chapter four- English society at the end of the fifteenth century Flashcards
what did English society look like in the fifteenth century?
the monarch would still have a large sense of power, and the hierarchy of the church was still the same to the feudal system, with the church being at the top and clergymen being at the bottom.
society would witness the growth of the professional and mercantile groups, who had become increasingly important. The economic times of Black Death would forever change how social mobility was treated, though sumptuary laws would be passed.
how powerful was the nobility?
they would still dominate landownership and peerage would comprise of 50 or 60 men and the crown would often rely on such men on the maintenance of the countryside.
Though Henry would be reluctant to create new peerage titles, this was due to his distrust of the nobility, certain people would gain political power though he would still be weary for example the earl of northumberland.
Henry would seek to control the nobility by the use of bonds and recognisances.
retaining (bastard feudalism)- wealthy magnates would recruit men to serve as administrators or accountant or even for military purposes, the fear was that they could use this power to be used against Henry- so Henry would limit their power.
In 1486 peers and MPs would be required to taken an oath against retaining, though what would be regarded as illegal could be easily undefined.
the 1487 which was reinforced by the act in 1504 which would state that only the king could grant licences for retaining. the biggest victim of this would be Lord Bergavenmy who would be indicted for illegal retaining in 1507 and would be fined £100,000.
John de Vera the earl of Oxford would be the most trusted military commander and led his troops at the battle of Bosworth and Stoke.
how powerful was the gentry?
these would great landowners, and there would be important people such as Sir Reginald Bray, in 1490 there would be 500 knights and this would conform their social status, it is thought that they would own 15-20% of the country’s land. often the gentry would be defined by their income and whether they had a coat of arms or owned land.
how powerful were churchmen?
the church would play a huge role not only spiritually but also in terms of land, the power within the clergy would differ. at a lower parish level priests would be moderately rewarded for their services. however, bishops would often have a seat in the house of lords and would have political roles to undertake.
the most important men during the reign of Henry 7th would be John Morton and Richard Fox.
how powerful were commoners?
the middling sort were the top of this groups, some of whom would be educated and would tend to be the rich merchants and craftsmen, lawyers these would often have some influence. lower down, shopkeepers and skilled tradesmen would be important in urban life pre-reformation England. the yeomen farmers would farm substantial properties for an increasingly sophisticated market economy, husbandmen would typically keep smaller Farms, these type of farmers can be described as peasants, they would hold a very insecure position.
what were regional divisions like in fifteenth century England?
if you were to draw a line from teesmouth to weymouth then this would present the regional divisions that would take place in England.
mixed farming would take place in the more densely populated areas of Norfolk, Suffolk and Kent. the more sparsely populated areas of the north would be where pastoral farming would take place.
this would bring about a wealth divide between the north and the south, where the south would be more wealthy.
was there an issue of social discontent and rebellions?
at the end of the fifteenth century inflationary pressures were become more evident, though this would slowly be reversed and there does not seem to have been much social discontent during this period. England was able to avoid subsistence crisis.
the significance of the Yorkshire rebellion?
1489
this was sparked by the decision that the English people would pay taxes in order to fund the English forces against Brittany. this would be notorious due to the death of the earl of northumberland who would be a victim of the resentment against taxation. The people of Yorkshire would confide in the earl of northumberland though after his meeting with the king was unsuccessful and that he would not bend on his decision.
there would some small riot by Sir John Egremont though this would soon be suppressed. one of the key reasons that this rebellion would be sparked would be the geographical distance between Yorkshire and France.
the earl of Surrey would be made lieutenant of the north, Henry would face no more problems from the north though he would not gain the regions quota.
what was the significance of the Cornish rebellion?
1497
this was sparked by the demand for the people of England to pay for an army in England, just like Yorkshire to france, Cornwall is a long way from Scotland.
Though the rebels would not murder a figure like the earl of northumberland they would threaten the stability of Henry’s rule.
the sheer number of people-15,000
the attempt to exploit the rebellion made by perking warbeck
the fact that the rebels would march on London,
in response Henry would make an army that was formed of 8000 men and would be led by Lord Daubeney.
though they would be stopped at Blackheath.
The Battle of Deptford Bridge would take place June 1497m Henry would have support of 25,000 people, there would be 200-2000 Cornish men dead.
it would be a cause of concern that the rebels would want to take on London.
the rebellion would be crushed by Lord Daubeney being removed from the troops in Scotland.
the rebel leaders including Lord Audley would be executed.
he would treat the bulk of the rebels with conspicuous leniency,
this would ensure that Henry would make Henry cautious to enter any other foreign conflicts.
what was Henry’s political awareness like in the short and long term?
SHORT
his marriage to Elizabeth of York would help to ease tensions between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians.
he would avoid involvement in expensive foreign war
his use of parliament in 1485 would help to legitimise his claim and was a clever way for him to wrong foot his opponents
lONG
there would be successful diplomatic manoeuvres that would make it clear that his dynasty was here to stay, for example the Tudor dynasty being accepted by Isabella and Ferndinand.
some level of economic stability for example he would be forced to demand taxation from parliament on 3 different occasions.
factors that were out of control during his reign?
there would be a lack of people that would have a better accession to the throne helping him to become king.
He came to power at a time when people needed a consolidator, he would help to implement royal authority and certainty.
it can be said that Henry was lucky to die when he did as by the end of his reign it was evident that he had served his stint as king for example the multiple marriage alliances that would not be seen through and how diplomatically isolated England had become.
what key achievements did Henry have?
positive-
left the crown solvent providing stability
created a stable diplomatic environment for England
help to re-establish order after the uncertainties of the reign of Richard 3rd
he managed to quell any threat that the nobility might have posed.
he was able to pass the throne to his sone which is significant given the context of the fifteenth century and the fact that he was a usurper.
Negativity-
England would be left isolated by 1509 and this would not benefit the chivalric image.
