Henry VII - Governemnt Flashcards
People in the Councils and the court
Henry’s court consisted of 227 men; although there were only 6 or 7 members on the working Council. The Councillors consisted of the nobility, churchmen, and laymen.
Functions of the Council
Advise the King, administer the realm and make legal judgements.
The Council Learned
It’s function was to maintain the King’s revenue and exploit his prerogative rights. There was rejoicing after the downfall of Empson and Dudley, two members of the Council Learned, which proved that they were unpopular. Historians have often seen their work as ‘shady’ due to not being recognised as a court of law and those who were summoned had no appeal.
The Royal Court
This was the centre of government and was found wherever the King was. It was the focus of a personal monarchy and a place for royal ceremony. Henry was very enthusiastic about the focus of personal monarchy.
Personal monarchy
Personal monarchy is where the political power of an individual depended more on the relationship between the person and the monarch than any specific office that they might hold.
Importance of the Court
The court was important to courtiers because they could gain rewards and status along with paid positions and free food. Here, they could become an influential person to the King.
The levels of Court
The household proper, the chamber and the privy chamber.
The household proper
Responsible for looking after the King, the courtiers, guests and other members who were being entertained. This was supervised by the Lord Steward.
The Chamber
The politically important part of the system, presided by the Lord Chamberlain; they and other senior household officials were influential courtiers. Lord Chamberlain was both powerful and a matter of considerable trust. Therefore, when Sir William Stanley, Henry’s Lord Chamberlain, betrayed Henry through the involvement in the Perkin Warbeck plot, he took a considerable blow.
The Privy Chamber
Henry created the Privy Chamber due to William Stanley’s betrayal. It changed the character of the court by making it more difficult for those who were out of favour to regain the King’s support. Henry cut himself off from much of the King’s traditional contacts in court.
Parliament
Parliament had existed since the thirteenth century. The two main functions were to pass laws and grant taxation to the crown, its subsidiary function was to pass on local issues and grievances to the King’s officials. It was made up by the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. Only the King could call parliament, and it was only called seven times during Henry’s reign. Henry’s parliaments were usually concerned with national issues of security and raising of revenue along with multiple Acts of Attainment.
Justice and the maintenance of order
A prime responsibility of the King was the maintenance of order and law. The King relied on well-placed members of the nobility to exercise power on his behalf. Henry had fewer magnates than Edward IV as he wanted control over the land he ruled, in some areas he gave control to the Stanley’s and the Earl of Northumberland; although, after his death in the Yorkshire rebellion, the Earl of Surrey gained power over the north.
Justices of the Peace
Henry relied on these at a local level to maintain law and order in the countryside. They were appointed on a country-by-country basis and met four times a year to administer justice.
Bonds and recognizances
Henry restored law and order largely through forcing many of his subjects to take out bonds and recognizances. Some were the result of genuine debts owed to the crown, most, however, were purely political. They were used to enforce order and obedience.
Crown lands
Henry’s was the country’s largest landowner and the rental income from his property was a very important part of the crown’s ordinary revenue. The income increased significantly during the reign of Edward IV. The income had increased dramatically after administering through the Chamber.
