Changing Sinews of Power Flashcards
What is the wheel of fortune?
Image that one day things could be going very well for an individual, they were at the top of the wheel - successful and admired - but Fortune might spin ensuring that they sank back down the social and political ranks
What was important for maintaining royal authority?
Royal finances being collected by officials
What was money used for?
Range of purposes which were central to providing effective government and ensure the monarch’s position was secured.
What was routine expenditure spent on?
Maintenance of the king
Regular defence
Administration
What was involved in the maintenance of the king?
Large organisation including retainers, servants, advisers. Some on clothes and food could seem extravagant - contemporaries expected kings to live opulent lives and regarded as crucial to maintain order and authority
What was a critique of Henry VI during Cade’s rebellion?
The king was so in debt that he could not pay for food and drink for his household.
Where were the main areas of focus for regular defence?
Protection of Scottish and Welsh borders and security in overseas areas - Ireland and Calais.
What was administration cost?
Employing staff in government departments. - Exchequer and Chamber, funds for calling parliament, running law courts etc.
What is exceptional expenditure?
Finance for ceremonial costs, coronations, baptisms and weddings
What were exceptional defence costs?
Money for an invasion or to repel attacks on territories in France - 100 YW - major outlay during Henry VI reign.
What happened during the period?
Decline in the traditional incomes enjoyed by the king
What trade declined?
Wool trade - fall in tax revenue
What was the main issue for Lancastrian kings?
High defensive costs
Where did Henry IV have difficulties in terms of rebellions?
Wales and Scotland
What difficulties did Henry V have?
War with France - by the end of his reign, parliament expressed unease with royal finances
What had to be sold to pay of Henry V’s debt?
Jewellery and ships had to be sold to pay back creditors
What was royal debt in 1433?
£225,000
What was royal debt in 1450?
$372,000
What was the most forceful expression of critique of Henry VI’s finances?
Cade’s Rebellion
Who did Ed try to improve relationships with?
London Merchants
What unpopular measures did Ed engage with?
Forced loans and gifts - also benevolences
What treaty was signed in 1475?
Treaty of Picquigny
What did the Treaty of Picquigny do?
Gave Edward an annual pension of £10,000 per annum
How much did royal income increase by during Henry VII?
40%
What is the power of patronage?
Crucial demonstration of royal power in the late medieval period - granting land = delicate matter.
What is the theory behind patronage?
All the land is the king’s and he can give it out in return for loyalty - basis of the feudal system
What is important for patronage?
There is a certain level of stability and the king must recognise hereditary of noble families
What is a key example of this obligation breaking down?
Richard II disinheriting Bolingbroke
What was a key benefit of the HYW?
More land to give out with newly conquered lands - when not available, must use English land
When would forfeiture of lands happen?
Individual Lords being guilty of traty
Who benefitted from the death of Warwick?
Gloucester and Clarence
What is an Act of Attainder?
Disinheritance of a whole family - powerful method of control - threat
What did Henry VII do?
Named himself the king the day before Bosworth so he could attain all the troops on Richard’s side
Why was attainting not always wise?
Disinherited heirs have nothing to lose - Edward
How would the crown gain lands after battle?
Nobles or gentry being killed or found guilty of treason
What were windfalls used as?
Used as reward to supporters - not benefit land in the long term
What was the royal demesne?
Property held by the monarch directly rather than having another lord
What was the issue with Henry VI?
Everything - profligate and mentally unstable
What did the crown lands do pre 1399?
Did not make a substantial contribution to national finances and were intended to support members of the extended royal family.
What did Henry IV retain?
Duchy of Lancaster
What did the Duchy require?
Required own administrative council and staffed own chancellor, chamberlain, two chief stewards etc.
What did Henry IV want to do?
Wanted to make a clear division between his position as king and his position as the DoL - Duchy treated the same as if he had never been king - indicates the insecurity on the throne.
What was parliament keen for Henry IV to do?
Live of his own - less likely to grant taxation
What was the average income of the Duchy?
£11,000
What were some Duchy lands used for?
Form of patronage
How much did the Duchy contribute per annum?
£31,120
What was Henry VI?
Royal Power Vacuum
What is an act of resumption?
Act of parliament which removed land and returned it to the crown - passed at various points
Example of an act of resumption?
1404 - Henry IV petitioned to resume all crown land - incredibly unpopular.
How did parliament curb the exploitation of Henry VI?
Resumption
What is a personal service?
Serving one’s lord with wine at dinner or holding his banner in battle
What is payment of rent?
Usually paid in kind - military service or produce - rent usually paid in cast from 1300
What is the tenant-in-chief required to do?
Provide one or more knights to serve the king - declined following the 14th century
What replaced the obligation of military service?
Lords were authorised to raise forces in the name of the crown and then contracts.
What were these contracts called?
Indentures, commissions of array or musters
What are mercenaries?
Employed/ paid soldiers - usually used for overseas battles
What did crown lands provide?
King gained a fee when tenants eldest daughter get married - greater feudal rights - right to the wardship of idiots - took profits from those who were mentally ill.
