Government and administration 1485–1603

Question 1

Privy Chamber

Answer 1

Served by the household where the monarch and family lived

Structured so access was controlled to ensure privacy for the monarch

Question 2

Privy Chamber - political important through the years

Answer 2

grew in political importance, then declined - Henry feared betrayal

Question 3

How did Henry VII use the privy chamber?

Answer 3

Used it to collect and store royal income - personally monitored by Henry

Question 4

How did Henry VII use the privy chamber to restrict access to him?

Answer 4

created the Yeomen of the Guard (personal bodyguards that guarded entrance to his private rooms)

Question 5

How did Henry VIII use the privy chamber?

Answer 5

Chamber of finance collapsed after Henry VII

Important political hub in 1518 - Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber had intimate and physical contact e.g. Groom of the Stool (William Compton)

Question 6

Attempt to reform the size of the privy chamber

Answer 6

Eltham Ordinances in 1526 by Wolsey to restrict access to the monarch to 20 ministers

not implemented until after his death

Question 7

Dry stamp

Answer 7

stamp with the monarch’s signature that allowed the holder to grant lands, offices and titles

Question 8

Who first used the dry stamp and why was it created?

Answer 8

Gentlemen of the Chamber

introduced because of Henry’s aversion to paperwork

Question 9

The power of the dry stamp

Answer 9

Edward Seymour and John Dudley gained access,

enabled them to make alterations to the king’s will in their favour in 1547, bringing them increased power in government

Question 10

Privy chamber under Edward VI

Answer 10

dominated by nobility

Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland governed on behalf boy king and filled chamber with supporters

Question 11

Dry stamp under Edward VI

Answer 11

controlled by the king’s protectors Seymor and then Dudley - granted themselves power through patronage

Question 12

The importance of the privy chamber under female monarchs

Answer 12

Role declined in importance as filled by women due to close physcial contact

Question 13

How did the privy chamber still have influence under female monarchs

Answer 13

women had Catholic sympathies and were married to male members of the Household

Question 14

The role of dry stamp under Mary

Answer 14

Mary kept more control of the Chamber – access to Dry Stamp kept under lock and key

Question 15

The role of the privy chamber under Elizabeth

Answer 15

political decisions made through formal body of the Council, rather than an informal Chamber

Question 16

Role of the council

Answer 16

Formal body that advised the monarch and with day to day running but the monarch did not have to take their advice

Staffed by nobility and gentry that the monarch appointed

Question 17

Councils under Henry VII

Answer 17

Royal Council: large, informal body, met infrequently, which consisted of over 200

Included 42 men who had served under his Yorkist predecessors

Held 5 ‘Great Councils’ between 1487-1509

Question 18

Importance of councils under Henry VII

Answer 18

important as seemed to consult nobility (make them feel valued) on important matters such as and taxation even if Henry had already made up his mind

Question 19

Change made to the council by Henry VIII

Answer 19

Replaced – experienced administrators, Fox and Warham (left by father) replaced by Wolsey, who gave Henry what he wanted - going to war

Question 20

How Wolsey impacted the council

Answer 20

under the Eltham ordinances, the household reduced from 40 to 20 men to include most trusted advisors who met daily - became a much formal body known as the ‘privy council’

Question 21

Why was there a reform of the Privy Council 1540

Answer 21

reformed after 1540, so government could continue to work without Cromwell/Wolsey (chief ministers)

Question 22

What happened after the reform of the Privy Council 1540

Answer 22

Privy Council turned itself into a ‘Chief minister’ - worked as a collective with no all-powerful’ that dominated council proceedings

Question 23

How did the reform of the Privy Council increase the power of the council

Answer 23

Gave new powers to the council; it could issue collective proclamations and orders in the monarch’s name without waiting for explicit instructions from the monarch

Question 24

Importance of the council under Edward VI

Answer 24

became more important as it governed the country in the absence of an adult monarch

undermined by Somerset who prefered to make decisions himself

Question 25

Size of the council under Edward VI

Answer 25

number of councillors grew to 31 under Edward VI because he was a child

Question 26

Size of the council under Mary

Answer 26

Had 50 Councillors - appointed a large number of men to her council to be inclusive due to her being a woman but only a small core group of 12 were active regularly

