Henry VII government

Question 1

Functions of the council

Answer 1

• advise the King
• administer the realm on the king’s behalf
• to make legal judgements

Question 2

Henry’s key councillors

Answer 2

John Morton- churchmen and lawyer
Sir Reginald Bray- faithful servant, became chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster, led the council learned in law.
Margaret Beaufort- unofficial advisor to the king.
Sir Richard Empson- part of council Learned, executed after Henry’s death.
Edmund Dudley- joined council Learned after death of Bray, exploited financial opportunities.

Question 3

The council Learned

Answer 3

• Developed during second half of Henry’s reign.
• Originally under Brays leadership
• Function: maintain the kings revenue and exploit prerogative rights
• Made bonds of recognisances effective
• disliked as bypassed normal legal system.
• Empson joined by Dudley in 1503 after Brays death.
• became very feared and unpopular financial control.
• enemies included Fox and Lovell.

Question 4

What was the privy chamber?

Answer 4

Kings private quarters, used for work and leisure.

Created after Stanley fiasco in 1495.

Question 5

What was the chamber?

Answer 5

The private area of the court run by Lord chamberlain.

Question 6

Who was Lord chamberlain and what did he do?

Answer 6

Sir William Stanley
Powerful and trustworthy
Was involved in a treasonable plot with Perkin Warbeck in 1495.

Question 7

What was parliament

Answer 7

House of Lords and commons.
Not the central system of government
Only called by Henry 7 times, five in first ten years of reign.
First two parliaments for acts of attainder.
Other parliaments used for extraordinary revenue

Question 8

Fifteenths and tenths

Answer 8

Gave Henry £203,000

Question 9

Magnates

Answer 9

Stanley’s in the northwest

Earl of Morhtumberland in the Northeast

Question 10

Justices of the peace(Jls)

Answer 10

Henry relied on this heavily at a local level
Met 4 times a year, one jp in each county
Various acts of parliament were passed to increase power of Jps.
Responsible for maintaining law and order

Question 11

Bonds and recognisances

Answer 11

. Used to enforce law and order
Written agreements promising to pay a sum of money to the king if didn’t carry out order.
36 out of 62 noble families gave bonds and recognisances to Henry from 1485-1509

Question 12

Acts of attainder

Answer 12

Led to families losing their titles and lands and to inherit it.
Passed 138 and reversed 46
Similar to Edward iv
Earl of Surrey fought for Richard, attained his lands and imprisoned him.

Question 13

Feudal dues

Answer 13

Aid Henry financially and emphasis his feudal rights.

Duchess of Buckingham fined £7,00 in 1496 for marrying without kings license. Oh

Question 14

Crown lands

Answer 14

Mainly form house of York

Annual income rose from £29,000 in 1485 to £42,000 in 1509