Breadth Study 2: Gaining the co-operation of the localities Flashcards
What were Royal Progresses
Journeys made by the ruler and their court to regions of England beyond London
Why did monarchs go on Royal progresses (4)
-Increase their visibility
-Make/ sustain direct contact with localities
-show off the power, wealth and prestige of the court
-Remind their subjects of their military and legal power
When did H7 go on progresses (3)
-First year after Bosworth (Midlands and the North)
-when faced challenges in 1487 and 1497
-Encouraged obedience and loyalty
When did H8 go on progresses
-Every summer
1541- travelled to the North due to reports of further political unrest
When H8 travelled who came with
Court came too, included up to 1000 people
Why did e1 do progresses
-Used them to save money- staying in the houses of leading nobility and gentry who would pay for the privilege
-enhanced authority and improved her relationship with the men who she trusted to run local government on her behalf
Where did E1 go on progresses
-Nearly every summer
-Ventured into farthest regions in the country- Yorkshire and Cornwall
At the succession of H7 what were the hardest regions to control
areas that had borders with Scotland and Wales- the marcher regions
What had the marcher regions developed
Own laws and customs because they were the first line of defence against invasion
The nobility in the marcher regions
Gained enormous military and legal power, were almost quasi-kings in their dominance
Power of the nobility in the marcher regions during the Tudors
their traditional powers were eroded as royal control was extended more directly in these regions
What change had happened even before H7
Wales had been conquered by England
no longer a threat of hostile Welsh invasion
How had the government of Wales and the marcher regions remained out-of-step with England
-Although the Crown controlled the Principality of Wales
-Before the 1530s, Wales had its own legal system, which still depended on local marcher lords’ power and control
Why was gaining control of Wales and the Marcher regions vital for Tudor monarchs
Possible for powerful members of the nobility to use these militarised regions to build up their own power base and challenge the monarchy
Example of nobleman using Wales to build up his power base
Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham
-had a claim to the throne
-executed for treason in 1521
who introduced the Council of Wales and the Marches
Edward iv in the 1470s
Royal control in the Council of Wales and the Marches during H7 (3)
1490- Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford (H7’s uncle) became head of the council
1501- Prince Arthur was sent (but died in 1502)
1525-28- Princess Mary sent as a figurehead
Why was controlling the North challenging (3)
-Geographically remote
-poor communication
-under threat of invasion from Scotland
What was the border of Scotland divided into (3)
Western, Middle and Eastern Marchers
-controlled by wardens who were responsible for defence and keeping order
Why did H7 have additional problems from the North
-positions as usurper made him particularly vulnerable to threats of invasion form his rivals (who could base themselves in Scotland)
-Regions in the North loyal to Richard III
-North suffered form economic hardship
The North tax revolt
1489 tax revolt in Yorkshire
led to the murder of Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland (in charge of money collection in the region)
What did H7 use the 1489 tax revolt to create
Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey as Lieutenant of the North
-remained in this post until 1499 (when power reverted to the traditional nobility as wardens of the Marches)
Under H8 key noble families in charge of the North (4)
- the Dacres
- the Cliffords
- Percy earls of Nothumberland
- Neville earls of Westmorland
Northern families could not always be relied to keep the peace example
1525- Lord Dacre was fined £1,000 for his tolerance to disorder in the North
Attempt to revive the Council of the North
1525- Henry Fitzroy (6 yo) was made president of the council
In response to lawlessness in Wales what did Cromwell do?
