Henry vii 2 : government Flashcards
what was the councils and the courts?
- the king ruled with a council of advisors who supported him in making key decisions
- around 227 men are recorded to attend the council during his reign
- the working council had around 6/7 members
why was the council important?
the importance was dependent on its key members particularly sir Reginald Bray and its offshoot the council learned
who was Sir Reginald Bray
chancellor of the dutchy of lancaster,faithful servant to Henry and led the council learned in law
what were the councils main function ?
- advise the king
-administer the realm on the king’s behalf - to make legal judgements
what happened in the Great Council?
- they were meetings of noblemen called by the king to discuss high matters of state usually in moments of emergency as calling parliament would take too long
- they were a useful from of control for the king as they were a way of gaining the agreement and support
when were the five meetings on the great council ?
1485:for the calling parliament and the announcment of Henry’s marriage
1487:in response to Lambert Simnel’s threat
1488:to authorise a subsidy for the campaign in Brittany
1491:to authorise war against France
1496:to grant a loan of £120,000 for war in Scotland
what did the council learned have the power to do ?
it bypassed the normal legal system since it was not a court and those summoned had no chance of appeal
who created the council learned and when?
Sir Reginald Bray in 1495 who defended Henry’s position as a fuedal landlord,maintained the King’s revenue and exploit his prerogative rights
what did the council learned do ?
it dealt with king’s fiscal matters and enforced payments of debts - proved to be more efficient than the exchequer
how was the bonds and recognisances work so effectively ?
the council was a secondary department to the star chamber,but it was the council learned in law that made the system of bonds and recognisances work so effectively
why was the council learned become unpopular?
it was abolished in 1509 as Empson and Dudley were extremely harsh and formed a feared combination of able bureaucrats who raised the extraction of money from the King’s associates into a fine art and created many enemies amongst key advisors
how did the council learned fail ?
Edmund Dudley and Empson were imprisoned,convicted of treason,attained and executed in 1510 - Dudley confessed to having issued harsher penalties than lawful in several cases
what was the royal court?
the centre of government and was always to be found wherever the king was at any given time
- it was the focus of personal monarchy and a place for royal ceremony
why was the royal court important ?
it was where the power of the monarch was demonstrated to all the courtiers in attendance,it was how rewards and status were distributed and was where the support of the king/influential people could be obtained
what was the politicallly important aspect of the court ?
the chamber,presided over by the Lord Chamberlin
what did Henry create once he was betrayed by the lord chamberlin ?
creating the privy chamber into which he retreated,protected by his most intimate servants
how did the court change to the end of Henry’s reign?
henry cut himself off from much of the King’s traditional contacts at court
what was the personal monarch ?
- medival monarchy was personal
- in any personal monarchy the political power and influence of an individual depended more on the relationship the person had with the monarch than on any specific officer they might have held
- so access to the king was the main determinant of power
what was parliament comprised off?
the house of commons and the house of lords (from the 13th century),two mps from each countytwo mps from each borough and representives of two universities and lords temporal (nobility)
when did parliament meet?
only when the king called it (henry only did this seven times during his reign)