Henry VII Flashcards
When did Henry VII come to the throne?
1485
What were the reasons for Henry VII’s rise?
-Richard III was seen as a usurper and a child murderer
-Promises to marry Edward IV’s daughter (Elizabeth of York)
-French support and finance
-Foreign mercenaries
Where did Henry VII flee to, with who and why?
Fled to Brittany with his uncle Jasper in 1471 because Edward IV took to the throne again.
When was the Battle of Bosworth?
22nd AUG 1485
Events of the Battle of Bosworth
-Henry landed in Pembrokeshire and marched more than 200 miles into England
-Henry’s army numbered at 5000 compared to Edward’s 15 000.
-Most of the battle: favoured Richard III
-William Stanley came to Henry’s aid when he was in danger
Consolidation of Power: When did Henry date his reign to?
21st AUG 1485
Consolidation of Power: Why did Henry date back his reign?
-Remove the accusations of him being a ‘conqueror’
-Anyone who rebelled against him can be deemed as a traitor and killed
Consolidation of Power: How did Henry reward many of his key supporters?
Publicly (i.e. conferring 11 knighthoods)
Consolidation of Power: Why did Henry reward many of his key supporters?
Increased the amounts of loyal supporters.
Consolidation of Power: Who was the Earl of Warwick and what did he do with him?
Edward IV’s 10 year old nephew: Arranged for his supporters to detain him.
Consolidation of Power: Why did he detain the Earl of Warwick?
Remove alternative claims to the throne and rid of threats
Consolidation of Power: What key appointments did he make regarding his council and household?
Sir Reginald Bray became Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster
Sir William Stanley became the Chamberlain of the Household
Consolidation of Power: Why did he make these key appointments?
Indicated that he had the authority to make appointments like these, illustrated strength and power.
Consolidation of Power: When did he call his first Parliament?
7th NOV 1485
Consolidation of Power: Why did he call his first Parliament?
Only a king was able to call Parliament, display of power.
Consolidation of Power: When did he hold his coronation?
30th OCT 1485, before the first meeting of Parliament
Consolidation of Power: Why did he hold his coronation earlier?
Demonstrated hereditary power to Parliament.
Divine Right of Kings: had God’s approval.
Consolidation of Power: What successes did he have at the first meeting of Parliament?
-Gained the Acts of Attainder against the Yorkists who fought at Bosworth
-Was granted the customs revenue of tonnage and poundage for life
Consolidation of Power: What did these successes at the first Parliamentary meeting mean for Henry?
-Property was forfeited to the Crown
-No trial, loss of land & money
-Crown gains money
-Poundage= taxation
Consolidation of Power: Who did he marry and when?
Married Elizabeth of York in JAN 1486
Consolidation of Power: Why did he marry?
-Secures an heir
-Signifies peace with Yorkists
-Ends the Civil War
Consolidation of Power: When did he undertake the royal procession of the North?
APR 1486
Consolidation of Power: Why did he undertake the royal procession?
Show of strength and prescence: York is loyal to Yorkists
Consolidation of Power: When did he secure the dynasty with the birth of Prince Arthur?
SEP 1486
Consolidation of Power: What did the birth of the Prince mean for consolidation of power?
Secures the line of succession: prevention of Civil Wars.
Why was it important for Henry to consolidate his power?
He had a weak claim to the throne: mother Margaret Beaufort was a descendant of Edward III.
Threats: Lord Lovell and the Staffords (Domestic Support)
Richard III’s heartland of support in the North Riding of Yorkshire: support in the Midlands was drawn up.
Very limited support.
Threats: Lord Lovell and the Staffords (Quality of Leadership)
Little enthusiasm in the Yorkshire Rising: later supressed
Poor: unable to secure support
Threats: Lord Lovell and the Staffords (Why was Henry able to overcome this threat?)
Easily supressed: executed Humphrey Stafford, pardoned Thomas Stafford & Viscount Lovell escaped to Burgundy
Threats: Lord Lovell and the Staffords (Impact)
Limited but increased risk: early into Henry’s reign
Change of tactics: funds & figurehead needed
Threats: Lambert Simnel and the Earl of Lincoln (Foreign Support)
Margaret of Burgundy (Netherlands): Supported Simnel’s claim, paid for a force of mercenaries to invade England
Support of Irish nobility
Threats: Lambert Simnel and the Earl of Lincoln (Domestic Support)
Rebels landed on the northwest coast of Northumberland
John De La Pole: Yorkist claimant
Limited support
Threats: Lambert Simnel and the Earl of Lincoln (Quality of Leadership)
Use of figureheads (Earl of Warwick)
Fairly strong quality of leadership
Simnel was crowned in Ireland and granted 2000 mercenaries
Threats: Lambert Simnel and the Earl of Lincoln (Why was Henry able to overcome this threat?)
