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Elizabethan government Flashcards

court, ministers and parliament; factional rivalries

1
Q

what was the main function of the court

A

important to the decision making process
Elizabeth could seek advice, help courtiers resolve quarrels and reward loyalty
also displayed the power and magnificence of the monarch to impress foreign observers and reinforce obedience at home

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2
Q

What were the two main areas of the royal court

A

The presence chamber
The privy chamber

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3
Q

What was the presence chamber

A

relatively open area where anyone with the right status or connection could gain entry

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4
Q

What was the privy chamber

A

More private and more important than the presence chamber
admission was carefully guarded

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5
Q

Who controlled the operation of the court

A

The Lord Chamberlain

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6
Q

What types of people did Elizabeth appoint as Lord Chamberlain

A

Members of the nobility
many were also family relatives e.g. Lord Hunsdon her cousin in 1585

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7
Q

what is patronage

A

The system by which the crown distributed favours to those seen as loyal
helped Liz to exercise control over the nobility

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8
Q

Who were Elizabeth’s main courtiers

A

William Cecil (lord Burghley)
Sir Christopher Hatton
Sir Walter Raleigh
Robert Dudley (Early of Leicester)

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9
Q

What was the role of the royal household

A

attended to the monarch and provided her with personal employees

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10
Q

what did having access to the royal household mean

A

it was key to power and status

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11
Q

what was the role of the privy council

A

advised on policy
ensured an orderly government and security of the state
considered petitions from private individuals

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12
Q

how often did the privy council meet

A

3x a week at the beginning of the reign
every day at the end of the reign

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13
Q

what were the leading officers within the privy council

A

secretary of state
Lord Chamberlain
Vice Chamberlain
Lord Treasurer
Comptroller of the household
Lord High Admiral
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

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14
Q

why did the secretary of state have power

A

principle secretary in continual contact with the queen
all written correspondence passed through them so controlled written access to the queen

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15
Q

why did the Lord Chamberlain have power

A

Controlled access to the Privy Chamber
controlled the operation of the royal court
supervised appointments

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16
Q

what was the role of the law courts

A

preserve law and order

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17
Q

role of the court of the star chamber

A

most cases involved breaches of public order or nobles who had acted above the law

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18
Q

role of the council of the North

A

ensured policies of central government were enforced upon the North

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19
Q

who were the main controllers of local government

A

Justices of the peace

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20
Q

What happened to JP’s workload over the course of E’s reign

A

theoretically their work increase because of social and economic policies
however many JPs saw their position as a social honour so did as little as possible to actively enforce royal policy

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21
Q

Why did JPs sometimes cause issues

A

on certain occasions they were reluctant to serve the government because of sympathy with local feeling

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22
Q

What specifically did JPs often not enforce

A

recusancy laws against Catholics who did not attend church
imposing assessments for taxation

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23
Q

How did the government deal with resistance from JPs

A

when a task was particularly sensitive the employed special commissioners to carry it out instead of local men
e.g. got protestants to enforce the anti-Catholic laws in 1580
sometimes the gov relied on informants who passed on info which led to persecution in return for a financial reward

24
Q

how did the government try to control the JPs

A

used powers of appointment to sack JPs throughout her reign
privy council bombarded JPs with commands and directions