Question 27

Council meetings held under Mary

Answer 27

run by experienced administrators such as William Paget

Question 28

How the council’s role increased in importance under Mary

Answer 28

Council now had it’s own seal however this did not override the dry stamp

Mary did not override council - seen as a body that served the state rather than monarch

Question 29

Why did council’s role increase in importance under Elizabeth

Answer 29

As tudor government expanded into the localities, volume of admin work increased so council met everyday by 1590s

Question 30

Elizabeth’s council

Answer 30

Could meet wherever she was staying, would travel with her when she went on progress.

met everyday by 1590s

Question 31

Cecil’s role in Elizabeth’s council

Answer 31

preferred to use his position as the queen’s secretary and avoided the term ‘chief minister’ although he acted as such

Question 32

Role of secretary

Answer 32

Dealt with the monarch’s correspondence and general paperwork - part of the household so had immense power through access

Question 33

Role of secretary - political importance

Answer 33

First became politically important in 1534 under T.Cromwell

Personal access to the monarch with control of the privy seal; very influential - used to authenticate documents

Question 34

Cromwell as secretary

Answer 34

TC manipulated his position to become most powerful man in the country – controlled council meetings, detailed knowledge of Henry’s day-to-day business

Question 35

The impact of the fall of Cromwell 1540 on the role of the secretary

Answer 35

Growth in importance wasn’t sustained after TC’s fall so the role declined in political importance

Question 36

Who was the position of secretary split between after Cromwell

Answer 36

Thomas Wriothesely

Ralph Sadler

Question 37

Why as the position of secretary split between after Cromwell

Answer 37

ensured no man could gain too much power or exploit position to his own advantage

as government became larger and more complex, the duties of the secretary increased

Question 38

The importance of secretary under Elizabeth

Answer 38

Important again under Liz as William Cecil was appointed 1558-1572

Question 39

Cecil as secretary

Answer 39

used his position to build up a network of support - ensured that patronage was distributed to his own clients, and no to his rival’s e.g. the Earl of Essex

Question 40

The role of secretary under Elizabeth

Answer 40

Ensure Council meetings and government were well run

controlled all written communication to and from the Queen

closest thing in Elizabethan government to a chief minister

Question 41

Secretaries under Elizabeth

Answer 41

William Cecil - 14 years - role became permanent/influential part of government

Francis Walsingham - 17 years - left post vacant after death until replaced by RC

Robert Cecil - remainder of her reign

Question 42

Why was the post of lord lieutenant created

Answer 42

developed due to resolve problems of a corrupt local gov, used to help recruit royal armies for war and increase the control of the regions

Question 43

How was local government carried out before the 16th century

Answer 43

carried out by gentry and nobility as JPs

JPs collected taxation, upholded law and order, and raised armies

Question 44

Role of LLs under Henry VIII

Answer 44

Temporary military post responsible for mustering and training troops

Way for the crown to extend its power into the localities

Question 45

When were the first LLs appointed?

Answer 45

appointed by Henry VIII as a response to war with France and Scotland in 1512-13 and threat of domestic rebellion

Question 46

Who were the first LLs

Answer 46

members of the nobility appointed to organise defence for foreign war then issued commissions to deal with the PoG

Question 47

Role of LLs under Edward VI

Answer 47

Duke of Northumberland, Protector of Edward VI, appointed appointed LLs to deal with Ketts uprising in 1547

Question 48

How did Mary formalise the role of LLs

Answer 48

War with France caused her to divide the country into ten lieutenancies, with each Lieutenant being responsible for defence of their region and recruitment of armies

temporary as system ended after the invasion of France did

Question 49

Rebellions dealt with by LLs

Answer 49

Pog - Henry
Kett 1547 - Edward
Northern Earls - 1569-70

all commissioned on a temporary basis

Question 50

When did the post of LL became permanent and why?

Answer 50

Post of LL became permanent, as a response to war in Spain 1585 - organised war effort

Question 51

Role of LLs under Elizabeth

Answer 51

LLs appointed to each county with a deputy, responsible for recruiting, organising and disciplining armies.

Question 52

Why were LLs effective under Elizabeth

Answer 52

meant the most powerful men were serving the crown and were directly answerable to the monarch raising national, not private armies.

Question 53

When were LLs less effective

Answer 53

when local communities refused to cooperate with LLs – happened in Suffolk and Wiltshire in 1590s