Elites&Commoners Flashcards
Who represented the social elite?
the traditional nobles and the greater gentry
What type of influence did the social elite have?
economic and political
How many peers were there by the end of Henry V111’s reign than there was at the beginning?
9
How had most peers achieved their rank?
as a result of royal service as courtiers soldiers
How were peers ranks enhanced by a close family relationship, give an example
the kings brother-in-law Edward Seymour was elevated to the earldom of Hertford
Who was the only Duke in England when Henry first came to the throne?
Edward Stafford the Duke of Buckingham
Which 2 non-royal ducal titles did Henry promote?
Norfolk and Suffolk
What was the history behind the ducal title of Norfolk?
Norfolk was restored to the titles which had been enjoyed by his father
How was Suffolk given a ducal title?
seemed to have been promoted on account of the closeness of his personal relationship with the king
Where was Suffolk bestowed property after the rebellion there in 1536?
Lincolnshire
Why would Henry bestow property on nobles?
to enable them to exert royal authority in particular areas
Why was John, Baron Russell raised to peerage and endowed with lands in Devon?
to bolster royal authority in the south-west following the execution of the Marquess of Exeter
Who was raised to peerage and endowed with lands in Devon to bolster royal authority in the south west after the execution of the Marquess of Exeter?
John, Baron Russell
Who was John, Baron Russell? (3)
- a diplomat and solider
- became a councillor in 1536
- Following the fall of the Marquess of Exeter he was granted a huge amount of monastic land in Devon to bolster royal support in the south west
What 2 factors strained the relationship between Henry and the Marquess of Exeter?
His identification was with the Aragonese faction and his enmity towards Cromwell
What were expected of nobles?
To have great households and offer hospitality ti their affinity and neighbours
What was affinity?
described to all persons who had relationships with a person of higher status based on land holdings
What were noble households critical to? (2)
the maintenance of local influence
to the recruitment of royal armies
How many men did the Earl of Shrewbury raise for the invasion of France in 1513?
over 4000
Who is an example of how the nobility were being brought more under the control of the monarch?
Baron Dacre of the South was tried in 1541 for the murder of a neighbours servant and hanged like a common criminal
What was tried for murder in 1541 for the murder of a neighbours servant and hanged like a common criminal?
Baron Dacre of the South
When was the Duke of Buckingham executed for treason on the vaguest of charges?
1521
Why was Henry’s relative the Marquis of Exeter executed in 1538?
for treasonable conspiracy
What happened to Margret Pole Countess of Salisbury?
she was attained for treason and held in the Tower for over 2 years before eventually being executed
Why were Lord Darcy and Hussey executed in 1536?
for their roles in the rebellion in the Pilgrimage of Grace
How many gentry families were there in 1540?
5000
Why were knighthoods conferred?
as a sign of royal favour
What would a knight possess as a reward ?
an income which reflected his status
How many knightly families were there in 1524 according to a historian?
200
What was a gentleman who was entitled to bear a coat of arms deemed as?
deemed as esquire
By what year were heralds unwilling to grant or confirm the title of an esquire to anyone with lands worth less than £10 per annum or goods worth under £300?
1530
What was the role of Heralds?
they certified the status of an esquire
in addition to JPs who else were drawn into unpaid administration on behalf of the Crown?
members of the gentry
Why were members of the gentry increasingly keen for their sons to acquire the legal training in the unpaid administration on behalf of the crown?
in order to make them better able to take on such roles as could offer the basis for local advancement
Who did the Crowns local administration increasingly become as opposed to the former clergymen?
laymen
What did the Crowns local administration allow laymen?
their office holding often generated the income which would bring out landownership and gentry status
What lead to a drop in real incomes which contributed to the ill feeling felt by many towards the imposition of the Amicable Grant?
the rise in the rate of inflation
although outbreaks of rebellion were relatively rare what was common amongst the commoners?
outbreaks of disorder
