Henry VII Flashcards
Why was England unstable in 1485?
Wars of Roses, Bosworth, state of England, Henry’s weak claim.
Which two families fought the Wars of the Roses?
Lancastrians and Yorkists
Who did Henry VII usurp in 1485 and which family was he from?
King Richard III and Yorkist
Why was Henry VII little known in England?
In exile since age of 14.
Why was Henry VII’s claim to the throne weak?
Through his mother and line illegitimate.
What was Henry VII’s aim on taking the throne?
Keep his throne
What date did Henry VII backdate his reign to? Why did he do this?
21st Aug 1485; pass Acts of the Attainder against enemies and remove their land
How did he reward his followers?
11 knighthoods, titles e.g.
William Stanley – Chamberlain of Household,
Sir Reginald Bray – Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster
Who did he detain?
Earl of Warwick and Elizabeth of York
Why did he organise his coronation before calling Parliament?
To show he didn’t need their consent – king in his own right
What three things did Parliament pass or grant Henry VII?
Acts of the Attainder, tonnage and poundage, marriage
In what month and year did Henry VII marry Elizabeth of York? Why was this significant?
January 1486. Showed he didn’t need Elizabeth to bolster his claim to the throne – king in his own right. United families.
When was Lovell rebellion?
1486
Which two members of the nobility were involved?
Viscount Lovell and Humphrey Stafford
Why was the lovell rebellion significant?
Little enthusiasm, easily suppressed, showed Yorkists they needed a figurehead to rally behind.
Who was Simnel impersonating?
Earl of Warwick
Which Yorkist was likely behind the rebellion?
John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln
What support did Simnel’s followers receive from Burgundy and Ireland?
Margaret of Burgundy hated Henry VII as he had usurped her brother; Ireland traditionally pro-Yorkist
How did Henry VII prepare the north of England and East Anglia to meet Simnel’s challenge?
Reinstated Earl of Northumberland and fortified coastal defence
Where did Simnel meet Henry VII for battle and in what year?
Battle of Stoke, 1487
Where did Simnel meet Henry VII for battle and in what year?
Battle of Stoke, 1487
How did Henry VII deal with Simnel and the nobles who had supported him after his defeat?
Simnel put to work in royal kitchen and 28 Acts of the Attainder passed.
Who was Warbeck impersonating?
Richard, Duke of York (Edward V’s younger brother - spare heir)
What was the order of countries Warbeck tried to gain support from?
France, Burgundy, Holy Roman Empire, Scotland
How did Henry VII manage each country to thwart Warbeck’s threat?
Etaples 1492,
Burgundian trade embargo 1493,
Truce of Ayton & army gathered to send to Scottish border (but then diverted to Cornwall)
Which rebellion did Warbeck hijack and in what year?
Cornish 1497
Which high ranking noble was executed as a result of involvement with Warbeck?
William Stanley
Why was Suffolk angry with Henry VII?
brother John attainted after Stoke; put on trial in commoners’ court
Which European leader did he seek support from?
HRE Maximilian
How did Henry VII attempt to secure Suffolk’s return to England?
approx. £250,000
In the end, how did Henry VII manage to secure his return?
Phillip’s chance shipwreck in England (on way to Spain to claim the throne) and the Treaty of Windsor 1506
What were the three functions of the Council
advice; administration; justice.
What were the three types of Councillor and give an example of each type?
nobility: Lords Daubeney or Dynham;
churchmen: Morton or Fox;
gentry or lawyers: Bray or Dudley.
What was the function of the Council Learned in the Law?
specialist board who aimed to maintain the king’s revenue and exploit his prerogative right
Who developed the Council Learned before his death in 1503?
Bray
What were the king’s prerogative rights?
Rights which the monarch could exercise without the consent of parliament to raise ordinary revenue
How could you argue the Council Learned threatened the king’s position?
seen as extorting money from the nobility after 1503.
Why was the Court seen as being at the centre of government?
heart of the personal monarchy and always with the king
What were the two sections of the court and what was each’s role?
household – looking after king and courtiers;
Chamber – senior household officials and king’s closest courtiers.
What was William Stanley’s position in the court until 1495?
Lord Chamberlain
What did Henry VII create after Stanley’s betrayal?
Privy Chamber
What were the two main functions of Parliament?
pass laws and grant taxation
Who could vote for MPs?
Men who held significant land only
How many Parliaments did Henry VII call during his reign?
7
What system did Parliament use to establish taxation?