Henry gathered a group of advisors (incl. close relatives of former Yorkists)
Armies were gathered in the South and the Midlands
Paraded the real Earl of Warwick around London.
Simnel was pardoned.
Threats: Lambert Simnel and the Earl of Lincoln (Impact)
Victory at the Battle of Stokefield (1487): brought an end to the War of the Roses and Henry’s position was safer (not secured)
Policy developed of using bonds of good behaviour
Parallels with Henry’s own rise to power
Threats: Perkin Warbeck (Foreign Support)
Patronage from foreign rulers
Irish & Scottish support.
Threats: Perkin Warbeck (Domestic Support)
James IV of Scotland: Warbeck fled to his court
William Stanley’s betrayal of Henry.
Drew English courtiers into his conspiracy
Threats: Perkin Warbeck (Quality of Leadership)
Untrustworthy leader
Unorganised: wasn’t able to exploit the rebellion
Gains a lot of support and patronage
Threats: Perkin Warbeck (Why was Henry able to overcome this threat?)
Effective use of spies.
Able to alienate Warbeck.
Threats: Perkin Warbeck (Impact)
Lasted a considerable amount of time
More of an international issue than a domestic one
Blocked trade with Burgundy: angered merchants.
Threats: When did Lambert Simnel start his conspiracy?
1487: two years after the start of Henry’s reign.
Threats: Who was Simnel impersonating?
Earl of Warwick
Threats: What was the duration of Warbeck’s imposture?
8 years (1491-97)
Threats: What happened to Simnel?
Pardoned and given a job in the royal kitchens.
Threats: What happened to Warbeck?
Confined to the tower, tried and executed.
Control of nobility: Acts of Attainder
Act to declare a nobleman guilty of a crime against the Crown (usually treason)
Acts were reversible
138 total, 46 were reversed
Control of nobility: How many people did Henry attain following Bosworth?
38
Control of nobility: How did the Acts of Attainder help Henry keep control?
Created loyalty and fear
Prevented rebellions
Loss of status for the nobles
Gain of money
Control of nobility: Acts against Illegal Retaining
Noblement keeping (retaining) servants (men) who fought in their private army.
Control of nobility: When was the first Act against Illegal Retaining passed and what did it state?
1485: Nobles had to swear an oath
Control of nobility: When was the second Act against Illegal Retaining passed and what did it state?
1504: Nobles had to obtain a special retaining license
Control of nobility: What happened in 1506 regarding Illegal Retaining?
Lord Bergavenny was fined £70 000 for retaining 471 men.
Control of nobility: How did the Acts against Illegal Retaining help Henry keep control?
Nobles had a lack of military power
Removed the possibility of revolt/uprising as private armies can no longer be built up
Difficulty to uprise
Control of nobility: Bonds and Recognisances
Person involved was recognised as owning a lump sum stated, not payable if the condition was observed
Affected 36/62 noble families
Captain of Calais: under bond of £40 000
Sum increased from £3000 to £75 000
Control of nobility: How did Bonds and Recognisances help Henry keep control?
Strong loyal bonds to the king: noble power
Financially deprived the nobles.
Control of nobility: The Court of Star Council
1487: Parliament passed the Star Chambers Act
Set up the Court of Star Council
Charges can be pressed against the nobility
Control of nobility: How did The Court of Star Council help Henry ensure control?
Ensures a form of punishment for nobles going against him.
Control of nobility: Feudal Dues
Wardships: control of estates of minors until they come of age, Henry took all the profit
Marriage: arranged marriage of heirs and heiresses where he could benefit
Control of nobility: How did Henry ensure control from Feudal Dues?
Creates stronger connections that are beneficial (or prove to be) in the future
Control of nobility: Acts of Resumption
1486: Returns all the Crown lands given away since 1455
1487 & 1495: took away land and regranted it to loyal subjects
Only allowed land at Henry’s discretion
Control of nobility: How did the Acts of Resumption ensure control?
Rewarded loyalty; increased the chances of prolonged loyalty as people seek rewards.
Control of nobility: Patronage
Traditional ways of buying loyalty by giving away positions of power, land and titles (i.e. John De Vere, Jasper Tudor & Margaret Beaufort)
Less common under Henry VII.
Control of nobility: How did Patronage ensure control?
Assured love and favour from nobles.
