Henry VII Governing the Kingdom

Question 1

Henry’s financial aims

Answer 1

re-organisation of financial administration
exploiting sources of ordinary revenue
increasing income from extra-ordinary revenue

Question 2

what is ordinary revenue

Answer 2

King’s yearly pay

Question 3

what is extra-ordinary revenue

Answer 3

non- yearly pay

Question 4

what happened to Exchequer

Answer 4

became The Chamber
as there was corruption and unorganised- also slow

Question 5

features of The Chamber

Answer 5

inside Privy Chamber
Henry inspected books- more control
signed every financial book

Question 6

comparison of annual royal finances

Answer 6

Holy Roman Empire- £1,100,000
king of france- £800,000
Henry- £113,000

Question 7

what was the Council Learned in Law

Answer 7

1495
Richard Epsom and Edmund Dudley
defended king’s position as feudal landlord
enforced payments of debt
ran without jury
corrupt? fraud?

Question 8

Crown lands

Answer 8

ordinary revenue-
increased Lands by attainments- Act of Resumption 1486
138 attainders- 46returned

Question 9

feudal dues

Answer 9

ordinary revenue
1487- under £300
1507 £6000 a year
1502- Robert Willoughby de Broke paid 400 livery for his lands

Question 10

custom duties

Answer 10

ordinary revenue
unique to Henry
pay for English defences (Calais garrison)
import and exports of wool and wine
£40,000 per year- Henry increased by Book of Rates (new form of taxation) 1507- new rates took inflation into account

Question 11

profits of justice

Answer 11

ordinary revenue
fees pay for royal’s writs and letters
used start court
fines levied by court
difficult to calculate as varied each year and in cash

Question 12

parliamentary grants

Answer 12

extra-ordinary
to help king when national interest was threatened
1487- request pay Battle of Stoke
1489- go to war against French
1496- defence of Scots and Warbeck- amounts based out of date- estimates- usually 30,000 agreed

Question 13

loans

Answer 13

extraordinary
from richer subjects in times of emergency
Henry repaid
£203,000 in reign

Question 14

Benevolences

Answer 14

extraordinary
type forced loan no repayment
1491- Henry raised £48,500 for army to France

Question 15

Clerical taxes

Answer 15

extraordinary
Above board’- Simony- selling of Church appointment
Vacant Bishoprics- death of a bishop-post kept vacant and king protects revenue in meantime1489- the convocations (meetings) (Archdioceses of Canterbury) votes £25,000 toward French war
Charged 300 for Archdeaconry of Buckingham =
if no bishop- not pay church taxation- £6,000

Question 16

feudal obligations

Answer 16

extraordinary
Feudal aid- due to levied on special occasions e.g knighting of Prince Arthur 1504- £30,000
Collection of money on daughter Margaret’s daughter marriage

Question 17

French pension

Answer 17

extraordinary
Treaty Etaples 1492
£159,000
£5,000 a year

Question 18

Central Government/ Privy Chamber

Answer 18

mostly governed from Privy Chamber
1495Council Learned- Defend king’s position as feudal landlord
Courts of Requests- (Court for Poor Men’s causes) one of the first committees to be set up by Henry in 1487. Undertook responsibility for implementation of the act of livery and maintenance

Question 19

the Church

Answer 19

John Morton-
1487
Chancellor Chief
Archbishop of Canterbury
Enabled good relationship with Church

Question 20

parliament

Answer 20

rarely summoned
only called 7 times
1495 legislation passed to deal with rules and wages to stop riots and retaining
not make too many requests for money- keep people’s loyalty

Question 21

regional government

Answer 21

faced problem of restraining individual nobles in provinces
most trusted Jasper Tudor and John de Vera
wanted prevent building too much power for nobles

Question 22

Council of the north

Answer 22

regional government
strong
linked closely to main council- enjoyed similar administrative and judicial power- enable law enforced
subordinate to King- micromanaged
used in Yorkist uprrising
Earl of Surrey was lieutenant

Question 23

council of Wales

Answer 23

regional government
jasper Tudor head of
1493 Henry revived council- 7 year old Arthur nominated as head for he was Prince of Wales
Henry not fear Welsh rebellions- welsh bloodline
Rewarded Welsh by allowing them to rule own affairs e.g., appointed Sir Rhys ap. Thomas to govern Southwest of Wales
1495- 6 lordships- help govern successfully

Question 24

Council of Ireland

Answer 24

regional government
Prince Henry was Lord Lieutenant
appointed Edward Poyning as deputy
replaced Earl of Kildare
Poyning’s Law (1494) Irish Parliament could be summoned and pass laws only with king’s knowledge and prior approval
Any laws passed in England applied in Ireland
Cost of ruling Ireland was high- so Henry later returned to ruling the Irish chieftains

Question 25

Justices of the Peace

Answer 25

local government
managed crown lands
increase power of Henry- ensure nobility limited power
used in Justice courts

Question 26

sheriffs

Answer 26

Local
as power of JPs increased- sheriffs decreased
new roles as crown representatives in counties- spy?
greater repsonsibility for conducts and management to parliamentary elections

Question 27

Court of Assize

Answer 27

local
for more serious offences and criminals
met even 6 months
could be overridden by court of King’s bench

Question 28

Petty Constable

Answer 28

local
assist law enforcement officer serving under high Constable
JPS relied on lesser officials in countryside bring offender to them

Question 29

hundred

Answer 29

local
by every hundred - subdivision of a county had provide itself with high Constable and every parish a petty constable
Strength- selected annually- allow greater control over them

Weaknesses
 No guarantee follow Henry’s orders- volunteer positions (not paid)
 Exploitation and bribery and not loyal Henry (open to) be unreported

Question 30

henry’s 4 problems faced by government and administration

Answer 30

 Noble’s wealth and territorial control made them potential rivals of Henry
 Uneven control of crown: stronger in more populated areas e.g., south, and east and poorer in the borderlands
 Poor finances of the crown
 Attempts centralise his government: royal council 227 men to rule