Fifteenths and Tenths
Why could Henry VII not rely on the great magnates overseeing areas of England to administer justice?
many had been killed in Wars of Roses
After Northumberland’s murder in 1489, who did Henry VII replace him with to administer justice in the North?
Earl of Surrey
When Henry VII didn’t trust a member of the nobility to administer justice (e.g. Marquis of Dorset), how did he
ensure they did his bidding?
spy networks and bonds
Who were the JPs & what was their role?
Justices of the Peace; administer justice at quarterly sessions
How did Henry VII increase the powers of JPs?
used gentry; Acts of Parliament; increased responsibility
What was ordinary revenue?
money which came to the king as a matter of course
What was extraordinary revenue?
money which the king needed in an emergency
How much money approximately was Henry VII making from his Crown Lands at the beginning and end of his
reign?
£12,000 to £42,000
What change did Henry VII make in 1492 to improve the efficiency of royal finances?
Used Chamber in own household instead of Exchequer
Name two very effective treasurers.
Sir Thomas Lovell and Sir John Heron
Name three other types of ordinary revenue?
customs revenue; profits of justice; feudal dues
Name three sources of extraordinary revenue?
parliamentary subsidies/grants; loans; benevolences
Approximately how much plate and jewellery as well as cash did Henry VII leave to his son on his death? .
£300,000 plate and jewellery and £10,000 cash.
What were the THREE main aims of Henry VII’s foreign policy?
1) SECURITY
2) Recognition/prestige
3) Trade
Who were the leaders of the foreign countries during Henry VII’s reign?
France: Charles VIII Louis XII
Spain: Ferdinand and Isabella
Holy Roman Empire: Maximillian
Burgundy: Maximillian Phillip
Brittany: Francis II
Give two reasons Henry VII got involved with the Brittany Crisis?
1) exile debt
2) geog strategic
Which treaties did Henry VII sign over the Brittany Crisis?
With Brittany: Redon
With Spain: Medina del Campo
With Burgundy: Dordrecht
Which French town did Henry VII besiege after invading France, late on in the fighting season?
Boulogne
What treaty was signed with France to end the Breton Crisis in 1492 and what were the terms?
Etaples;
French Pension; no support for pretenders; trade; France to have Brittany.
Why did Henry VII place a trade embargo on Burgundy in 1493?
Warbeck
When did Henry VII lift the trade ban & what was the new trade treaty called?
Intercursus Magnus, 1496
Why was Scotland always a particular concern to England’s security?
shared border; Alliance with France
Who did James IV support in invading England in 1496?
Warbeck
What was the name of the treaty in 1497 which halted the invasion and why did peace suit Henry VII?
Truce of Ayton – Cornish Rebellion over taxation
Who died in Spain which caused a succession crisis in 1504?
Isabella of Castile
Who did Henry back in the Spanish/Castilian Succession Crisis?
Juana of Castile and Phillip of Burgundy
What was the Treaty of Blois and why was this not good for Henry VII?
Alliance between Ferdinand and Louis XII; Spain usually ally vs France.
What were the terms of the Treaty of Windsor of 1506 and how did it come about?
Came about after Juana and Phillip’s ship shipwrecked on way from Burgundy to Spain;
H7 to back Phillip vs. Ferdinand;
Max to return Suffolk; Intercursus Malus with Burgundy
When and why did the Italian Wars start?
1494; French King staking claim to throne of Naples
What was the Treaty of Cambrai of 1508 and why was it significant for England?
Peace treaty in Italian Wars and isolation
What successful foreign marriages did Henry VII broker during his reign?
Arthur to Catherine of Aragon (took decade to happen after Medina del Campo);
Margaret (daughter) to James IV.
What was the name of the system which English kings had used to control society from 1066?
Feudal system
How did this system work?
System of rewards (land) and duties, where each stratum swore loyalty to one above and ultimately the king
How had this system been weakened by the time of Henry VII?
Bastard Feudalism – introduction of money to his system which was potentially infinite
(vs land previously which was finite)
With what laws/acts did Henry VII try to tackle this issue to keep better control of the nobility?
Acts against Retaining 1487 and 1504
Who were the peerage?
Nobility
Who were the gentry?
Knights
Name two types of peasant farmers.
Yeomen and Husbandmen
Give three examples of positive strategies (inducements) Henry VII used to control the nobility?
Patronage, Order of Garter, King’s Council, Great Council.
Give three examples of sanctions Henry VII used against the nobility?
Acts of the Attainder, Bonds & Recognizances, Feudal Dues, Imprisonment, Execution
in what year was the Yorkshire Rebellion?
1489
What caused the Yorkshire Rebellion?