1534- began a process that was to lead to permanent changes in the region
Who did Cromwell appoint to the council of Wales
1534- began by appointing Rowland Lee to act as the Local President of the Council of Wales
-giving sweeping powers to tackle crime and disorder in the region
Law in the Wales Act 1535
Also known as the Act of Union
-transformed the structure of the Welsh government
What did the Law in Wales Act 1535 do? (4)
- Principality of Wales/ marcher lordships abolished, REPLACED by 12 English-style counties
- English style of local government introduced
- Banned the use of Welsh in the courts
- Each Welsh county and county town was allocated 2 MPs
What was the English style of local government that was introduced in the 1535 Act
Included sheriffs, coroners and Justices of the Peace
What was the result of the Law in Wales Act (1535) (3)
- Ended the traditional power of the marcher lords
- Wales remained under the control of the Crown
- Law and order improved and the region became less of a threat to political instability
What did the Law in Wales Act (1542) do? (2)
- English laws introduced in Wales
- Council of the Marches was reorganised and called the Council of Wales
What was ended when English law was introduced in Wales in 1542
-End to the traditional Welsh system
-ended the use of blood fueds
New English law courts (1542)
-Called ‘Courts of Great Sessions’
What was the Council of Wales (1542) (2)
- More formal body, with a president and a vice president appointed by the monarch
- Could hear legal cases and oversee law and order in Wales
What had changed by Elizabeth’s reign
Council included Lord Lieutenants
-little trouble from this region during the Tudor period, reforms extended very SUCCESSFULLY
When was the Council of the North remodelled and why
1537- After the PoG to strengthen its powers and prevent future outbreaks and unrest
-Gave it wide powers to hear and decide cases of treason, murder and felony
What did the Council of the North become after 1537
-Voice of the government in London
-Responsible for passing on and enforcing Royal proclamations + orders made to sheriffs and JPs
-oversaw food supplies, regulated trade, organised local musters for military campaigns
-heard private cases between individuals
How was the authority of the Council of the North extended
-Governed Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland, as well as Yorkshire
-Given permanent headquarters in York in 1539
-Having a president (a bishop or noble) from the South or Midlands, with no vested interest, so that decisions can be made impartially
Presidents of the Council of the North
1538-40 Robert Holgate, bishop of Llandaff
-meant that the presidents had no vested interests
BUT the rest of the council was from the region
e.g Sir Thomas Gargrave, lawyer from Wakefield councillor from 1545 to 1547
What did the Council of the North develop into (3)
a body which could oversee the
-administration of the North
-control border raids
-manage local order
What did the Council of the North signall
the longer term decline in the power of the traditional Northern Lords
-The Dacres, the Percys and the Neviles could no longer rule as they pleased
Changes to the Council made by Elizabeth
-decision to insert more southerners (caused resentment+ rebellion, shows E1 not in complete control)
-Council became responsible for battling recusancy
-Council was reconstructed in 1572
In 1572 who was made president of the council in the North
Puritan- Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon
-North much more stable, power of traditional families eroded
-power of the monarchy enhanced through the council
in 1485 who were the nobility
traditional military leaders, whose power was based in their estates
By Elizabeth’s reign what type of nobility emerged
New type- based on their ability to gain access to the monarch and the supply of grants of lands, offices and titles
-New nobility were courtiers (although many still retained their role of military leader)
H7 general attitude to the nobility
-Distrust, reluctant to give out many rewards and preferred to use a small group of trusted gentry and lawyers to control the localities
who did H7 trust in the nobility
-Trusted his uncle, Jasper Tudor
-Control Wales and the Marches on his behalf
-Was promoted from Earl of Pembroke to Duke of Bedford
Example of H7 rewarding trusted administrators
Rewarded Sir Reginal Bray- used their positions within central government to build up land, power and influence
What was Sir Reginal Bray positions and what was he able to acquire
Royal councillor and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
-able to acquire lands in 18 counties bringing him £1000/ annum
-able to use his local lands to extend royal influence
Example of Henry’s distrustful attitude
Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey- fought against Henry at Bosworth ALTHOUGH did not take part in 1487 rebellion
-despite this Henry was not prepared to restore Surrey’s full lands and titles to him
How was H8’s relationship with the nobility different from H7’s
-H7 distrustful vs H8 saw his nobility as companions
-H7 careful with money vs H8 was generous with his grants
H8’s Chamber becoming increasingly politicised
-Men serving the king had an unrivalled opportunity to influence the king informally
-influence included suggestions about where the king’s patronage should ne deployed
Example of men in the Chamber benefitting from H8 (2)
-Sir William Compton, Gentlemen of the Chamber and Groom of the Stool; able to raise his income from £10 a year to £1,700 by acquiring grants of royal lands and offices
-Charles Brandon became Duke of Suffolk and granted extensive estates in East Anglia
H8 using good relationship to extend royal control
