Chapter 10 - English Society in the reign of Henry VIII Flashcards
did the size of the peerage increase during Henry VIII’s reign?
yes, many new peers were created although there were only 9 more than the beginning due to natural wastage and the number of attainders during the reign
how did most of the new peers achieve their rank?
as a result of successful royal service as courtiers or soldiers
who were the only two promoted to non-royal ducal titles?
norfolk and Suffolk
why was norfolk given a non-royal ducal title?
he appears to have been restored to the title enjoyed by his father
why was Suffolk given a non-royal ducal title?
on account of the closeness of his personal relationship with the King. this was criticised by some, such as Erasmus
why did Henry sometimes bestow property on nobles?
to allow them to exert royal authority in an area
what is an example of a noble being given property in order to exert royal authority?
Suffolk was endowed with property in Lincolnshire after the rebellion in 1536 and the King ordered him to move there to ensure he could exert royal authority in person.
similarly John, Baron Russell was raised to the peerage and endowed with monastic lands in Devon to bolster royal authority in the south-west following the execution of the Marquess of Exeter
what does affinity mean?
described all those who had relationships with a person of higher status based on landholding and/or holding a position within the household
what were nobles expected to do?
- to have great households and offer hospitality to their affinity and neighbours.
- to do so too openly could make a noble a subject of royal suspicion, as was the case with Buckingham
how many men did the Earl of Shrewsbury raise for the invasion of France in 1513?
over 4000
what is a sign of how bastard feudalism was dying out and nobles were coming more under the control of the monarch?
in 1541 Thomas Fiennes, Baron Dacre of the South was tried for the murder of a neighbour’s servant and was convicted and hanged like a common criminal
when was the duke of Buckingham executed?
1521
how many gentry families were there in England in 1540?
about 5000
what were some signs of the gentry?
- a knighthood, this was often a sign of royal favour
- a coat of arms
how many knightly families were there in 1524?
about 200
who granted the status of gentleman?
the royal heralds, by 1530 the royal heralds were unwilling to grant or confirm the title to anyone with lands worth less than £10 per annum or goods under £300.
did the number of gentry increase during Henry’s reign?
yes
what did the increase in JPs mean?
it increased the number of those who participated in local administration
what were members of the gentry increasingly keen on?
their sons acquiring legal training to allow them to take on roles which could provide the basis for local advancement.
what did the rise in the rate of inflation mean for commoners?
a drop in real incomes which contributed to the ill feeling felt by many towards the imposition of the amicable grant.
what did the vast majority of people have?
very few possessions and little chance of regular and secure employment
what were outbreaks of disorder held to?
these were held to upset the order of society.
what did the Laws in Wales Act of 1536 do?
- divided Wales into shire counties which operated on the same basis as their English counterparts
- gave the welsh shires direct representation in the House of Commons for the first time
- Brought Wales into the same legal framework as England
how did control over Wales continue to be exercised?
on the crowns behalf
which three English counties were technically ‘palatinates’?
Lancashire, Cheshire and Durham
what were palatinates?
separate jurisdictions from the rest of the Kingdom
did palatinate jurisdiction matter in Cheshire and Lancashire?
no, it had fallen back into royal hands
who exercised jurisdiction in Durham?
the bishop
what did the Act Resuming Liberties to the Crown of 1536 do?
reduced the level of independence enjoyed by the bishop of durham
why does the act resuming liberties to the crown of 1536 appear to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary?
the palatinate court of chancery continued to operate
what came under the jurisdiction of the Council of Wales and Marches?
the lands which were governed as part of the principality of Wales, along with the four bordering English counties - Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
what came under the jurisdiction of the Council of Wales and Marches?
the lands which were governed as part of the principality of Wales, along with the four bordering English counties - Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
why was the border with Scotland difficult to police?
much of it was remote and often inhospitable in winter months.
why did both sides of the Scottish border have a reputation for lawlessness?
cattle and sheep rustling were rife and violence was common.
how was the problem of lawlessness on both sides of the border with scotland dealt with?
the border was split into 3 marches, each under the jurisdiction of a warden
why did Henry and Cromwell reestablish the council in the north?
the pilgrimage of grace in 1536
what was the council in the north like once it was reestablished?
it was a permanent body based in York with a professional staff
how did the council in the north show its worth in Edward’s reign?
it kept the north quiet during the summer of rebellions in 1549
what was the most significant consequence of the religious changes?
pilgrimage of grace
what were the social consequences of the religious upheaval?
- a huge amount of land was taken from the church. this increased the size and wealth of the landholding gentry as by 1547 almost 2/3s acquired by the crown had been sold off.
- many monasteries had been noted for their educational provision.
- many monks and nuns were rendered unemployed.
- some monasteries played a considerable role in the communitites they were in, they provided education, employment and business opportunities
what is an example of communities going to considerable lengths to protect their monasteries?
at Hexham in Northumberland, royal commissioners were prevented from beginning the process of dissolution by a gathering of armed men.
where did the strongest opposition to the amicable grant occur?
north essex and south Suffolk
what did the earl of essex report about opposition to the amicable grant?
1000 people had gathered at the essex-suffolk border and were determined to resist payment
how many taxation resisters did the dukes of norfolk and suffolk face? (in relation to the amicable grant)
4000
what did the opposition to the amicable grant demonstrate to henry?
- henry could not operate in defiance of the taxpaying classes.
- when he next opted to invade France he supplemented his extraordinary revenue with cash from the sale of monastic lands.
how did the lincolnshire rising and pilgrimage of grace begin?
as a rising which started in lincolnshire in early October 1536, spread over the Humber into the east riding of yorkshire and continued from there into parts of the west riding around wakefield and pontefract.
how was class antagonism clear in the lincolshire rising and pilgrimage of grace?
letters were sent out in the name of ‘Captain Poverty’,
what were the pontefract articles?
the set of rebel demands during the lincolnshire rising and pilgrimage of grace
what were the effects of the dissolution of the monasteries that people didn’t like?
- the loss of the charitable and educational functions which some monasteries provided
- the possible loss of parish churches which were monastic properties
- the fear that the north would be impoverished by monastic land falling into the hands of southerners.
- the usefullness of the facilities and services which the monasteries offered
what were the religious motives of the pilgrimage of grace?
- dissolution of the monasteries
- fear for parish churches and traditional religious practices
what fears did people have for parish churches and traditional religious practices after the 1536 injunctions?
- the celebration of locally important saints such as St Wilfrid in parts of Yorkshire had been discouraged
- this was linked to discouragement of the pilgrimage
- there were rumours that church plate and jewels would be confiscated and that parishes might be amalgamated.
what secular motives have been associated with the pilgrimage of Grace?
- the ordinary rebels were generally more motivated by economic grievances than their leaders
- the crown’s attempts to impose the duke of suffolk upon lincolnshire as a great magnate may initially have sparked the rebellion in lincolnshire.
- courty conspiracy that exploited the religious and financial concerns of the northerners to put pressure on the king
- the extension of the rebellion into cumberland and westmorland had been linked to tenant’s grievances
why did the northern rebels cause particular alarm for the king?
they occupied york and hull and captured pontefract castle
how many people took part in the pilgrimage of grace?
between 35-40,000 people
