government Flashcards
What was the role of Henry VII’s councils?
To advise Henry on specific decisions. They specialised in certain areas and included noble, church and laymen.
How many were in Henry’s councils and how many attended? What are two examples of the councillors.
227 men but only 40 attended. Examples are John Morton and Reginald Bray.
What was the role of the Council Learned in Law?
They helped Henry to collect money by using outdated laws to fine people. This was unpopular with the nobles.
What was the difference between the Court and Privy Chamber?
The court followed Henry wherever he went. His privy chamber was Henry’s most private rooms. The members included Margaret Beaufort, Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Oxford and William Stanley. The privy chamber did not included nobles.
What did Sir William Stanley do to Henry VII?
He betrayed Henry. This led to Henry relying even more on his privy chamber which upset the nobles who now could not access the King.
What was the role of the parliaments?
They passed statues (laws) and enforced them. They could also be used for extraordinary taxation and acts of attainder. It included Lords Spiritual (churchmen) and Lords Temporal (nobility)
How many times did Henry VII summon parliament in his reign?
Only 7 times
What was the Royal Council?
They advised Henry with day-to-day government. Henry liked to attend the meetings as often as possible. They were divided into areas of expertise eg. the court of requests. The council preferred skills over status and included lots of professionals like lawyers.
What were the Great Councils?
They attempted to advise Henry on foreign policy and internal security. They usually aligned with major issues like war and only lasted around 3 to 4 weeks at a time.
How many Great Councils did Henry call?
5
How was local government previously ordered?
Sheriffs would enforce laws but hey were usually bias towards the nobles.
What did Henry bring to the local government and what did they do?
He brought Justices of the Peace who maintained law and order. They carried out tax assessments, alehouse regulations and dealt with complaints for example. There were 18 members who were all mainly landowners. They also met 4 times a year.
