could claim wage of 2 shillings and cost of travelling and staying in London.

Question 24

Why was it financially sensible to have a member of the gentry acting as a town’s borough MP?

Answer 24

Reformation Parliament, each town needed £70 to fund 1MP - £140 for two, smaller towns looked for wealthy members of the gentry to cover these costs in return for a seat

Question 25

What is an example of a town having a member of the gentry as their borough MP due to financial reasons?

Answer 25

Dunwich - annual income of £50, 1559 Sir Edmund Rowse was willing to be MP and cover his own expenses

Question 26

How did patronage affect elections?

Answer 26

Power of parliament grew as called more often. Gov needes to ensure MPs who were elected would obey the crown’s wishes. Elections for boroughs controlled by nobility.

Question 27

How did the Duke of Norfolk under Henry VIII influence elections?

Answer 27

Was able to ensure that his clients were elected to boroughs such as Castle Rising, Great Yarmouth and Reigate

Question 28

How did Robert Dudley influence elections in 1584?

Answer 28

Ensured his candidates were elected to Poole, Tamworth and Denbeigh

Question 29

How was the influence of the patronage on elections beneficial for both the crown and MPs?

Answer 29

Boroughs ensured their interests were overseen, e.g 1553 borough of Lincoln allowed Earl of Rutland to nominate one of his candidates as MPs, gave him more power

Question 30

Where did new boroughs emerge?

Answer 30

Newton of Isle of Wight (1584) due to pressure from Sir George Carey - Elizabeth’s cousin, could ensure suitable MPs culd be appointed

Question 31

How did the crown help the expansion of boroughs?

Answer 31

Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster - meant regions controlled by the crown itself. New boroughs of Grampound and Camelford created 1547 in the Dutchy of Cornwall.

Question 32

Who were the counsellors in the CON?

Answer 32

Sir Thomas Gargrave - lawyer from Wakefield (1549-1579). Also JPs, could control boarder raids and manage local order through hearing court cases

Question 33

What changes did Elizabeth make to the CON?

Answer 33

Power declined due to peaceful relations with Scotland in 1570s, she increased royal control through CON - inserted more southerners=resentment and rebellion in 1569

Question 34

Why was there a need to give the CON more powers to combat recusancy in Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 34

North very Catholic, fears that they wouldn’t accept her settlement, didn’t want a rebellion, Earl of Sussex and Thomas Galgrave helped suppress 1569 rebellion

Question 35

Who was appointed as president of the CON in 1572?

Answer 35

Puritan Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon

Question 36

What was the difference between boroughs and shires/counties?

Answer 36

Boroughs were towns which had the right to send 2 MPs in parliament, shires sent 2 MPs each

Question 37

How did the increase in the number of boroughs affect parliament?

Answer 37

End of Elizabeth’s reign - 191 boroughs with the right to send 2 MPs each

Question 38

Why did the number of boroughs grow?

Answer 38

• Size of HOC grew
• HOL decreasing in size
• New MPs due to Law in Wales Act 1535
• Edward created 34MPs between 1547 and 1553
• Mary created 25 between 1553-1558
• Elizabeth created 62
• Population growth = town growth

Question 39

How did the size of the HOC grow?

Answer 39

Grew from 296 members at the start of the period to 462 by Elizabeth’s reign

Question 40

Why did the HOL decrease in size?

Answer 40

Dissolution of the monasteries meant abbots were no longer summoned to the lords

Question 41

How did the population of towns vary?

Answer 41

London - 200,000. York, Bristol, Norwich - 15,000. Small towns like Exeter, Coventry and Newcastle - 10,000

Question 42

What were rotten boroughs?

Answer 42

Towns created in the Middle Ages - population had declined, Dunwich fell into the sea, no MPs in these places, new boroughs given the franchise

Question 43

What were the benefits of new boroughs?

Answer 43

Crown could use it to palce its own candidates in parliament. E.g Sir Christopher Hatton - 1 of Liz’s most trusted advisors, elected as MP for Higham Ferrers 1571

Question 44

Why was it important for the crown to influence elections after the Reformation?

Answer 44

Commons became increasingly confident, Elizabeth wanted to ensure her MPs weren’t Catholic

Question 45

Why did literacy rates increase in this period?

Answer 45

• Growth of humanist ideas = education important
• wealthy girls could be educated from home
• Grammar schools free for all boys + ‘English schools’
• Uni education expanded - grew from 1150 in 1550 to 2000 by end of period
• 1/2 uni came from gentry, half below

Question 46

How are literacy rates measured?

Answer 46

By the number of people who could sign their name on church records

Question 47

What are the figures for the increase in literacy?

Answer 47

Illiteracy was 80% for men, 98% fo women in 1550, fell to 72% for men in 1600 and 92% for women, higher among yeomen in the North than that of midlands, south and east.

In diocese of Norwich its estimated illiteracy rates fallen from 60% to 30% by the 1580s; however, in Durham 73% yeoman signed with a mark in the period 1561 to 1631

Question 48

How did the growth in literacy amongst yeomen class influence the behaviour of this group?

Answer 48

Cornish rising 1487 led by Yeomen who had high status, could formulate rebel demands and acted as spokespeople, now included in local gov

Question 49

How was it beneficial to have yeomen as part of the legal system?

Answer 49

More likely to use it to resolve disputes than violence. No more serious rebellions on English mainland after Northern Earls. No rebellions in 1590s in econ crisis.

Question 50

What changes did Elizabeth further make to the council of the North?

Answer 50

• attempted to insert more Southerners into the council; this caused resentment among the traditional nobility and contributed to the outbreak of rebellion in 1569
• CON became responsible for combating recusancy (practice people who refused to go to church). North most openly catholic region
• revolt led to reconstructions e.g. 1572 the puritan Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon and liz’s cousin was made president. North became much more stable.