Henry VII - Establishing Royal Authority , Management of the Nobility Flashcards
What was the state of the noblity at the beginning of Henry’s reign?
In the wake of the War of the Roses, the nobility had become immensley powerful and influential. They had built up private armies and land at the expense of the Crown. Therefore Henry had to tackle the noisy nobility.
What did Henry VII do to the size of the nobility?
Henry made it his task to keep the peerage small by limiting the number of new lords he made, he rarely elevated anyone to the upper class so that it was regarded as a prized position.
–> The grant of a title resulted in a loss of income for the king as they are given land.
He rewarded loyal servants by making them knights of the garter - confining them to the Gentry.
The Peerage subsequently shrank from 57 to 44
Who did Henry VII grant titles to?
- Henry made only 1 new earl in his reign, his step-father Lord Stanley became the Earl of Derby.
- Jasper Tudor (his uncle) was elevated from Earl of Pembrooke to Duke of Bedford.
- 5 New Barons were made during his reign.
- Henry did not extend titles to everyone whom he owed, William Stanley and Rhys ap Thomas were not given titles.
What was the Act of Attainders? [1485]
The Act of Attainders meant that noble families could have their titles and land stripped from them by the king for bad behaviour. However, these attainders were reversable for a sum of money + good behaviour.
Henry passed attainders against 28 of Richard’s followers on the first calling of parlaiment.
What was the Act of Resumption?
The Act of Resumption took vacant lands and placed them in the hands of the crown as a source of ordinary revenue.
They were not given away again as rewards.
An example of lands resumed by the crown would be those acquired from the extinct yorkist families of Warwick, Clarence and Gloucester.
How did Fuedal Dues establish Royal Authority?
- Henry controlled the marriage of his nobles, ensuring that leading magnates did not link themselves to great hieresses to form dangerous power blocks. They required his permission to marry.
- Wardship - The Duke of Buckingham came into his inheritence in 1485, aged 7, but Henry would not allow him to take his inheritence until he was of age. Henry retained the profits of his estates meanwhile.
Evaluate whether Henry wanted rid of the nobility.
Contrary to popular belief, Henry did not want rid of the nobility. Two of his closest companions were the Earls of Oxford and Shrewsbury. He recongised the nobility’s importance in controlling the provinces in the absence of a standing army and police force. He continued the practice of granting overlordship of the outlying areas of the kingdom to the greatest magnates as a gesture of goodwill.
How did Henry VII use patronage to maintain loyalty?
Henry did noy try and win loyalty by using patronage. The beneficiaries of patronage had to have been loyal servants to the crown, some were peers such as Jasper Tudor and others were not . E.g Edmund Dudley.
Edmund Dudley ‘used his title as King’s councillor as good as any peerage.’
Who did Henry VII kidnap as a form of collateral?
The Marquess of Dorset was made to pay £10,000 after his implication in the Simnel plot. And, in 1492, Henry kidnapped his son in preperation for war with France to ensure that Dorset would not rebel.
Give 4 examples of ‘carrots’ used by Henry VII.
- Patronage- gave positions of power, land and titles to loyal servants.
- Order of the Garter - Created 37 knights of the garter, it gave people prestige but not power or land. A knight of the garter was Giles Daubeney.
- King’s council- This position showed you had the king’s confidence.
- Great Council - Meetings of Noblemen in times of emergency, important to the king.
Give 5 examples of ‘sticks’ used by Henry VII.
- Acts of Attainder- led to the family losing the rights to their land and titles.
- Bonds and Recognaisances- Written agreements to pay a sum of money if failing to carry out a promise / formal acknowledgement of a debt.
- Feudal dues - Marriage, Wardship, Livery, Eschets
- Retaining - Henry limitied this via legislation
- Crown Lands - Brought land back to crown and wasn’t granted away again.
Give a case study of an Act of Attainder.
Thomas Howard - Earl of Surrey.
Yorksit who fought in the Battle of Bosworth, attained by Henry and was imprisoned. In 1489 he gave an oath of alligiance and was put in charge of law and order in the north. He quelled the Yorkshire uprsising.
How many attainders did Henry VII pass and reverse?
- Passed : 138
- Reversed : 46
How was the Great Council rewarding?
The Great Council was a useful form of control, gaining the agreemembt and support of his most important subjects as to avoid entire blame. It was a reward for those on it as it showed that you had the King’s confidence.
Name some important figures on the King’s council.
- Sir Reginald Bray
- John Morton
- Richard Fox
