Henry VII government and finance Flashcards
How did Henry’s government work?
King
Royal household - court - privy council - Parliament - Justices of Peace
Privy Chamber
Groom of the stool
What were the duties of the king?
- ruled the country
- made decisions relating to war and security
- he chose his advisors
- organised when parliament met
What was the privy chamber?
- It was the heart of the household proper and it was set up in the 1490s
- consisted of about 6-7 men
- they had political influence over him
- they acted as Henry’s most trusted advisors
Give two purposes of parliament
- grant laws
- to help the king raise taxes for mostly war
Who was Henry’s most trusted advisor?
Margaret Beaufort
How many people were on the privy council?
40-50 people
Who were chosen to be members of the privy council?
Nobility, clergymen, lawyers and royal household officers
What was the great council?
House of lords + House of commons
What did the house of lords consist of?
- The Lords spiritual (bishops and abbots of major religious houses)
- The Lords temporal (The more influential nobility)
What did the house of commons consist of?
It composed of two MPs for each borough and two representatives from both Oxford and Cambridge university
How many parliaments did Henry call?
7
Who run the chamber?
Lord Chamberlain which was Stanley until 1495
Who ran the household proper?
Lord Stewart
What were Henry’s JPs like?
- they were chief local government officers who maintained law and order
- lesser landowners became JPs to weaken larger landowners
- Henry improved border administrations
- JPs weren’t paid
- There were usually 18 per county
- Appointed annually from landowners
- They were also used to control border administration through figures such as his uncle Jasper Tudor controlling the Welsh marches and the Earl of Surrey controlling the council of the north
- 1485: they could arrest hunters who were in disguise
- 1487: they could bail people out of jail
- 1495: they could replace members of the jury
What was the council learned?
- created by Bray as a one off in 1498 in his duchy of Lancaster office
- it wasn’t a recognised court of law
- they maintained king’s revenue and exploited his prerogative rights
- de-establishes by an act of parliament in 1510
What are the types of revenue?
Ordinary:
- crown lands
- feudal obligations
- bonds and recognisances
- custom duties
- profits of justice
Extraordinary:
- parliamentary grants
- loans
- benevolences
- feudal obligations
- the French pension
What is ordinary revenue?
This was money that was collected regularly without the need for parliament’s permission since they were Henry’s prerogative right.
What are crown lands?
Lands held by the king by inheritance or confiscation from traitors
How many attainders was there in Henry VII’s reign?
138 but 46 were reversed
When did Henry gain Richard III’s land?
1495
What did Henry earn from crown lands in his early reign?
£3000
How much did Edward IV earn from crown lands?
£15000
How much did crown lands increase during Henry’s reign?
5x
What are bonds?
A written agreement whereby a person promised to pay a sum of money if they failed to keep a promise
What are recognisances?
A formal acknowledgement of debt
Give an example where bonds were used
In 1491, friends of the marquis of Dorset (stepson of Edward IV) in total of £10,000 in promise of good behaviour
What are escheats?
Payments made when land is reverted to the crown
What is relief?
Money paid to the king as land was inherited
What is a livery?
A fine paid to recover land from wardship
What is wardship?
The king had the right to look after the heir and their land if the heir was a minor
How much was feudal obligations per year in 1487?
£350 per year
When was there a new book of rates?
1507
How much did Henry gain from custom revenues?
£40,000
What is extraordinary revenue?
Money raised by the king from additional sources as one- off payments when he faced n emergency or an unforeseeable expense of government; this could be made up of parliamentary grants, clerical taxes for example
What is fifteenth and tenth?
- basic tax
- theoretically one - fifteenth of the value of goods in rural areas and one- tenth in urban areas
Why were parliamentary grants given?
To help the king when national interest was threatened
How much did Henry gain from loan throughout his reign?
£203,000
What is a benevolence?
A type of forced loan with no repayment
Give an example of a benevolence
In 1491, Henry raised £48,500 to take is army to France
What is vacant bishoprics?
On the death of a bishop, his post would be kept vacant for a while and the king would protect the revenue
How much did Henry receive from clerical tax in his later reign?
£6,000
How much was the French pension?
£159,000 overall
£5,000 per year
How much was levied in feudal obligations at the knighting of Prince Arthur?
£30,000
What are the types of court?
- church
- local
- manor
- borough
- king’s court at county level
- king’s common law courts
- chancery and other equity courts
What was the role of church courts?
- church administration
- offenses committed by the clergy
- proving of wills
- issues relating to marriage
- moral offenses
What is the role of manor courts?
- landholding
- rights and responsibilities of landowners and tenants
- use of common land
- responsibilities for drainage and land issues
What were the chancery and other equity courts?
They exercised jurisdiction on the basis of fairness rather then on a strict reading of common law
What was the role of king’s common law courts?
- king’s bench: superior criminal jurisdiction
- common pleas: dealt with major civil crimes
- exchequer: dealt with royal revenue issues
What was the role of king’s court at county level?
- assizes: held twice a year to deal with major criminals and civil cases and was presided over by Westminster judges
- quarter sessions: held four times a year, presided over by JPs to deal with less important criminal cases as well as civil and administrative affairs
- special commissions: set up on an as hoc basis to deal with major issues such as rebellion
When were the anti - enclosure laws passed?
1489
