Henry VII - Government Flashcards
The Council
Council under Henry VII had main functions to advise the kind, administer the realm on the king’s behalf, to make legal judgements
- no established rules and procedures though was a permanent body
227 members - only 6 made up actual working
3 Main types of councillor:
- nobility: Lords
- Churchmen: Morton + Fox (legal training)
- Laymen: Bray + Dudley (skilled admin)
The Great Council
gathering of House of Lords without meeting of House of Commons
- no defined functions + occasional body
- concerned with issues relating to war/rebellion
The Council Learned
+ Penn interpretation
Council Learned = offshoot of The Council, developed during 2nd half of reign
- maintain king’s revenue + exploit his prerogative rights
- made system of bonds and recognizances
- Bray led the council and after he died, Epsom + Dudley led it (1503)
- created enemies
- feared and unpopular - e.g. rejoicing in streets after their death
“Council Learned caused fear, frustration and anger, as it bypassed the normal legal system”
Penn
Court + Household
+ Sir William Stanley issue
Royal court was heavily relied on
- centre of government
Wealth = power
- court was generous + magnificent
Henry influenced by continental examples
Focus of personal monarchy (influence on King through personal relationship)
Courtiers attended - rewards + status were distributed
Levels of Court:
- Household proper: look after King
- Chamber = politically important (presided over by Lord Chamberlain) - influential courtiers + position of trust
- considerable that Stanley was involved in a treasonable plot in 1495
- > led to creation of Privy Chamber
Privy Chamber
king retreated + was protected by his most intimate servants
- changed character of court + made it more difficult for those to gain king’s support
- Henry cut himself off from much of the king’s traditional contacts at court
Parliament
House of commons and Lords
- pass laws + taxation
- secondary function - local issues + grievances could be passed on to king’s officials by MPs
-King could call, prorogue and dissolve Parliament
House of Lords made up of Lords Spiritual (bishops) + Lords Temporal (nobility)
House of Commons made up of two MPs for each county, voted for by men of property.
Called a total of 7 parliaments during reign
- early ones concerned with national security + raising revenue
e. g. first 2 passed numerous acts of attainder + tonnage and poundage granted
How much did fractional taxes of fifteenths and tenths yield?
£203k
Years of Henry’s first parliament
Nov 1485-March 1486
Years of Henry’s second parliament
Nov1487-Dec1487
Years of Henry’s third parliament
Jan1489-Feb1490
Years of Henry’s fourth parliament
Oct 1491- Mar 1492
Years of Henry’s fifth parliament
Oct 1495-Dec 1495
Years of Henry’s sixth parliament
Jan 1497- Mar 1497
Years of Henry’s seventh parliament
Jan 1504-April 1504
Crown lands
+ how much did income increase?
Henry was biggest landowner + rental income was a very important part of the Crown’s ordinary revenue
Initially, collection of Crown land income was inefficient through Court of Exchequer but in 1492 - admin carried out through chamber
- finances increased from 12k to 42k at end of reign