Control of nobility: The Privvy Council
Significant rewards; closest advisors
Most have aligned with Henry before Bosworth
Many chosen for their ability rather than their status.
Control of nobility: How did the Privvy Council ensure control?
Gives influence that gains Henry favour.
Government: The Council
Council of advisors
227 men were recorded to attend through Henry’s reign
Consisted of: nobility, Churchmen and laymen
Permanent: no set rules
Influence can come from outside of the Council: ‘most influential advisor was Henry’s mother’
Government: How many members did the Working Council have?
6-7
Government: What was the function of The Council?
Advise
Administer realm
Make legal judgements
Government: The Council Learned in Law
Main offshoot
Developed in the 2nd part of Henry’s reign
Government: What was the function of The Council Learned in Law?
To maintain and increase Henry’s revenue.
Expression of the King’s will.
Investigated Feudal rights that were forgotten or had lapsed
Government: Who operated Brays death in 1503?
Empson and Dudley.
Government: Court and Household
Relied heavily on the Royal Court.
Henry worked hard to ensure that it was grand and lavish.
Reward, status and favour could be gained.
Government: Function of the Court and Household
Reflects the vast wealth of the King.
Reflects concepts of personal monarchy: power was central.
Government: Different levels of the Court and Household
Household proper: responsible for looking after the King and guests
Chamber: politically important, presided over by Lord Chamberlain
Privvy Chamber: King can retreat to most intimate servants (response to Stanley’s betrayal)
Government: Parliament
House of Commons & House of Lords
Met occasionally (7 times throughout Henry’s reign)- wasn’t central
Government: Function of Parliament
Pass laws
Grant taxation
Raised extraordinary revenue
Fractional taxes (issued in:1487, 1489-90, 1491-92 & 1497) - Effective for Henry
Respect decisions: 1504- restricted Henry’s extraordinary rev.
Domestic Policy: Justices of the Peace
Used on a local level (average of 18 per county)
Appointed by the King/ Local Gentry
Met quarterly to administer justice.
Power increased: 1485- could try anything but murder
Limited the power of Sheriffs
Domestic Policy: Bonds & Recognisances
Bonds: legal documents that would bind to and individual to perform an action
Recognisances: formal acknowledgement of debt or other obligation
Domestic Policy: Finances
Inherited a bankrupt crown: left solvent treasury
Last years of Edwards reign: annual income went from £65 000 to £115 000 (1509)
Domestic Policy: Organising Finances
The Exchequer: separate organisation employing its own officials, slow and inefficient
The Chamber: directly under of the King
Use of The Exchequer: brought down the annual income by a significant amount.
Domestic Policy: Ordinary Revenue
Crown lands brought in £12 000 a year; increased to £42 000 at the end
Act of Resumption (1496): taking back of lands that had been illegally acquired.
Book of Rates (1507): increased the rate at which goods were taxed.
Warships & Relief: brought in £350 but increased to £6000
Domestic Policy: Extraordinary Revenue
Usual tax: £30 000 per grant
Benevolences: forced loan in 1491, granting £4850
Henry granted taxes of £25 000 in 1489
Treaty of Etaples (1492): Gained a French pension, which granted £5000 annually
1506: Philip of Burgundy was loaned £15 800 for friendship.
Foreign Policy: Brittany (Actions)
Duke of Brittany swore feudal overlordship to the King of France (died in 1488 and left Anne; daughter and ward for French King)
Anne was arranged to marry Maximillian Hapsburg
Foreign Policy: France (Actions)
Calais may threaten English trade
Treaty of Redon (1489): Assisted Brittany, 6000 English troops and a pension offer.
DEC 1491: Charles married Anne, absorption of Brittany
Henry summoned Parliament to grant a subsidy for war, army of 12 000 men collected
Foreign Policy: Spain (Actions)
Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489): provided international recognition and valuable security (mutual support)
Spanish did not honour the commitment
Warbeck’s saga threatened the Spanish marriage.
Foreign Policy: Burgundy (Actions)
Treaty of Dordrecht (1489): Maximillian did not send troops.
1493: Philip took direct rule, ignored Henry’s letter of protest, banished Burgundian merchants, placed a Trade Embargo
Foreign Policy: Scotland (Actions)
Relationship was always tense
Scotland had the Auld Alliance with France
Warbeck sought aid from the Scots.
Truce of Ayton (1497): After Warbeck’s execution, full peace was established.
Treaty of Ayton (1502)
Foreign Policy: Ireland
Henry had control of the land that surrounded Dublin:’ The Pale’
Earl of Kildare could not be trusted because he had Yorkist sympathies, but later decided to support Henry as there was no benefit in supporting the Yorkist cause.