-Used good relationship with Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk to extend royal control in the localities
1536- he was granted estates in Lincolnshire because of the PoG, to reassert royal power into the region
How did the role of the nobility begin to change under H8
-Power and influence dictated by the ability to gain access to Henry (or chief ministers, Wolsey or Cromwell)
-led to the development of men who owed their positions to their influence at Court rather than because of their landed estates
Example of Professional administrators becoming increasingly influential because of their access to royal patronage (2)
William Paget and Thomas Wriothesley
-rose to the top because of their legal expertise and both were enobled
-basis of their power was their personal relationship with Henry
Power of the traditional nobility being undermined
Royal attacks on those whom Henry distrusted
e.g Duck of Buckingham executed for treason in 1521
dissolution of monasteries effect on nobility and crown income
Nobility share of income from land rose 8% to 9%
Crown- 9% to 27%
How did the sale of the monastic lands help to strengthen royal position
-Used to create a group of gentry and nobility who had a vested interest in supporting the royal supremacy and the break with Rome because they had benefited from it
Example of person benefitting from the sale of monastic lands
Sir John Russell- 1530s was granted a series of offices in the South West, and in 1538 became Baron Russell
-Tudors had a trusted member of the nobility who owed his advancement to royal patronage
disadvantages of Tudor system of patronage
Relied on the presence of a strong, active and decisive monarch, who promoted men who were reliable and loyal
-If not, could be manipulated by ambitious courtiers, who would seek to advance themselves for their own needs
Example of patronage being badly handled (3)
Faction led by Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford was able to manipulated H8’s will in Seymour’s favour
-was able to use patronage to reward his supporters, e.g. John Dudley made into the Earl of Warwick
-had control of the young king, patronage made a member of the nobility who was too powerful
How was patronage actually effective (Edward Seymoure)
Despite John Dudley’s position as Lord Protector, he was unable to overturn the royal succession
-patronage weakened the traditional military power of the nobility, e.g. neither Seymour nor Dudley was able to raise an army in support of their ambitionsq
Example of men during Elizabeth I having multiple positions at the same time (2)
-William Cecil was a JP for Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire
-Earl of Bedford was JP for Devon and Cornwall
Role of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester during E1
Master of the Horse, Part of the Royal Household, in 1562 became a Privy councillor
E1 using patronage to extend control in the localities
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester- Received generous grants such as Kenilworth Castle and Denbigh in Wales. Also given control in the region around Chester
+also the Russell family
Elizabeth appointing southerners to the North (3)
-Henry Carey, Lord Hunsdon put in charge of the key fortress in Berwick
-Francis Russell, Earl of Bedford was named Warden of East March
-Puritan Earl of Huntingdon appointed head of the Council of the North
Why had Elizabeth’s system of patronage began to break down in the 1590s
-began to lose control of government
-many of her trusted councillors had died
Who replaced William Cecil and Robert Dudley
Robert Cecil and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex- created rivalry over the control of patronage
What shows that patronage, when mismanaged
1596- Robert Cecil became the Queen’s Secretary and Earl of Essex resentful
-1601, Essex and 140 supporters planned to use an armed force to surround and capture the queen but ultimately failed
-shows the political instability that could be caused by patronage
H7 began the extension of royal power of JPs
- Position of usurper
- Appointed Sir Thomas Lovell in Yorkshire and Sussex (member of his court)
- 1495 Act of Parliament extended their power to act on info received by suspects
Number of boroughs during the period
From 70 to 191
Number of MPs during the period
296 to 462
Why was there an increase in MPs during H8
1535 Law in Wales Act created new MPs
Increase in MPs during Edward
1547-1553: 34 new MPs
Increase in MPs during Mary
1553-1558: 25 new MPs
Increase in MPs during E1
1558-84: 62 new MPs
Example of the size of boroughs varying
London- 200,000 inhabitants
Exeter- 10,000 inhabitants
Example of rotten boroughs
- Dunwich
- Andover
Why did Townsmen pressure for the creation of new boroughs
- Parliament place for townsmen, wherein they could ensure the interests of their community could be promoted, through use of petitions and creation of new laws
Example of Townsmen concerns
- Town council of York was keen to ensure that laws were passed which prevented woodland areas being chopped down within 25km of the city
Who were most MPs
Tended to be members of the landed gentry
- During Reformation Parliament (1529-36) half of the borough MPs were gentry
By 1601 how many MPs were townsmen
Estimated 14%
During the reformation parliament, how much would it cost to fund an MP
£70 for one MP
Why did smaller boroughs allow the gentry to be their MPs
- Small and poorer boroughs looked to wealthy member of the gentry to cover the costs of funding an MP
- in return allowing them to sit as an MP
Monarchy controlling parliament through nobility
Nobility used their landed power to control elections to boroughs and localities
- e.g H8 DoN able to ensure his clients were elected in Castle Rising, Reigate
Robert Dudley ensuring his clients getting elected
