Control under Elizabeth

Question 1

What was the role of a JP?

Answer 1

Economic/Administrative and legal powers.
Heard lower court cases-powers of arrest like felony and trespass.
Met 4 times a year to hear cases formally ‘County Bench’
Involved local economic trade decisions-weights/measures/prices (supervised)
Served for life and appointed by monarch

Question 2

Explain the growth of JP’s and their role.

Answer 2

Size and Scope grew:
1529 County Bench- >25
1588-40-50
2 in each County

1603- role had grown significantly- new powers to control local order, deal with disturbance, riots and recusancy and witchcraft. 1603-09 Acts of P directly placed responsibility on them for local order and justice.

Took on administration of poor laws- Cecil relied on the JP’s hugely to enforce local order 1560s onwards.

Question 3

What was the role of the Lord Lieutenant’s?

Answer 3

1550s slowly began
1584 (Armada) -permanent feature of regional state control for the crown
Answerable to PC and Queen to replace unreliable nobility.
Every county before Armada sailed.
Senior to JPs- became highest authority in the counties- formal control between the regional areas and central gov’t (London- PC and Q)
Power came from Q- dismiss and had final say in appointments

ROLE:
War- overseeing preparations and gathering a county army for Queen.
Early LL- most powerful, influential men in the County with influence over their communities-social and Economic.
Members of PC (some)
Assemble local men to form an army-oversee training and discipline.

Question 4

Explain the growth of LL and their role?

Answer 4

Senior to JPs- became highest authority in the counties- formal control between the regional areas and central gov’t (London- PC and Q)

ARMADA:
War- overseeing preparations and gathering a county army for Queen.
Assemble local men to form an army-oversee training and discipline.

Question 5

What was the impact by 1588 of the LL role on State Control?

Answer 5

Significant growth of the monarch’s control of local and regional gov’t- through military control:
Improved system of military organization (no need to rely on old feudal ties with local noble families). Formalized system. SCARED PEOPLE. MORE MEANS TO STOP REVOLT.
Better lines of communication established- local and central gov’t.
Improved record keeping. (OF?)
More reliable army recruitment

BUT:
Continued war with Spain 1590s put system under strain.

ONLY R OF NE ALL OTHER PLOTS NEVER MADE IT- STABILITY THROUGH DEVELOPED AND IMPROVED SYSTEMS OF CONTROL.

Question 6

Wales and the Welsh Marcher Council

Answer 6

The powers of the Council were strengthened via the Lord Lieutenant role.
NO SIGNIFICANT REBELLION/RESISTANCE OCCURED 1530s-1588

Question 7

The Council of the North

Answer 7

DID NOT SEEM EFFECTIVE- REVOLT OF THE NE 1569-70. So it showed it had to be strengthened.

The Puritan Protestant (loyal to Queen-sort of moderate) Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon became President in 1572.
Helped spread P teaching and punished C recusancy - (aim) must conform C North

ALSO THROUGH ALL MONARCHS AND ALL MONARCHED APPOINTED AND HAD FINAL SAY.

Question 8

The Nobility

Answer 8

Constant source of support and a method of maintaining law and order in their specific regions/counties with local communities.

Examples:

1525- Amicable Grant protests- Duke of Norfolk and Suffolk spoke to rebels and reported back to Wolsey.

1536- Pilgrimage of Grace- Duke of Norfolk negotiated with the rebels as head of the army (not instructed by h-initiative) and stopped the Pilgrimage of Grace and advised the king on how to approach the situation.

Ed- arguably Somerset when he dealt with the Kett’s and Western Risings 1549.

Nobles were LL during Elizabeth’s reign like Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) who controlled Cheshire, Wales and Marches. To help control the borders to keep control and order. IMPORTANT AS LL NOT AS A NOBLE.

The JP’s and LL did take away their authority and importance of the role of keeping law and order.