Prince Henry: appointed by Lieutenant of Ireland
Foreign Policy: The Breton Crisis (Cause)
Death of Francis II (Duke of Brittany): no male heir
France was too powerful and wanted to exploit the situation- threatening
Brittany was well positioned to dominate trade.
Spain and Hapsburg attempted to intervene
Foreign Policy: The Breton Crisis (Henry’s Actions)
Did not persue a more aggressive policy- didn’t want to annoy France
Approached European leaders for assistance
Raised £100 000 in Parliament
Foreign Policy: Why was the Breton Crisis a failure?
English armies did not win main engagements in Brittany.
Foreign Policy: Aims achieved? (National Security- )
Success:
Treaty of Ayton (1497)
Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489)
Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502): improved relations with Scotland, on paper
Treaty of Etaples (1492): stopped support for pretenders
Failure:
Loss of Brittany & Issues with the Spanish Treaty
Foreign Policy: Aims achieved? ( Securing the dynasty)
Success:
Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489): Marriage of Prince Arthur to Catherine of Aragon
Margaret’s marriage to James IV of Scotland
Failures:
Arthur died; took a long time to sort out the marriage
Foreign Policy: Aims achieved? ( Financial gain)
Success:
Treaty of Etaples (1492): French pension, 5% of annual income
Money for Catherine’s dowry
Tounnage and Poundage
Foreign Policy: Aims achieved? (Improving trade)
Success:
Intercursus Magnus (1496): agreed with Maximillian I to remove the trade Emvargo with Burgundy.
Intercursus Malus (1506): beneficial exploitation (not put into practice)
Marriages: Prince Arthur
Suggested and Married: Catherine of Aragon
When: 1499 (Proxy Marriage), 14 NOV 1501 (Actual Marriage)
Arthur died before the marriage was ‘consumated’.
Marriages: Prince Henry (Henry VIII)
Suggested and Married: Catherine of Aragon
When: 11th JUN 1509
Henry lost enthusiasm, allied with Juana against Ferdinand.
Marriages: Princess Margaret
Suggested and Married: James IV of Scotland (outcome of the Treaty of Perpetual Peace)
When: 1502
Issues over dowry; embittered relations.
Marriages: Princess Mary
Suggested: Charles (future Holy Roman Emperor)
Married: French King (died) & Charles Brandon
When: MAY 1504
Mary refused to marry the French King.
Society: Order
King
Gentlemen (own land)
Gentry (Gentlemen who live in large houses)//Court (Move with the King)
Yeomen (farmers)//Citizens (rich merchants)
Labourers (work for Citizens or Yeomen)
Vagrants or Beggars
Rebellions: Yorkshire Rebellion 1489 (Causes)
Henry wanted to aid Brittany
Raised subsidy of £100 000 through taxation (early form of income tax.)
Yorkshire were exempt as they were expected to use finances to defend borders against Scotland.
Rebellions: Yorkshire Rebellion 1489 (Events)
Yorkshire appealed to Henry Percy (Earl of Northumberland)
EoN presented himself to the King but was refused, returned to Yorkshire and was murdered.
John Egremont: led riots in the local area
Rebellions: Yorkshire Rebellion 1489 (Consequences)
Henry issued many pardons
Surrey was appointed Lieutenant of the ,newly formed, Council of the North
Egremont fled to Flanders instead of facing the army
Rebellions: Cornish Rebellion 1497 (Causes)
Cornwall was exempt from taxation
1496: forced loan was approved by the gov. to finance a campaign against Scotland
Tin miners were angered at the scale of taxes; had little sympathy for the English wars.
Rebellions: Cornish Rebellion 1497 (Events)
Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamack: incited an armed revolt
15 000 men marched into Devon
13 JUN 1497: Arrived at Guildford with an army of 8000 men and moved towards Blackheath
Battle of Deptford Bridge (17 JUN 1497)
Tax Commissioner killed
Rebellions: Cornish Rebellion 1497 (Consequences)
Cornish dead range: 200 to 2000
An Gof and Flamack: sentenced to death as traitors
Prisoners sold into slavery
Estates seized
Financial penalties crippled sections of Cornwall
Regional Divisions: Agriculture
Divided by the South & East, North & West of the line
Regional Divisions: The Tees-Ex line
Two different areas: Two different agricultural practices
North-West: characterised by uplands, grain farming produced poor yields. Predominantly pastoral.
