Control over the nobility. Flashcards
What are attainders?
It was a special law that was passed by Parliament which allowed someone to be declared guilty of treason without going through the process of a trial.
Why did Henry use attainders?
To seize titles/possessions of nobles that the suspected were being disloyal.
What was Henry prepared to do with an attainder?
He was prepared to do reverse an attainder and restore lands and titles if he had thought that it would secure the gratitude and loyalty of the victim.
Who did Henry use the attainders against?
He used them against the men who opposed him at the Battle of Bosworth.
How many attainders were passed in Henry’s reign?
138 were passed of which 46 were reversed.
How many attainders were passed during 1504-09?
51
What happened to Sir Thomas Tyrell?
He had to pay £1,738 for the reversal of his and his father’s attainders. Payment was demanded as the price.
What is patronage?
It is when the monarch granted favours like land or positions at court to groups of people in order to retain their support.
What could patronage be used for?
It could also be used for the actions of local nobles who showed favours to people in their locality.
What happened to the number of nobles?
They fell by 1/4 during his reign through death and attainders.
What did Henry not want to do?
He didn’t want to create a new group a nobles that could pose a threat to his position on the throne.
What did Henry do when he needed royal agents?
He looked to men lower down the social scale meaning that they were dependant on him.
What was retaining?
The practise by which a nobleman kept a larger number of men as his personal staff to be used as household servants.
How could retaining be used?
It could be used to put pressure on tenants who were slow in paying their rent.
What happened in the 1485 parliament?
The House of Lords and Commons swore that they would not retain illegally.
