Chapter 4 - English society at the end of the fifteenth century Flashcards
What does stratified mean?
Layered
what is a caste?
a class or group of people who inherit exclusive privileges or are perceived as socially distinct.
who were just under the monarch in the hierarchy?
nobility and senior churchmen.
What was the feudal system?
the medieval system by which society was structured depending on relationships in which land was held in return for some form of service; at the top end of the structure land was held of the monarch in return for military service, and at the bottom serfs were required to give labour services to their lord in return for the lord’s protection.
What were sumptuary laws?
laws that attempted to regulate how individuals should dress, depending on their social status.
What was a peerage?
group of persons who held one of the five ranks of the aristocracy (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron); they were usually considerable landholders, exercised considerable power in their localities and were members of the House of Lords.
How many men were in the nobility?
no more than 50 or 60 men
How were peerage families who died out replaced?
by other families who had acquired or bought the king’s favour.
Why was Henry reluctant to create new peerage titles?
he was deeply distrustful of the nobility as a class.
Which nobles did Henry trust?
trusted Lancastrian military commanders such as the Earl of Oxford and Lord Daubeney.
Who did Henry rely on to control the north-east on behalf of the crown?
The earl of Northumberland.
What was Henry’s most important method of controlling the nobility?
Bonds and recognisances
What was bastard feudalism also known as?
retaining
What was key to the nobles’ power?
retaining
What was retaining?
When nobles recruited knights and gentleman to serve them as administrators or accountants, or sometimes for military purposes.
Who was John De Vere, Earl of Oxford (1442-1513)?
he was Henry’s most trusted military commander and led his troops at the battles of Bosworth and stoke.
Who was Giles, Baron Daubeney (1451-1508)?
he was originally a Yorkist, but he rebelled against Richard III in 1483, fled to Brittany and transferred his loyalty to Henry, whom he fought for at Bosworth. he led the crown’s forces against the Cornish rebels in 1497. He succeeded Sir William Stanley as Lord Chamberlain in 1495.
What was Henry’s response to the possible threat of retaining?
he had parliament pass acts in 1487 and 1504 and took strong action against individual nobles who were held to abuse the system, such as Lord Bergavenny in 1506.
What did the 1504 Act state?
that only the King could grant licenses for retaining. However, this only lasted for the duration of the King’s lifetime.
Who was the one significant victim of the 1504 Act?
Lord Bergavenny, who was indicted for illegal retaining in 1507 and fined the enormous sum of £100,000. However, he probably paid no more than £1000 and was pardoned by Henry VIII shortly after he came to the throne.
What limits on retaining were employed during Henry’s reign?
- In 1486 peers and MPs were required to take an oath against illegal retaining or being illegally retained. However, what constituted illegality in this context remained conveniently undefined.
- in 1487 a law against retaining was established.
- Act passed in 1504
Who were immediately below the nobility in status?
The greater gentry
What did the most important members of the gentry do as confirmation of their status?
get knighthoods