1584- boroughs of Poole, Tamworth, Denbigh
Creation of new borough to extend royal control
- Newton on the Isle of Wight
- Created in 1584 due to pressure from Sir George Carey
- Elizabeth’s cousin
Places where new boroughs created in the Tudor period
- DONE so that the Crown can place its own candidates to parliament, e.g Sir Christopher Hatton, elected as MP for Higham Ferrers in 1571
Example of E1 Privy Council pressuring to elect an MP
Borough of Gatton
What led to the foundation of grammar schools
Growth of humanist ideas, which emphasised the role of education for all
- greater access for education to the yeomen class
People going to university expanding
At Oxford student number increased from 1,150 in 1550 to 2,000 at the end of the period
Illiteracy rates in 1550
Men- 80%
Illiteracy rates in 1600
Men- 72%
Where were illiteracy rates higher
1530- illiteracy rates higher in in the North of England than the Midlands, East and South
Rebellions that were led by yeomen, who often formulated rebel demands and acted as spokespersons
- Cornish Rising 1497
- 1549 Kett’s rebellion
As literacy rates increased, how did the role of yeomen change
- Instead of being left out of local government, yeomen were now included in it
What opened up new opportunities for yeomen to take part in local government
Extension of government into localities through parliament and statute law
What were prosperous and literate yeomen taking roles in
Administration of poor laws and voting in elections
How did increasing literacy of yeomen allow more royal control
- As they became part of the legal system, more likely to defend it rather than attack it
- More likely to use the legal system to resolve disputes
- men of yeomen rank less likely to take part in rebellion
Evidence that yeomen took less part in rebellion after literacy rates increased
- After 1569 no more serious rebellions
- Even when there was economic crisis in 1590s, no popular rising
- Riots in Oxfordshire in 1569, led by the poorest in society, yeomen were now part of the Elizabethan system of government
2 Main sources of royal income
- Ordinary- came from the royal lands
- Extraordinary- taxation granted by parliament for the monarch’s special needs
Example of monarch’s extravagant expenditure
H8 spent over £100,000 on building Hampton Court in Whitehall, while Royal Household income in 1550 was £75,000 a year
Revolts sparked by high taxes
Revolts of 1489 and 1497 under H7
- PoG 1536, also against the background of demands for tax and poverty
Tax system before 1513
Medieval method of raising taxes based on ‘fifteenths and tenths’, based on property known as ‘moveables’
How much were boroughs expected to pay
1/10
How much was the country side expected to pay
1/15
Why was the medieval tax system out of date
- took no account of population or other social changes
- because of inflation amounts now received by the Crown did not cover expenditure needs
How was the medieval system of tax a potential source of discontent
- Due to each community paying a fixed sum, possible for those wealth and power to avoid paying their share
- urban communities had to pay more tax than those based in the countryside
H7 continuing to use the traditional fifteenth and tenth
1487, 1489, 1491 and 1497
What changed to taxation in 1497 (2)
- asked for 2/10ths and 2/15ths
- Parliament agreed to a new tax based on each individual’s wealth, known as direct assessment
Direct assessment success
- Repeated in 1504
- new taxes raised an additional £80,000
- paved the way for Wolsey
How much did the government spend 1509- 1520
spent £1 million, but only received about £25,000 from its ordinary revenue
What was Wolsey’s subsidy in 1513 (4)
- Not reliant on traditional fixed sums of money, subsidy was flexible. Reliant on individual’s income
- assessed everyone’s ability to pay based on their wealth
- Separate assessment for the nobility, higher the rank, the more they had to pay
- Local officials appointed to assess people’s wealth
Why did the 1513 subsidy reduce tension
Ensured the wealthiest in society contributed more to taxation
Evidence that the 1513 subsidy was succesful
- Repeated in 1514, 1515 and in 1523
- Raised £320,000 through new subsidy
What unprecedented thing happened in 1534
Cromwell asked parliament for a subsidy during peacetime
Further requests for subsidies during peace times
1540, 1543, 1553, 1555
Evidence that suggests that the subsidy’s effectiveness in raising royal income was not sustained
At the start of E1’s reign was generating £140,000
- by the end generated £80,000
- the Crown faced resistance form parliament and taxpayers
Problems Wolsey had in raising the subsidy
- As demands for war increased, and had little gains- parliament became more reluctant to grant amounts
- 1523 parliament refused to grant £800,000 in taxation
What did Wolsey do in 1525
- forced to raise a non-parliamentary tax known as the ‘Amicable Grant’
- provoked mass resistance in Eat Anglia, 10,000 men gathered to protest
Under E1 problems that occurred under the subsidy
- assessment of the subsidy was allowed to stagnate
- allowed rates to become fixed, did not take inflation into account
- system became increasingly corrupt: after 1563, each taxpayer’s assessment of their wealth was accepted as accurate (most taxpayers claimed to have less income)
- contributed to the political tensions of 1590s
Main cause of poverty in Tudor England
- population growth
- 1525- 2.2 million
- 1601- 4.1 million
Result of population growth
- Rising prices and falling wages
- lead to price inflation
What exacerbated the spread of poverty
- dissolution of the monasteries, traditional source of support and alms for the poor
Bad weather leading to crop failure
1527-29, 1549-51, 1554-56
What did the 1495 Vagabond’s and Beggars Act do?