Threats: Lovell and the Staffords (Cause)
Wanted to restore the Yorkist monarchy in the first year of Henry’s reign
Threats: Lambert Simnel and the Earl of Lincoln (Cause)
Overthrow Henry and put their candidate on the throne
Economy: Agriculture and Trade (Core info)
90% of the population (total pop:2.2 mil) were rural dwellers- 10% live in towns
Wool and cloth making were the main industries (1500: 100 000 woollen clothes, 3000 sacks of wool)
1489: Law was passed which forbade foreign merchants buying cloth until the English had all they wanted.
Trade is mostly internal: 90-95%
Economy: Agriculture and Trade (Trade with France)
Inconsistent at the beginning
1487: France imposed trade restrictions after Henry backed Breton independence
1492: both countries agreed to reduce restrictions
1495: France ended all restrictions
Economy: Agriculture and Trade (Relationship with the Hanseatic League)
Navigational Acts (1485/1489): Forbade English merchants to load their goods onto foreign ships- started with restoring Hanse’s privileges of not paying duty on goods exported
Treaty with Denmark (1489):English ships could trade and fish directly in Danish waters.
1504:restored all privileges in fear that Hanse would support the Earl of Suffolk.
Economy: Agriculture and Trade (Italy)
Henry wanted to challenge Venice’s control of trade with the Middle East
1490: Wool Staple set up in Florence- started direct trade with the Levant
Economy: Exploration, Prosperity and Depression (Early English Exploration)- Why was the 15th Century a great Era of European discovery?
Spanish and Portuguese explorers had opened up much of the world.
Portuguese: benefitted from their domination of the spice trade.
Economy: Exploration, Prosperity and Depression (Early English Exploration)- Who was John Cabot and what did he do?
John Cabot: native of Genoa, involved in the Venetian spice trade
Aimed to find alternative places for fish merchants to exploit different fishing waters
Economy: Exploration, Prosperity and Depression (Early English Exploration)- What happened to Cabot?
Presumed to be lost at sea- never returned from his second voyage.
Economy: Prosperity and Depression of Agriculture
Most prosperous: 1490-99
Economic hardships: 1600-09
Economy: Agricultural Importance- What was engrossing?
Originally followed an open-field system
Several farms were joined together to make one, profitable unit
Economy: Agricultural Importance- What was the consequence of engrossing?
Led to families being evicted
Economy: Agricultural Importance-What was implements regarding engrossing?
One profitable unit
Economy: Agricultural Importance-What was enclosure?
Ended the practice of the open-field systems.
3% of lands enclosed
Economy: Agricultural Importance- What was the consequence of enclosure?
Homelessness
Economy: Agricultural Importance-What was implemented in regards to enclosure?
Selective breeding
Economy: Agricultural Importance-When was the ‘Golden Harvest?’
1490s.
Economy: Agricultural Importance-What law was introduced in 1489?
Anti-enclosure law.
Religion: What were Henry’s religious aims?
-build a shrine to honour and hold Henry VI
-dedicate a more elaborate Chapel to Virgin Mary
-create a royal mausoleum for him, his family and heirs
Allocated £14 000 for the construction (1503-09)
Religion: What were the function of the Catholic Church?
-Easier for elites to maintain control by encouraging good behaviour
-Provide charity through guilds and confraternities
-Provide employment opportunities
-Provide entertainment
-Act under authority of the King
Religion: Communal
-Communities prayed together; more powerful
-Communal thinking; controlled individuals, lack of individuality
-Observing sacraments; built communal thinking
Religion: What was transubstantiation?
Belief that the wine and bread, when concreted, transforms to the literal blood and body of Christ.
Religion: What did benefactors do?
Leave money to found chantries; reduce time spent in purgatory
Humanism: Main Humanist influences
Erasmus: Epitomised the spirit of new learning
John Colet (1467-1519): saw Humanist scholarly as a mean of reforming the Church
Thomas More: gave a huge boost to Humanism in the start of Henry VIII’s reign.
Arts and Learning: Art and Architecture
Vast number of Churches were built in the Gothic perpendicular style; indication of investment scale
Arts and Learning: Education
53 new grammar schools founded between 1460 and 1509
Teaching remained a by-product of Latin; Humanistic approach adapted in the 1480s
Song schools and reading schools provided elementary education for the very young
Arts and Learning: Music
Secular songs were used for entertainment
Eton Choir book: compiled around 1505- contained 93 musical compositions
Music performed in courts or the homes of nobility
Arts and Learning: Drama
Most popular art form
Plays sometimes presented in association with the Church (i.e. Festivals)
Most important: mystery plays performed at feasts of Corpus Christi
