Henry VII and Nobles

Question 1

What were carrots?

Answer 1

Positive rewards used to persuade nobles to behave.

Question 2

What was patronage?

Answer 2

Gifts from the crown such as titles given to nobles

Question 3

How would patronage ensure the nobles loyalty?

Answer 3

Because they owed their entire status to Henry so they would be loyal to him

Question 4

Who was patronage mainly bestowed on?

Answer 4

Lesser nobles or gentry rather than the super nobles

Question 5

How many noble families and how many did they decrease to under Henry’s reign?

Answer 5

50 down to 35

Question 6

Why did the number of noble families decrease?

Answer 6

Due to natural deaths not Henry (however Henry did not replace them after they died)

Question 7

What was the Order of the Garter?

Answer 7

Founded 1348 by Edward III, it was England’s highest and most coveted chivalry

Question 8

Who was the Order of the Garter bestowed to?

Answer 8

Nobles or gentry that Henry felt deserved a reward

Question 9

Why was the Order of the Garter better for Henry to give out?

Answer 9

It was cheaper than promoting people to titles of Duke or Earl because he didn’t have to give out land - just the title.

Question 10

How many Knights of the Garter did Henry install during his reign?

Answer 10

37 (3 more than the previous 3 Kings had)

Question 11

Why did Henry prefer to give out patronage and Order of the Garter rather than land?

Answer 11

He didn’t want to create any over-mighty subjects

Question 12

What were sticks?

Answer 12

Negative punishments used to force the nobles to behave

Question 13

What were Acts of Attainder?

Answer 13

Special laws passed by parliament that allowed someone to declare guilty of treason without a trial.

Question 14

How did Henry use Acts of Attainder?

Answer 14

To seize the titles and lands of nobles who he suspected were disloyal

Question 15

Did Henry follow through on Acts of Attainder?

Answer 15

No, they were more of a threat. Henry often reversed attainders and restored the lands and titles of the noble family when he was satisfied that they were loyal

Question 16

Who did Henry first use Attainders on?

Answer 16

Against opponents at Bosworth

Question 17

Was Henry anti-noble?

Answer 17

No, he was anti-abuses committed by the nobility.

He was unpopular amongst them but that is not the same as anti-noble (his best friend - Oxford - was a noble)

Question 18

How many attainders were passed during Henry’s reign and how many were reversed?

Answer 18

138 passed.

46 reversed.

Question 19

Why did the use of attainders increase towards the end of his reign?

Answer 19

He was paranoid that the nobility was turning on him

Question 20

What was retaining?

Answer 20

A practice where noblemen kept a large number of men in their personal staff, in theory as household servants, but in practice they were gangs of enforcers or informal armies.

Question 21

Why was retaining a problem?

Answer 21

The armies could be used to intimidate anyone who went against the noble. They would even intimidate juries and sheriffs.

Question 22

How did Henry combat retaining?

Answer 22

Passed anti-retaining laws in 1485 and 1504.

He made all nobles in parliament swear that they would not illegally retain.

Question 23

What did the 1504 Act require?

Answer 23

That nobles have a special licence from the King for retaining large numbers of men.

Question 24

What was the punishment for retaining?

Answer 24

A fine of £5 per man

Question 25

Did anti-retaining laws and fines stop the practice of retaining?

Answer 25

Not really - nobles found ways around the laws but Henry did reduce the practice more than any before him

Question 26

What did a Bond or Recognisance do?

Answer 26

They would place a noble in debt to the crown and therefore ensure they were loyal - Basically Henry made the nobles promise to behave or he would financially ruin them.

Question 27

When did Henry issue Bonds and Recognisances?

Answer 27

When a noble committed a crime

Question 28

How many noble families were placed under bonds in Henry’s last decade as King?

Answer 28

About 2 thirds

Question 29

Did Henry follow through on Bonds and Recognisances?

Answer 29

No, he rarely requested the full payment of the debts but in theory he could if the noble misbehaved

Question 30

Give an example of Bonds and Recognisances?

Answer 30

Lord Burgavenny - convicted 1507 of illegal retaining and fined £70,000 which would have ruined him.
Henry generously placed him under a bond instead.

Question 31

What did the bond on Lord Burgavenny state?

Answer 31

Had to pay £5000 over 10 years.
He could not step foot on his lands in the south east until he had paid the £5000
(Controlled a potentially disloyal noble and gained money in one go)

Question 32

Who collected the money from Bonds?

Answer 32

The Council Learned in Law (so was hated by nobles)