Henry VII government Flashcards
What was the name of Henry VII’s wife, and in what year did they marry?
Elizabeth of York, 1485
Which noble switched sides during the Battle of Bosworth, helping Henry win, and what position did he later rise to in Henry’s government?
Sir William Stanley, Lord Chamberlain
What was Henry VII’s claim to the throne? (Think of two answers)
He was descended from Edward III via Edward’s third son John of Gaunt and his mistress Catherine Swynford
His paternal grandfather, Owen Tudor, had secretly married Henry V’s widow Catherine
How long had Henry spent in exile after the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471)?
14 years (up to 1485)
How did Henry VII secure his position after the Battle of Bosworth (22nd August 1485)? (Think of three answers)
He had himself crowned on 30th October, before parliament met
He backdated his reign to the day before Bosworth
He married Elizabeth of York in January 1486
After securing the crown, which two Yorkists did Henry VII put in prison?
Edward Duke of Warwick (Richard III’s nephew)
The Early of Surrey
After securing the crown, which two Yorkists did Henry VII allow to keep some power? (Think of two answers)
He allowed Richard’s nephew John de la Pole to join the King’s Council
He allowed the Duke of Northumberland to keep his position in the north
Why were the people of England prepared to support Henry VII despite his weak claim to the throne? (Think of two reasons)
They were tired of war and wanted a stable kingdom
Richard III had been killed in battle and there was no good Yorkist replacement
What four rebellions did Henry VII face? What years did they happen?
The Lovell Conspiracy (1486)
The Welsh Rebellion (1486)
The Yorkshire Rebellion (1489)
The Cornish Rebellion (1497)
When and where was the Lovell conspiracy?
1486
The Midlands
Who were the leaders of the Lovell conspiracy in 1486?
Lord Lovell and the Stafford brothers (Humphrey and Thomas)
How did Henry VII defeat the Lovell Conspiracy in 1486?
Henry heard about the plot and sent an armed force to arrest the rebels
What happened to the three leaders of the Lovell Conspiracy?
Lord Lovell fled to Flanders
Humphrey Stafford was arrested and executed
Thomas Stafford was arrested and pardoned
When was the Welsh Rebellion, and who were its leaders?
1486
The Herbert and Vaughan families
Who defeated the Welsh Rebellion for Henry VII?
Rhys ap Thomas, who had supported Henry at Bosworth
When was the Yorkshire Rebellion, and what caused it?
1489
The rebels were angry about taxes to pay for the war in France (Yorkshire had also suffered a bad harvest in 1488)
Who was the leader of the Yorkshire Rebellion?
Sir John Egremont, a Yorkist supporter
How did Henry VII deal with the Yorkshire Rebellion?
He sent a royal army to crush it
What were the consequences of the Yorkshire Rebellion for Henry VII?
It showed he had limited authority in the north
He did not try to collect the taxes
When did Cornwall rebel, and why?
1497
They were angry about taxes meant to pay to defend the north of England against Scotland
How many rebels marched on London during the Cornish Rebellion in 1497?
15,000
How did Henry VII defeat the Cornish Rebellion?
In June 1497 the royal army of 25,000 defeated the 15,000 rebels at the Battle of Blackheath
Henry VII had the leaders tortured and executed
What did the Yorkshire and Cornish Rebellions show about Henry VII’s power?
They showed how hard it was to fund his military campaigns
They showed that his power was very limited in some parts of his kingdom
Who were the three Yorkist pretenders Henry VII had to deal with?
Lambert Simnel
Perkin Warbeck
Edmund de la Pole
When was the Simnel uprising?
1486-87
How old was Lambert Simnel, and which Yorkist prince did he impersonate?
10 years old
Edward Earl of Warwick (the real Edward was actually imprisoned in the Tower)
In what country was Lambert Simnel crowned King Edward VI?
Ireland
How many soldiers did Margaret of Burgundy send to help Lambert Simnel?
2000
When and where was Lambert Simnel’s army defeated?
June 1487
The Battle of Stoke Field
What did Henry VII do with Lambert Simnel after taking him prisoner?
He pardoned him and gave him a job in the royal kitchens
In what years was Perkin Warbeck a threat to Henry VII?
1491 to 1498
Which Yorkist prince did Perkin Warbeck claim to be?
Richard Duke of York (one of the princes murdered in the Tower)
Why did France, Scotland and the Holy Roman Empire support Perkin Warbeck?
They could use Warbeck to apply pressure on Henry and destabilise his kingdom
When Margaret of Burgundy gave shelter to Perkin Warbeck in 1492, how did Henry VII react?
He cut off the trade cloth to Flanders, damaging the economy of Burgundy
Which of Henry VII’s close advisors was revealed to be a secret supporter of Perkin Warbeck?
His Lord Chamberlain, William Stanley
On what three occasions did Perkin Warbeck attempt to invade England?
He landed at Deal in Kent in 1495 (but was defeated by the local militia)
He invaded from Scotland in 1496 (but retreated after failing to win support in Northumberland)
He landed in Cornwall in 1497 (but was later captured)
How did King James IV of Scotland support Perkin Warbeck?
He let him marry one of his cousins
He gave him 1500 soldiers to invade northern England
When was the Treaty of Ayton, and how did it impact Perkin Warbeck?
