council Flashcards
1
Q
-role of the council
A
- formal body since medieval times to advise the monarch
- members were chosen by the monarch and did not have to take their advice
- helped monarch with day to day running of the country and could act as a judicial body with high profile legal cases - usually ones relating to the nobility
- could be divided by faction
2
Q
role of royal council under Henry VII
A
- larger more informal body
- 1485 - 1509 - over 200 men attended meetings
- consisted members of the nobility,churchmen,royal officials and lawyers - did not include men who served under his yorkist predecessors
- henry was a usurper who lived most of his life in exile - council was crucial in helping him establish his position on the throne
- did not hold parliament regularly - councils were important in gathering info abt popular opinion and the mood country as well as advising him on the best policies
3
Q
Great councils - council under Henry VII
A
- special gatherings of all members of the nobility and his councilors
- used when Henry needed to appear as though he was consulting his nobility on issues to do with war and taxation - tried to show that he was involving all the nobility in his decisions even though he had already made up his mind
- 5 great councils were held between 1487 - 1502
- 1492 - wanted to end his invasion of France - consulted all nobility and made them sign a document agreeing to retreat - made it harder for the nobility to argue with decisions
4
Q
royal council under Henry VIII
A
- council made up of experienced administrators - Archbishop of Canterbury (William Warham) and the Bishop of Winchester (Richard Fox)
- Both supported Henry VII’s diplomatic style of leading and not engaging in expensive foreign wars
- Henry VIII was against this and so within 2 years their influence over royal policy had been undermined - replaced by Thomas Wolsey
5
Q
Impact of Wolsey on the council
A
- remained the dominant influence in politics until 1526
- first of the King’s ministers and responsible for undertaking much of the day to day work that Henry did not want to partake in
- Council retained its traditional functions
- fairly large institution of approx 40 members
- Eltham Ordinances - 1526 - planned to reduce this number down to 20 but this never actually happened
6
Q
when did the reform of the privy council actually happen
A
- Geoffrey Elton - changes actually occurred in 1536/37 - Elton argued this was part of Cromwell’s attempt to modernise and reform the govt in Tudor England
- ## HOWEVER - most historians reject this claim - developments of 1536 were a temp solution to the PoG - emergency body filled with the King’s most trusted advisors - many were Cromwell’s enemies - why whould he start these changes and fill the council with men who hated him and were responsible for his downfall
7
Q
reform of the privy council 1540
A
- chsngrd in 1540 were permanent ones
- need to restrucutre Henry’s govt to make do without Cromwell
- after Wolsey and Cromwell fell, the privy council turned itself into a ‘chief minister’ - responsible for much of the work done by W and C - DoN wrote that anyone wishing to conduct business with the group should write to them as a group not to an individual - meant no one could weild as much power as Cromwell ever did
- no more chief minister - even under Mary and Edward VI
- under Elizabeth - Cecil could have assumed this role but chose to work as the Queen’s secretary instead - avoided the term chief minister
8
Q
membership of the privy council
A
- Henry VII’s council - 227 members - many attended only infrequently
- Henry VIII before 1536 - upto 120 members - after 1540 - 19
- 1603 - 13 - under elizabeth
- number of councillors under Edward grew to approx 22 because he was a child
9
Q
Impact of Edward Seymour (Duke of Somerset)
A
- undermined council’s role - Somerset preffered to make decisions and rule using men from his own household e.g Sir John Thynne
- men were loyal to him and tehrefore given key roles in the Kings hosuehold and chamber allowing them to influence Edward
- Sir Michael Stanhope - made chief gentelemn of the Privy Chamber and groom of the stool - also controlled the dry stamp but was never a member of the council
10
Q
How did the council reassert itself after Edward Seymour
A
- 1549 - Kett’s rebellion - Earl of Warwick (aka Duke of Northumberland) - memb of the council who led the attack which brought Somerset down
- Northumberland replaced Somerset and was carefdul to be seen to govern through the council
- did not mean council was more important than the monarch
- Northumberland was careful to manuipulatet the king as well as the council - used Sir John Gates to control access to Edward
- decision to implement the ‘devise for succession’ was the work of Edward and Northumberland alone
11
Q
council under Mary
A
- larger number of men appointed in order to be inclusive - council had 50 members
- only a small core were active regualrly
- meetings run by William Paget
- average attendence at meetings in 1555 was 12 - only 8 councillors attended over 50% of the meetings
- continued in Elizabeth’s reign
12
Q
role and work of the council had also changed from 1540
A
- 1540 changes gave more power to the council - could now issuecollective proclamations and orders in the monarchs name without having to wait for explicit instructions to do so
- had its own clerk who recorded meetings
- Fomr Mary onwards - had its own sealeventhough this didnt override the dry stamp
- Council was beginning to be seen as a national body to serve England rather than a private council for the King - power did not supplant the monarch - council was still under the control of the monarch
- Elizabeth’s council would meet wherever the Queen was staying - on progresses especially
- as central govt expanded into localities - work for the council increased - much of this was day to day admin of govt affairs but they had to meet very often
- 1520a to 1560s - council met 3/4 times a week by the 1590s it was everyday or even twice a day