What was the most crucial aspect of a king’s income?
Custom duties - most lucrative source of money
What were fees levied on?
Imported and exported goods - long-standing royal prerogative that the king gained the income from this
What was the most lucrative trade?
Wool
What was the single largest payment to royal coffers?
Wool subsidy
How many raw wool exports were there in 1390?
21,000
How many raw wool exports were there in 1510?
8,500
When was there a trade recession?
1440 to 1480
Where was raw wool going?
Made into woollen cloth - less taxed industry
Who had issues balancing royal revenue?
Henry V and Henry VI
Who declared the true state of finances to parliament?
Lord Cromwell
What was the annual deficit under Henry VI?
£16,000
What worsened economic issues?
Piracy in the Channel - considerable disruption during 1440s and 1450s
How much did annual crown revenue fall from and to by 1450s?
£90,000 to £24,000 - exacerbated by the loss of France
What meant Henry VI was very reliant on loans from Lords?
Alienation of the crown lands
Who was left unpaid by Henry VI?
Henry Beaufort and Richard Duke of York
What did parliament control up to 1471?
Over the money obtained by wool - could vary the amount levied on each sack depending on the defensive needs.
What reduced Ed’s dependency on Parliament?
Fixed amount subsidy
What was the impact of Ed’s treaties?
Trade improved - increase in royal revenue from customs.
When were foreigners taxed more than natives?
From 1303 - new/ petty customs on foreign merchants
How much did foreign merchants have to pay on wool wax and leather?
50%
What was this extra 50% extended to in 1347?
Cloth
Who were excluded from paying poundage?
Those in the Hanseatic League
Why was wine important?
Unsafe to drink water - various forms of alcohol consumed as they were safe to drink
Who drank wine?
Higher social orders - meant that French holdings were significant
What was the system of law enforcement?
Efficient enough to ensure that payments owing to the crown were made.
What were the central courts?
Westminster and included the court of the Exchequer - heard cases relating to the crown’s revenue
Who were the judges in the central courts?
Barons of the Exchequer.
Where did fine money go?
To the king’s coffers
What did Ed focus on?
Loans and taxation
What did Henry VII do?
Birth of more modern form of government - management of finance - bonds
What were bonds?
Payments to the crown by members of the nobility in return for privileges or fines which were imposed on those who had questionable loyalty or who were likely to quarrel with another noble family.
How many members of the peerage were obliged to pay the crown?
More than half
What could nobles have to do?
Pay an annual sum in lieu of the whole amount
What did bonds ensure?
Loyalty to the king
What was the legality of bonds?
Dubious - allowed punishments of potential offences rather than actual ones
Who was in charge of bonds?
Dudley
What was the most controversial form of income?
tax
What did tax have to be?
Agreed by parliament - meet costs of defending the realm - war
How was tax usually granded?
Usual to grant the tenths and fifteenths
What did the countryside pay?
Fifteenth of the value of movable goods,
What did towns and cities pay?
Tenths
What was the issue with fixed levies?
Inflexible - severe drop in population - fewer people to pay tax - burden much heavier - petitioned the crown asking for relief - periodic success.
What occurred?
Tax evasion
Who was liable to make up the difference if not enough was collected?
The local man
Why did Henry V get a lot of tax granted?
He was a genius
What was the November Parliament of 1450?
After loss of Normandy - highly critical of Henry VI and Somerset
What happens when tax is resented?
Harder to collect - lack of funds hinder war effort - vicious downward spiral.
When did the issue of taxation become evident?
1449 - parliament taken this precaution of charging payment thresholds to make tax less harsh
How much of the expected money had been paid by 1453?
3/4
What did Henry VI do?
Imposed tax on parishes in 1428 - 1431 on land.
When was income tax introduced?
1435 by Henry VI
When did Ed introduce income tax?
1472-73 - raise money for France
How much money was raised from the income tax?
Half of the expected £60,000
What was the Exchequer?
Bureaucratic institution dealing with royal finance - receive, store and pay out money
What did Ed use the chamber as?
An extension of the King’s personal arrangements
What issue did Henry IV have with the Duke of Orleans?
Was challenged to armed combat twice between 1402-03
What happened in France in 1403?
French invade Aquitaine - forces English to retreat
What happened on the South Coast in 1404?
Two French Naval attacks
What did the Duke of Orleans and Henry argue about in 1400-01?
The return of Queen Isabella - Richard II Widow
What was happening in the channel in 1401-02?
Piracy - lead to a decline in trade
What did the Hanseatic League do in 1405?
Trade restrictions on the English for their involvement in piracy
When was the siege of Rouen?
1419
How much of France did Henry V conquer?
1/3 of France
What did the fall of Rouen in 1419 lead to?
Fall of Upper Normandy
What was negotiated in Jan 1414?
Ten Year Truce with the Duke of Brittany
When was the Treaty of Troyes?
1420
What was the significance of the Treaty of Troyes?
Marriage to Catherine of Valois - made Henry the heir to the French throne -ensured a large dowry.