1497
It made peace between England and Scotland, and showed that James IV would no longer support Warbeck’s claim to the English throne
How did Henry VII treat Perkin Warbeck after he was captured?
He kept him at court, but when Warbeck tried to escape Henry imprisoned him in the Tower
When and why did Henry VII have Perkin Warbeck executed?
1498
Because Warbeck had plotted with his fellow-prisoner Edward Earl of Warwick to escape the Tower
Why did Edmund de la Pole rebel against Henry VII?
Because Henry did not make Edmund the Duke of Suffolk after his father died
How did Henry VII manage to capture Edmund de la Pole?
Edmund was being held hostage by Duke Philip of Burgundy
In 1506 a storm forced Philip to land in England, and Henry refused to let him go until he promised to hand over Edmund (this was part of the Malus Intercursus)
How did Edmund de la Pole die?
Henry VIII had him executed without trial in 1509
Why were the nobility a problem for Henry VII? (Think of three reasons)
Disloyalty: Many of the nobles had supported Richard III
Henry’s inexperience: Henry had been in exile for 14 years, so he needed their advice and support
Wealth and influence: The nobles had the leadership and resources to support rebellions if they chose (historian A. Grant calls them “super nobles”)
How did Henry VII use “carrots” to control the nobility? (Think of two answers)
He limited the number of new peers (lords)
He rewarded loyalty with honours (e.g. Knights of the Garter, or a seat on the King’s Council) rather than with land
Name two nobles Henry VII rewarded for their loyal service.
The Earl of Oxford (for long-term service)
Lord Daubeney (for defeating the Cornish Rebellion)
How did Henry VII use “sticks” to control the nobility? (Think of three answers)
Acts of Attainder (an “attainted” noble had all their land and property confiscated by the Crown)
Bonds and recognisances (nobles who offended Henry had to pay fines, e.g. the Marquess of Dorset had to pay £10,000)
Regulation of retainers (nobles had to pay for a licence to keep retainers and were fined if they disobeyed, e.g. Lord Burgavenny was fined £70,000 in 1506)
Henry VII used “relief”, “wardship” and “livery” to get money from the nobility. What do these terms mean?
Relief: A fee paid to the Crown whenever a noble inherited land.
Wardship: When a minor (someone below adult age) inherited an estate, the estate was put under royal control until they came of age, and in the meantime the Crown kept all of the income from the estate
Livery: When the inheritor reached adult age, they had to pay this fee to release the estate from wardship
When was Henry VII’s Act of Resumption, and what did it do?
1486
Henry claimed back any Crown lands that previous kings had given away since 1455
How much did royal lands increase during the reign of Henry VII?
Fivefold
How many people were in the King’s Council?
About 200
True or false: Whenever Henry VII needed to make a decision, he would summon all 200 members of the King’s Council
False
Most meetings involved about eight individuals, plus the king
Who were Henry VII’s closest advisors? (Think of three names)
The Lord Chancellor, Morton
The Lord Privy Seal, Fox
The Lord Treasurer, Dynham
Name three committees established by Henry VII to help him govern.
Court of Requests
Court of General Surveyors
Council Learned in the Law
True or false: Henry VII allowed only nobles to join his inner Council
False
The inner Council included nobles (e.g. Dynham), but also churchmen (e.g. John Morton, Richard Fox) and members of the gentry (e.g. Dudley)
What was the purpose of the Council Learned in the Law?
It sought to increase Henry’s income, especially by overseeing bonds and recognisances
When did Empson and Dudley take over the Council Learned in the Law, and why were they unpopular?
What happened to them?
1504
They were too harsh in imposing the law to get money from wealthy individuals
They were removed from office by Henry VIII and executed in 1510
True or false: Henry VII had important advisors outside the King’s Council
True
His mother, Margaret Beaufort (†1509), was especially influential
How did Henry VII try to improve his control of the north?
He personally appointed the members of the Council of the North, giving him more control
How did Henry VII try to improve his control of Wales?
In 1493 he revived the Council of Wales and the Marches
This allowed him to suppress the independent-minded “Marcher Lords”
How much control did Henry VII have in Ireland?
His control was mainly limited to Dublin and the “Pale” (the region around Dublin)
He depended on the loyalty of traditional families like the Kildares
How did Henry VII try to improve government at the local level?
He gave more powers to Justices of the Peace (JPs)
He appointed more JPs from the gentry, whom he could control more easily than the nobility
How many times did parliament meet during Henry VII’s reign?
Only seven times
How did Henry VII use parliament to help him govern? (Think of four answers)
He used it to pass Acts of Attainder against nobles
He used it to uphold his claim to the throne
He used it to define the powers of Justices of the Peace
He used it to raise taxes (but not often)
Why did Henry VII not use parliament very often? (Think of three answers)
He did not like using it to raise taxes, as it provoked rebellions (Yorkshire 1489, Cornwall 1497)
He needed less money because he avoided expensive wars
He did not need to use parliament as a court of law since he could other courts instead (e.g. the Council Learned in the Law)
How did Henry VII increase central government control? (Think of three answers)
Strong leadership
Careful control of appointments
Careful supervision of officials
How did Henry VII try to improve royal finances? (Think of three answers)
He reorganised financial administration
He exploited sources of ordinary revenue (e.g. Crown lands, fines, feudal dues)
He increased income from extraordinary revenue (e.g. taxes, loans)