Collection of extra-ordinary revenue for war against France over Brittany
Who was murdered during the Yorkshire Rebellion and who replaced him?
Earl of Northumberland, then Earl of Surrey
In what year was the Cornish Rebellion?
1497
What caused the Cornish Rebellion?
Collection of extra-ordinary revenue for war against Scotland over Warbeck invasion
Where did the rebels march to in London before being stopped and which noble put down the rebellion?
Blackheath; Lord Daubeney
What did Henry VII realise after the Cornish Rebellion?
Needed to be cautious over extra-ordinary revenue and entering foreign conflicts.
What was the population of England during Henry VII’s reign?
2.2 million (approx. 2 million)
Roughly, what was the percentage of people who lived rurally?
90%
Which type of farming became more profitable in the 1480s and 1490s? Why was this?
Wool/sheep farming. Population recovering which needed to be clothed; overseas trade developed.
What was open-field husbandry?
Farming system where peasants grew crops of strips of land (some left to fallow) and allowed to keep animals on common land.
What was enclosure?
Enclosing of common land, with fences/hedges, to keep sheep for wool.
What impact did it have on peasant farmers?
Lost rights to common land – many became destitute.
What percentage of the value of English exports was the cloth trade responsible for?
90%
By how much approximately did cloth exports increase during Henry’s reign according to estimates?
60%
Which group had originally been responsible for the export of raw wool?
Merchants of the Staple (based in Calais but declined due to rise of cloth exports).
What product took over and came to dominate?
Finished cloth
Who were the Merchant Adventurers?
a dominant English cloth trading organisation (exported cloth to Antwerp and from there, all over Europe).
Why did the Merchant Adventurers not completely dominate the cloth trade?
Trading privileges of the Hanseatic League or the Hansa (German trading cities), granted by Henry VII.
Give two examples of Henry VII sacrificing trade for his security?
Burgundian trade embargo
Hanseatic League re-allowed cloth trading privileges when Henry VII trying to get return of Suffolk.
Name 4 industries at this time other than cloth.
Mining, metal working, leather, coal, ship building
Why did these remain small-scale?
Regionalised. No capital investment. Limited crown involvement.
What were the Navigation Acts and how effective were they?
1485 and 1489 – English ships and sailors to import/export goods to try to boost English ship building. Not very effective as foreign ships still used.
In what year was the Burgundian trade embargo & what treaty ended it?
1493; Intercursus Magnus
Name two other foreign treaties which had trading elements.
Any 2 of:
Treaty of Etaples,
Treaty of Medina del Campo,
Treaty of Windsor,
Intercursus Malus
Who did Henry VII sponsor for exploration?
John Cabot
What did he discover which paved the way for potential future economic development?
discovered new fisheries in Newfoundland.
define: Pope
Head of Roman Catholic Church
define purgatory?
‘waiting room’ for heaven, where soul is cleansed of sins
define seven sacrements
core Catholic practices needed to reach heaven (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage,
Anointing the sick, Penance, Holy Orders, Eucharist)
define penance
a sacrament in which a member of the Church confessed sins to a priest and was given absolution
define mass
sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and
consumed.
define transubstantiation
bread and wine became the body and blood of Christ
define heresy
denying the key beliefs and doctrine of the Catholic Church
What was the function of the church in terms of belief, heaven and purgatory?
-Spread and uphold Christian teaching .
- Offered various ways an individual could acquire grace in order to reach heaven
-Minimise time soul spent in purgatory .
How did Henry VII weaken the church’s religious leadership according to John Guy?
Appointed Bishops for their administrative ability and required service to the State over Church
Why was the relationship between the Pope and the King described as Erastian?
Although Henry VII sought a dispensation for his marriage, the king was firmly in control of the Church and Popes were keen to grant favours.
Who led the Lollards as a group?
John Wycliffe
What were their beliefs and criticisms of the Catholic Church?
Bible to be translated into English
Sceptical about transubstantiation
Corruption
Denied special status of priesthood
What was humanism?
an intellectual movement which developed from the European Renaissance; founded
on the rediscovery of original Latin and Greek texts; emphasised exposing clerical ignorance and promoting
education for the common good of humankind.
Name two humanists during the reign of Henry VII.
Any two: Erasmus, Colet or More.
Who introduced the printing press to England in 1477/78?
William Caxton
What style of architecture was common in the many building projects at this time?
Gothic perpendicula
What evidence was there of humanism having a slight impact on the arts during the reign of Henry VII?
Magdalen College School, with teaching of English
works of Erasmus, Colet and More beginning to be printed .
