Henry VII's Domestic Policy 1485-1509 Flashcards
1
Q
Why was there unrest in Henry’s early years?
A
- He had a fragile position due to seizing the throne recently
- War of the Roses
- Henry’s background
2
Q
Henry VII’s Threats
A
- Perkin Warbeck
- Lambert Simnel
- De La Pole
- Cornish Rebellion 1497
- Yorkshire Rebellion 1489
- Nobility
- Money - insolvency
- Other countries
3
Q
How effectively did Henry reduce the power of the nobles?
A
- Reduced the no. of super nobles to reduce their influence
- Used wardships on the nobility to try profit from minors owning estates
- Attainders (forfeiture of land)
- Act of Resumption 1486 (Recovered all crown land since 1455)
- Created Order of the Garter - 37 Knights, offered honor/prestige rather than land
- ‘Carrot’ and ‘the stick’ - inducements & sanctions
4
Q
Henry’s ordinary revenue
A
- Increased income by £29,000 since death of Richard
- French pension £5000/yr
- Exploited income from wardships, marriage, livery and ‘relief’
- 5x maximised income from crown lands
- Smuggling was a problem + trade income depended upon relationship w/ European powers
5
Q
Henry’s extraordinary revenue
A
- Brought in £203,000 during his reign
- 1489 Church raised £25,000 towards expeditions to France
- Caused 2 rebellions by asking for aid –> Yorkshire and Cornish
6
Q
Yorkshire Rebellion 1489
A
- Henry demanded extraordinary income tax to fund Brittany Campaign
- Cash only tax, combined with bad harvest –> Rebellion
- Earl of Northumberland was murdered on his return North
- Sir John Egremont led York rebels - easily crushed by Earl of Surrey
- Henry never collected the taxes
7
Q
Cornish Rebellion 1497
A
- Tax demand to fund Warbeck campaign
- 15,000 rebels–> March to London against 25,000 royal forces
- 1,000 rebels died in Battle of Blackheath –> rebels crushed
8
Q
Henry & Parliament
A
- Parliament only called 7x during his reign
- Played a role at the start to legitimize, but he avoided asking country for money as it led to disquiet e.g 1489 & 1497
9
Q
How did Henry strengthen central government?
A
- Kings Council - chosen by the King, 200 councillors during his reign
- Courts of Requests, Court of General Surveyors & Council Learned
10
Q
How did Henry deal with local government?
A
- Office of the Justice of the Peace
- Justices of Peace were responsible for maintenance of public order in their area of jurisdiction
11
Q
How did Henry change financial administration?
A
- Changed from the slow-moving Exchequer + restored the Chamber
- From 1486-7 income from royal estates increased from £12,000 -> £100,000 a year
12
Q
Warbeck Rising 1491-99
A
- Recieved aid from foreign countries e.g. Margaret of Burgundy
- Ireland > France > Burgundy > HRE
- Henry’s relations with France & Scotland were poor so Warbeck could undermine Henry’s position
- Unable to win large support in Ireland but welcomed at French Court- joined by 100 Yorkist supporters
- Treaty of Etaples forced Warbeck to move to Flanders -> Henry broke off Burgundy cloth trade
- HRE Lacked financial support to aid Warbeck
- James IV of Scotland provided him 1500 troops but then James abandoned him to marry Henry’s daughter Margaret
- 1497 following the Cornish rebellion, forced himself to give up
- Was an expensive nuisance
13
Q
Simnel Rebellion 1487
A
- Claimed to be Earl of Warwick
- Able to raise Yorkist support in Oxford & Ireland
- Margaret of Burgundy sent money + 2000 mercenaries
- Henry not aware of conspiracy until early 1487
- Henry offered a pardon + paraded Earl of Warwick in London to show Simnel was a imposter- didnt stop rebellion
- In June became more serious- gained 8000 men in Lancashire
- Army faced Henry at Battle of Stoke 1487
- Similarly to Bosworth many of Henry’s men held back from fighting until outcome became clear- victory took 3 hours but Henry won.
14
Q
Stafford/Lovell Rebellion 1486
A
- Unrest was not that serious of a threat
- Occurred in the Midlands, was due to dissatisfied Yorkists
- Involved Lord Lovell & the Stafford brothers
- Henry heard of plot due to spies and sent an armed force to offer the rebels the choice of pardon & reconciliation or excommunication & death
- Rebels dispersed + defeated
15
Q
Who was Margaret of Burgundy?
A
- Widow of Charles the Bold, ruler of Burgundy + sister of Edward IV and Richard III
- Wanted to restore Yorkist rule in England + central to most of the early plots in Henry’s reign
- Gave shelter at her court in Burgundy to Lovell, Lincoln (De La Pole) and Warbeck + acknowledged Simnel as her nephew.
