Henry VII Government

Question 1

What were the 4 main ruling bodies in Henry VII reign

Answer 1

Council learned in law, great council, the council, household

Question 2

The council

Answer 2

role was to advise the King
administration of the realm- taxes/organisation
included nobles, church and lay men and Lords
made judgements on nobles who had broken the law

Question 3

The Great council

Answer 3

no defined function
was a means of binding nobility to important decisions surrounding national security (war/rebellions)
met 5 times in Henry’s reign
House of Lords

Question 4

Council learned in law

Answer 4

Dealt and ensured prerogative rights, bonds and recognisances
unlinked to other councils, it was above the normal legal system- therefore it was rather unpopular and created fear
had no established rules- eg could meet without all the members being present
Reginald Bray was a key player

Question 5

Household

Answer 5

Purpose was to show the kings power
essentially the court that the King travelled with
entertainers and advisors
sign of a personal monarchy

Question 6

the Chamber

Answer 6

inner part of the household, much more politically relevant
it was presided over by the Chamberlain, however after Sir Stanley (chamberlain) betrayed Henry, the much closer privy council was created

Question 7

Impact of Edward IV ruling

Answer 7

Henry continued much of Edward of Yorks operations admin methods
Government was well organised but had come very close to collapse in previous years

Question 8

Impact of Government on society

Answer 8

Majority of revolts in Henry’s reign were dynastic based. However, the two that were not, were caused by Henry’s unpopular tax laws

Question 9

Local Government

Answer 9

Justices of the Peace
unpaid gentry
selected by the King and answered directly to him (in an attempt to restrict power of local magnates and corruption)
served in 1 year terms
failure to uphold the role would equal a fall from grace (the incentive to do the job well)
limited in power- could be overruled by the Kings court

Question 10

how many times was parliament called in Henry’s reign

Answer 10

7 times

Question 11

Margaret Beauford

Answer 11

Henrys mother
valued but unofficial advisor
limited in power

Question 12

Sir Stanely

Answer 12

Henry’s step uncle
Made Lord Chamberlain
betrayed Henry to Perkin Warbeck

Question 13

Bishop Fox

Answer 13

on the council
churchman

Question 14

Lord Reginald Bray

Answer 14

Long-term trusted advisor
led the council learned in law

Question 15

John Morton

Answer 15

churchman
conspired against Richard
archbishop

Question 16

Edmund Dudley

Answer 16

Took over from Bray upon his death
very unpopular and often blamed for increasingly harsh taxation laws
executed by Henry VIII

Question 17

Richard Empson

Answer 17

Council learned in law
also linked to the increasing ruthlessness of Henry’s reign
executed with Dudley

Question 18

Finances

Answer 18

Bonds and recognisances (fines)
crown lands- by the end of his reign, the crown was the biggest landowner
feudal dues
taxation of weddings/funerals/knighthoods
profits of justice

Question 19

What was Henry’s governing style

Answer 19

personal monarchy

Question 20

define a personal monarchy

Answer 20

regardless of position, access to the King was the main determiner of whether a person would hold power

Question 21

How effective was Henry’s governing style

Answer 21

during Henry’s reign his governing was successful
very involved in daily governing
however, there was a clear unpopularity within his government as seen by the swift downfall of some of Henry’s advisors after his death (eg Empson and Dudley)

Question 22

Problem’s Henry faced when becoming king

Answer 22

-nobles with land and wealth made them potential rivals to the crown (context of the war of the roses)
-The Crown had uneven control over England, stronger in southern/eastern populated areas while weaker in the boarder lands, could be due to a lack of fully developed local administration
-Crown had poor finances

Question 23

why did Henry need the support of nobles

Answer 23

nobles enforced royal control/law and order where they held land/estates

Question 24

Power of the nobles in the 1480s

Answer 24

War of the Roses meant lots of nobles and gained lands, therefore funds and therefore could (and had) retained a small army (bastard feudalism)
However, a series of deaths in the 1480s meant lots a the key noble families (Like Warwick, Northumberland, or Buckingham) were headed by children- less of a threat

Question 25

4 ways Henry controlled the nobility

Answer 25

attainders
patronage
attacks on retaining
financial control

Question 26

attainders

Answer 26

-if accused, Henry could seize all titles and possessions of nobles
-could be declared guilty of treason without a trial
-1st parliament Henry uses attainders against nobles who opposed him in Bosworth
-Henry was prepared to reverse attainders if nobles proved their loyalty, sometimes had to pay a big fine (eg Sir Thomas Tyrell had to pay £1,738)
-138 attainders passed in Henry’s whole reign, 46 were reversed and 51 were passed in the last 5 years of Henry’s reign- shows his paranoia

Question 27

why did Henry’s reign become more ruthless?

Answer 27

Death of his son (1501) and wife (1503)
Now only had one son, he remained paranoid and insecure

Question 28

Patronage

Answer 28

-policy of Ed IV of distributing lands to royal followers
-the number of nobles dropped by 1/4 in Henry’s reign (due to deaths and attainders) all these lands were absorbed into Henry’s personal domain
-Henry looked for men lower down the social scale to give lands too, therefore they were solely dependent on Henry for their status

Question 29

Attacks on retaining

Answer 29

1485- Lord and Commons had to swear they would not illegally retain
1504- required nobles to obtain a licence to retain from Henry VII