- Beggars and idle poor put in stocks for 3 days, whipped and returned to original parish
What did the 1532 Poor Law do
- Ordered vagrants to be whipped
- impotent poor to be licensed by JPs and allowed to beg
1556 Cromwell’s radical Act
Local officials ordered to find work for beggars and to organise collections for impotent poor
1547 Vagrancy Act (2)
- Vagrant defined as able-bodied, without master or employment for 3 days
- Branded with ‘V’ on chest, forced to work as a slave for 2 years for the person who’d informed against them
problems with 1547 Vagrancy Act
- So harsh that local authorities couldn’t enforce so was repealed in 1550
1548-9 Laws (economic legislation)
- Laws passed against price and wage fixing
1552 Poor Law
- Required impotent poor to be registered
- Parish priests and bishops to put pressure on wealthy to make voluntary contributions
1554 Act (economic legislation)
Forbade export of corn when prices were above a certain level
What led to the Statute of Artificers 1563
- Poor weather led to bad harvests 1554-56
- Exacerbated by outbreak of influenza 1555 and 1559
- lack of available food led to higher prices
- social and economic crises led to pressure on central and local authorities to control vagrancy and potential social disorder
Main terms of Statute of Artificers 1563 (6)
- Wages set and assessed by JPs annually
- All unmarried people under 30 compelled to work and to accept any job offered to them
- harvest time, JPs could force those able to bring in the crops
- Everyone between 12 and 60 required to work on the lands
- Hours of work were fixed
- Apprenticeships were set at 7 years and compulsory for skilled occupation
Successes of Statute of Artificers 1563 (6)
- Lasted for the rest of the period
- Placed even more importance on JPs
- Enhanced importance of local apprenticeships
- Emphasis on the need for everyone to have a master
- emphasis on the importance of food production as an essential job
-Gov. responded to concerns about social order from those who represented the localities
Weakness of Statue of Artificers 1563 (3)
- Backward-looking in its aims (wage caps had already been set)
- Further Acts needed to deal with poverty and vagabondage
- Problems with enforcement *
- Vagrancy still increased in 1580s and 1590s
What were the problems with the enforcement of the Statute of Artificers
- determination of JPs to hold down wages, meant that local wages did not change for years at a time
e.g Assessed wages in Kent did not change from 1563-1588
What did the 1572 Poor Law recognise for the first time
- government recognised there wasn’t enough work available for the able-bodied poor
What did the 1563 Act for the Relief of the Poor do? (3)
- Moved towards making payments to poor relief in the parish almost compulsory
- Special collectors of alms appointed to collect contributions
- Refusal to contribute could lead to imprisonment
What did the 1572 Poor Law do? (3)
- Punishments for unlicensed beggars remained severe, including boring a hole through the right ear
- Also became harder to get a licence, had to be signed by 2 JPs
- encouraged parishes with extra poor relief funds to build ‘house of correction’ for vagrants and beggars
Why was the Act for the Relief of the Poor passed in 1598 (5)
- Cold weather caused a series of crop failures that led to famine
- Wages continued to fall, as prices continued to rise
- Prices of staple foods such as wheat began to rise to levels unaffordable to the poor
- outbreak of plague
- 1596 food riots*
- Oxfordshire had an attempted rising in 1596
Where were there food riots in 1596
- London, the South East and the South West
What did the 1598 Act for the Relief of the Poor do? (3)
- enhanced the local administration of Poor Relief
- Introduced post of overseer of the poor, who assessed how much poor relief was needed
- Unpaid overseer to be supervised by the JPs, given additional powers to raise compulsory contributions to local poor relief
What was the 1598 Act for the Relief of the Poor combined with
- Other laws passed at the same time, strengthened the government’s response to poverty
- 1598 Vagabonds Act, ordered most dangerous vagrants to be banished
- Act for the Relief of Soldiers and Mariners, provided pensions for wounded former soldiers
- Also Acts which provided for the building of hospitals for those who were ill
Significance of 1598 Act for the Relief of the Poor
- slightly revised by a second Act in 1601 and lasted till 1834
- Built on 50 years of experimentation, no a national system for the Relief for the poor
- first Act to make contributions to poor relief fully compulsory
- first time all local provisions had been brought into line by the national government