What battle occurred in 1424?
Verneuil - lead by Bedford and a success
When was Charles the VII crowned?
1429
What happened in 1449?
Attack of Fougeres - Charles said Tours was invalid now and went back to conquering
Where was the English army defeated in 1450?
Normandy and Gascony
When was the Battle of Castillon?
1453 - all English but Calais lost
When was Cade’s Rebellion?
1450 - result of foreign policy
When was the Treaty of Tours?
1444
What was the Treaty of Tours?
Hoped to secure long lasting peace with the marriage to Margaret of Anjou, but gave Maine back to France which was unpopular
What did Ed intend to do in 1475?
Go to war with France - raised tax for it
Who was a good diplomat?
Warwick - organising the marriage for Bona of Savoy
When was the Treaty of Picquigny?
1475
When did Richard attack France and Brittany?
Winter of 1483-4
Why did Richard attack France and Brittany?
Wanted them to hand over Henry Tudor
How long was Richard’s truce with Scotland?
3 years from 1484
What was the agreement with Brittany
Henry Tudor in return for 1,000 archers
Why did this agreement fail?
Henry escaped and ended up in France whee he had better support
Who did Richard sign a Treaty of Friendship with?
Spain
Who did Richard consider marrying?
A Portuguese princess
Who died in 1488?
Francis of Brittany
What did the death of Francis lead to?
French claimed custody of his young daughter and heir, Anne, making it seem likely they would try to Annex Brittany.
What treaty was signed in 1489?
Treaty of Redon between Brittany and England. England promised support to Brittany.
When was Brittany absorbed into France?
1491
How was Brittany absorbed into France?
Marriage between Duchess Anne and charles
What does parliament do in 1491?
Granted Henry two subsidies and he began preparing to invade France.
What happened in 1492?
English army of 26000 crossed Channel and besieged Boulogne, leading to Treaty of Etaples.
When was the Treaty of Medina del Campo?
1489
What was the Medina del Campo treaty?
Marriage agreement between Arthur and Catherine
When did England join the Holy league?
1496
When was the proxy marriage
1499
When was the marriage solemnised?
1501
When was Papal Dispensation granted?
1504
When did Philip die?
1506
What did the death of Philip lead to?
Financial wrangling between Henry and Fredinand
What happened in 1485?
1 year truce with France, extended to 1488.
What happened in 1486?
3 year truce with Scotland. Commercial treaty with Brittany.
When was the treaty between Maximilian made?
1487
When was a commercial treaty made between England and France?
1496
When was Magnus Intercurus made?
1496
When was the Treaty of Ayton?
1497
When did James IV and Margaret get married?
1503
What happened to Philip in 1506?
Shipwrecked in England; Philip agreed to surrender Suffolk.
When was Henry IV’s first parliament?
1399
What happened at Henry’s first parliament?
Confirmed Henry as king, Prince Hal made Prince of Wales
What did Henry do in 1401?
Requested a subsidy - parliament requested an address of grievances
What happened in 1402 in parliament?
Custom duties and 10th and 15th granted after Homildon Hill
When were there tensions regarding finances?
1404
When was the Unlearned Parliament?
1404
What happened at the Unlearned Parliament?
Taxes granted but only with conditions
When was the Long Parliament?
1406
What happened at the Long Parliament?
Who to rule while Henry was ill - controls to the crown’s expenditure
What did Henry do in 1411?
Reasserted himself after suggestions he resign in favour of his son
What did Parliament give Henry V in 1415?
Tonnage and poundage for life and two other taxes
What happened in 1420?
Decision that sittings should not be helf in the King’s absence
How many parliaments did Henry V have in 9 years?
11
When did Parliament refuse Henry V more taxation?
1421
How many parliaments did Henry IV have in 14 years?
11
When was the Conciliar Protectorate set up?
1422
What was the Parliament of Bats?
Dealt with the Gloucester/Beaufort dispute - Beaufort removed as Chancellor
When was the Parliament of Bats?
1426
What happened in 1449-1450?
Attack on Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester and keeper of the privy seal; impeachment of Suffolk, petition for Act of Resumption
When was York declared protector?
1454
When was the Act of Resumption?
1456
When was the Parliament of Devils?
1459
When was the Act of Accord?
1460
How many parliaments did Henry VI have in 39 years?
22
How many parliaments did Ed have in 22 years?
6
When was parliament used to confirm Ed’s position?
1461
What happened in 1467?
Parliament expressed concern about breakdown of law and order
What did parliament do in 1473?
Divide Beauchamp-Despenser inheritance between Clarence and Gloucester
When was Clarence found guilty?
1477
What was Richard’s only parliament?
1484 - Titulus Regius - confirming him as king
How many parliaments did Henry VII have in 24 years?
7
When did parliament attaint Henry’s enemies?
1485
When was Henry’s act of Resumption?
1486
When did Henry ask for tax?
1487
What parliament spurred the Yorkshire tax rebellion?
1489 - fund Brittany defence
What parliament spurred the Cornish tax rebellion?
1496 - Fund war against the Scots.