25
how did the government try to ensure localities were happy
parliament gave local landowners opportunities to air local grievances using the royal prerogative Liz could bypass parliament and issue proclamations to supplement existing laws or deal with specific local problems when parliament was not in session
26
How did the gov try to ensure loyalty
Used propaganda like pamphlets and addresses to stress the mutual relationship between central gov and localities tried to respond positively to local issue and respect the expertise and knowledge of local men used church prayers, spectacles in London, progresses in the South East and distribution of images in the North to foster loyalty to the crown
27
who were the main two conciliar factions at the beginning of the reign
William Cecil/Lord Burghley Robert Dudley/Earl of Leicester
28
what did Cecil/Burghley want
English independence maintenance of security avoidance of war unless national interest demanded it
29
what did Dudley/Leicester want
did not want Liz to marry any one else at it would reduce his influence in court urged military intervention to support protestant rebels in France and the Netherlands
30
Factionalism in 1567
Liz considering marrying Archduke Charles of Austria by worried he would not keep his Catholicism private Leicester tried to prevent the marriage because of Protestantism Cecil was for the marriage Charles was rejected
31
Factionalism in 1578
question of whether to support protestant rebels in the Netherlands - divided the council for 7 years Leicester wanted to support them Burghley did not Liz finally sent troops in 1585 as Spanish conquest of the Netherlands seemed likely
32
Factionalism in 1579
Negotiations for marriage between Liz and French Duke of Alencon - would have given influence over French policy in the Netherlands but Alencon was catholic Burghley though it better than no marriage at all Leicester rallied public support against the marriage idea was abandoned
33
Who were the main two conciliar factions at the end of the reign
Robert Cecil Robert Devereux/ Earl of Essex
34
What did Robert Cecil want
peaceful foreign policy promotions of his own supporters
35
What did Devereux/Essex want
wanted to promote his own supporters aggressive foreign policy
36
Factionalism in 1593
Essex secretly negotiated with James VI of Scotland to revive the idea of a protestant coalition against catholic forces contested by Cecil who wanted a maritime war policy
37
Factionalism in 1596
Essex tried to get Sir Robert Sidney appointed as Lord Chamberlain and Lord Warden of the Cinque ports both jobs were given to the Cobham family tried to get Sir Francis Bacon appointed as attorney-General - liz refused Continually opposed Cecil who wanted to negotiate and end to the war in Spain as France and Spain had made peace
38
Factionalism in 1601
after Essex's military campaign in Ireland failed the queen did not renew his patent of sweet wines Essex openly plotted rebellion with the support of other councillors like Earls of Southampton and Bedford Some of his faction stayed loyal to the queen e.g. Sidney Rebellion failed Essex was executed
39
role of parliament under Liz
less important but still used for law-making and granting taxation
40
how many acts did parliament pass during Liz's reign
438
41
How many time was parliament summoned during Liz's reign
13 times in 46 years
42
example of ineffectiveness of parliament
on average only 47% of MPs voted attendance was always poor
43
How did Liz try to improve parliament
introduced procedures to chastise and fine absentees
44
How did the council control parliament
elected MPs Managed procedure Used parliament to pressure Liz into agreeing with certain policies
45
How many times did Liz ask parliament to provide taxation
requested taxation in 11/13 parliaments
46
How did Liz try to control parliament
isolated extremists by promising moderate reform made strong speeches directly intervened to preserve the royal prerogative influenced the choice of speaker imprisoned awkward MPs influenced conciliar choice of MP had her councillors present in parliament
47
why did Liz have to ask for taxation so often
forced to levy extraordinary revenue for ordinary expenditure as ordinary revenue had fallen failure to reform the system of direct taxation meant yield of extraordinary revenue declined
48
What role did William Cecil have in parliament
prepared the legislative programme assisted by the councils floor managers used his own men of business to help him manage the commons used MPs who were lawyers and experts on parliamentary procedure to promote the measures he considered important
49
how many time did Liz refuse royal assent to parliamentary bills
refused over 60 bills
50
what did parliament and Liz constantly disagree over
marriage and the succession
51
how did Elizabeth try to improve finances
sold of crown lands cut back government spending
52
how much did selling crown lands make
£600,000
53
how did Elizabeth cut back government spending
used unpaid officials e.g. JPs rewarded courtiers with monopoly rights or wardship instead of money no new royal palaces were built annual maintenance costs were halved remodelled old ships instead of building new ones
54
who was William Paulet
Mary's Lord treasurer then Elizabeth's lord treasurer
55
What did William Paulet do
implemented financial reform from Mary's reign modernised and made exchequer more efficient revalued crown lands to increase rent and entry fines raised customs duties called in debts owed to the crown
56
financial situation by 1585
Mary's debts of £300,000 had been paid off and a reserve of £300,000 had been built up
57
how did Elizabeth use ventures to raise money
put up money to finance ventures to the new land in return for large percentage of profits or treasures e.g. capture of ship "madre de dios" in 1592 brought £77,000 but often ships were not captured or profit was not shared

Tudors (24 decks)

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