Government: councils, parliament, justice, royal finance, domestic policies Flashcards
(33 cards)
Who were the privvy council
Chosen by the king and from nobility, church and laymen such as legal proffessionals and gentry
often appointed as a reward for loyalty
in total henry appointed 227 in total - rarley attended meetings council was made up of 40 to 50 memeber but henry relied on a core 7 or 8
Existed to advise Advise the king on matters of the realm
Provide administrative roles on behalf of the king
Conclude legal judgements and cases
give and example of memebrs of the privvy council and what did they do
Lord Chancellor, John Morton, Responsible for adminstation
Lord Treasurer, John, Lord Dynham - responsible for finances
Henry also had minor offices such as Sir Reginald Bray
As well as later in the reign elite councillors eg Sir Edward Poynings
What did Henry use smaller committees for
To improve efficency
Give some examples of smaller commitees and what they did
The Court of Requests dealt with legal cases involving those who could not afford the normal system.
The Court of General Surveyors checked the revenues coming from crown lands.
What was the most famous commitee
the Council Learned. established in 1495
role: increase the crowns revenue
It was responsible for the collection of feudal dues such as wardships, marriages and inheritance
Why was the council learned so hated
Method consisted of extracting money directly out of the kings subjects and bypassing the ordinary legal processes
they were executed by henry viii demonstrating henry viii condemnation of them and not wanting to be attached to epson and dudley
what is a regional governement
What Henry used to govern other parts of the england when it was to far from london to govern himself
Who goverend the North of England
The earl of Northumberland, was released from the tower in 1485 and was Henry’s lieutenant in the North in 1486, when he died in 1489 was replaced by Earl of surrey
Who governed Wales
Jasper Tudor
said to revive the council of wales, appointed his son arthur as his nominal head
This gained vast support for Henry here
Rewarded welsh loyalty by entrusting them to govern their own finances as well as appointing welshmen in key positions
what was governing ireland like for Henry
Henry was lord of Ireland but governing was carried out by a Lord deputy
1492 Kildare acknowledged Warbeck’s claim to the throne and so Henry deprived him of this position
1494 Henry appointed SIr Edward Poyinings as Lord Deputy and later passed Poynigns law which said that no law could be passed prior to the approval of the king
But the expenses or ruling caused to high for henry so he returned back to using Irish Chieftains and reinstated Kildare
Who were JPs?
justice of peace- were elected by the King to keep law and order, maintaining peace over economic matters and small scale crimes in local areas.
There were on average 18 JPs per county,
Henry gave title to smaller landoweners to reduce the amount of control larger landowers may dominate
What did JPs do?
Not paid but in their interests to exert power over their land, to remover their title was the only punishment Henry could exert on them however it would considered a disgrace among JPs
When they would meet in their quarter session would report more serious crimes except - treason which was investigated by Assize court a group who were orifepssional judges acting under a special commission
Why was parliament pretty insignificant in the reign for Henry VII (5)
Only met 7 times during entirety of reign
Used it to serve interests of monarch eg passing acts of attainders against idviduals nobles and to ratify his claim
Henry did not wanted his power to be derived so ruled through decrees and proclamtions
Henry would only call parliament if he needed money for wars
how did Henry widen JPs powers (2)
1485
1487 eg. could grant those bail waiting for trial
What were the 2 ways Henry collected revnues
Exchequer system and later used the chamber system
What was the exchequer system like in comparison to the chamber system
Exchequersystem was a slow system taking years to collect outstanding sums. First year of reign Henry only collected £11,700 from his lands whereas Richard III collected £25,000 using the chamber system
The chamber system allowed more personal control over the funds as money past through the kings chamber which was the inner most part of the kings household, making it more efficient and quicker = at end of century royal revenues were in excess of £100,000
what is extraordinary revenue and ordinary revenue
Ordinary = revenues collected regularly without the need for parliaments approval
extraordinary revenue = usually collected by taxes for times when needed to raise money for war, the ability to collect these funds would need approval from parliament
What were crown lands?
ordinary revenue
Lands held by the king by inheritance or confiscation from traitors
for example inherited land from Principality of wales
Was administered by sir reginald Bray
Allowed Henry to hold onto crown lands.
What were the developments henry made to crown lands
Sir Reginald Bray reintroduces the principle of estate managment system that was introduced by edward IV
Increased crown lands through Acts of attainder confiscating land and estates from those who fought against him
As well increased them if tennants died without an heir = henry could inherrit them
1486 acts of resumption reclaimed land granted away in war of the rose. Did not always act on reclaiming but the threat of confisication was a poewerful form of control to keep nobles behaving
What were feudal dues?
ordinary revenue
Traditional rights held by the Crown to demand money based on the idea that the king was the sole owner to all the land
how were feudal dues administrated
by relief - paid by an heir when he received his inheritance
through marriage - the king had a right to arrange marriage for tenant’s at a profit
wardship - control of the states of a minor
livery - payment made by a ward on reaching adulthood and taking control of his land
how did henry develop feudal dues during his reign
Used it to raise money
control powerful families
appointed a master of kings wards in 1503 to adminster wardships
by 1487 his income from wardships and marriages was £350 and by 1507 was 6000 a year
What were customs duties?
ordinary revenue
Paid on goods entering or leaving the country.
mainly came through tonnage and poundage particularly on the sale of wool, wine and leather
how did henry develop customs duties
certificates for costal trade, controlled who could trade along the coast
twice updated the book of rates = set out export and import charges between 1485 and 1495,
Impact: custom duties earned Henry about £33,000 a year. From 1495 to 1509, this increased to £40,000 a year.