Henry VII's Establishment of Power, Rebellions, Economic Policies and Nobility control Flashcards
How did Henry claim the throne?
He killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth
What years were Henry’s reign?
1485 - 1509
What three things did Henry do to secure the crown?
1- He dated the start of his reign from the day before Bosworth, opps were traitors so could have lands seized
2- He arranged for his coronation to occur before parliament met so people couldn’t claim his reign was a result of parliament
3- He asked for Papal Dispensation to marry Elizabeth of York to unite house Lancaster and York
Which two nephews of Richard III were a problem for Henry VII and how did he handle them?
1- Edward, Earl of Warwick, was sent to the ToL
2- John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, professed loyalty to the King and was invited to join the King’s council
Who were the other two Yorkists that weren’t the Earl of Warwick or the Earl of Lincoln and how did Henry handle them?
1- The Earl of Surrey was kept in prison until 1489
2- The Duke of Northumberland was released from prison in 1485 and had his power in control of the north was restored
What other major factor meant people didn’t support Henry VII?
He had spent 14 years in exile so was unaware of how to run England like the monarchs before him
What three factors made Henry VII appealing to the people of England?
1- Henry would offer peace to England, appealing to a country weary from war
2- Henry was replacing not only an unpopular King, but a dead one too
3- Henry wasn’t dependent on a noble family meant he could rule without major influence
What was the Lovell conspiracy?
The Lovell conspiracy was a plot by Yorkist supporters to attack Henry on a progression to the North of England
Who headed the Lovell conspiracy?
Lord Lovell and the Stafford Brothers
Why did the Lovell conspiracy fail?
Henry heard of the plot, sent a force to offer pardons or excommunication and death
Who headed the Lovell conspiracy in Wales and who put it down for Henry?
The Herberts and Vaughans, they were suppressed by Rhys ap Thomas
What was the result of the Lovell Conspiracy?
There wasn’t one. Henry still marched north, the putting down of the rebellion helped him win support and obedience
What were the two taxation rebellions and when did they take place?
1- The Yorkshire Rebellion, 1489
2- The Cornish Rebellion, 1497
What caused the Yorkshire Rebellion?
Henry’s attempt to raise money to aid Brittany in France
For what 4 reasons did Yorkshire not like Henry’s tax in 1489?
1- Parliament had already granted him £100k
2- Yorkshire had suffered a bad harvest in 1488
3- Other northern towns were exempt from the tax because they were responsible for border defence
4- They were a northern city that didn’t wish to be concerned with southern affairs
What happened when Henry attempted to take the Yorkshire tax of 1489?
The Earl of Northumberland was murdered once Henry said he would not negotiate the tax. This was followed by a rising that was easily crushed by the royal army.
Did Henry VII ever collect the Tax of 1489?
No, he never collected the tax
What did the Yorkshire Rebellion demonstrate to Henry and how did he account for this?
The Yorkshire Rebellion demonstrated that the North would not back down to the King. Henry accounted fro this by appointing the Earl of Surrey as his representative of the North
Why did Henry appoint the Earl of Surrey as his northern representative?
He held no invested interest and Henry held his estate. The estate would only be released if he was successful
What Caused the Cornish rebellion?
Henry’s need for money to fund a war with James IV of Scotland
Why did Cornwall not want to pay the tax that caused the Cornish rebellion?
As with Cornwall, they weren’t concerned with the events of northern England
How many people did the Cornwall rebellion attract?
15,000 supporters
What did the Cornwall rebels make clear upon the approach to London?
They made sure the king knew they had no quarrel with him, rather with evil counsellors
How did Henry handle the Cornwall rebellion?
Henry assembled 25,000 men who crushed the rebels in 1497 quite easily.
What did the Cornish rebellion demonstrate about loyalty to Henry in England?
Even 12 years into his reign his popularity was not massive
What do the taxation rebellions show about the position of England?
The country was unable to fund campaigns to support the Tudor monarchy
Who were the pretenders?
Lambert Simnell and Perkin Warbeck
Who did Lambert Simnel claim to be?
The Earl of Warwick
Where did Simnel mainly raise support from?
Oxford and Ireland
What was Simnel crowned as in Ireland?
Simnel was crowned Edward VI
Which foreigner supported Lambert Simnel and how?
Margaret of Burgundy, supplied money and 2,000 mercenaries
When did the plot begin and how long did it take Henry to learn about it?
It began in the autumn of 1486 but Henry was unaware until 1487
How did Henry try and defuse the Simnel rising?
He offered the rebels a pardon and paraded the real Earl of Warwick around London so people knew Simnel was a pretender
When did the Simnel rising become more serious than it already was?
They landed in Lancashire and marched south numbering 8,000 men
What two factors may have meant Simnel lacked support?
1- Ordinary people were sick of the conflict
2- People didn’t like the Irish forces, they were infamous for brutality
Where did Henry face Simnel?
Stoke, 1487
In what light should the Battle of Stoke be seen?
In a light similar to that of the Battle of Bosworth, a Weak claimant could have taken the throne from the King.
When did Perkin Warbeck arrive in Ireland and who is said to have plotted it?
1491, Charles VIII of France and Margaret of Burgundy
What made the Warbeck rising so dangerous for Henry?
There was an international aspect from Charles’ and Margaret of Burgundy’s involvement
How were Henry’s relations with France and Scotland in 1491?
They were poor, either country could use Warbeck to undermine his position and pressure him to not be too anti-French
What two factors meant Warbeck had strong Yorkist support?
1- He landed in Ireland, a Yorkist stronghold
2- He claimed to be Richard, Duke of York
Why was Warbeck’s claim of being Richard, Duke of York more severe than Simnel’s claim of being the Earl of Warwick?
Richard was dead, he could not be paraded around the ToL
What did the Treaty of Etaples in 1492 force Warbeck to do?
Move to Flanders
Warbeck’s move to Flanders in 1492 led to the support of who? How did Henry handle this?
Margaret of Burgundy, he cut off the cloth trade which showed his concern
Which HRE supported Warbeck, who was he recognised as and why couldn’t the HRE support Warbeck?
1- Maximilian
2- Richard IV
3- He lacked the resources
Why was Henry able to act on Warbeck w/out fear of European intervention?
The Holy Roman Empire lacked the finances to fund Warbeck and France were more concerned with Italy
Who was involved in the Warbeck conspiracy at the heart of government and what did this show?
Sir William Stanley, it showed that the conspiracy ran deep into even those who stood loyal to the king at Bosworth
When did Warbeck land in Deal and what happened?
1495, the local militia crushed them
Where was Warbeck welcomed after 1495 and who did he marry?
1- Scotland
2- James IV’s cousin
What happened when Warbeck used 1500 troops provided by James IV to invade the North of England?
He gained no support and was forced back into Scotland
When Warbeck returned to Scotland after using James IV’s troops what happened?
James IV rejected him, favouring a marriage to Henry’s daughter instead
When did Warbeck give himself up?
1497
When did Warbeck try and escape?
1498
What happened when Warbeck tried to escape?
He was put in the ToL and subsequently executed alongside the Earl of Warwick
Who was the closest Yorkist claimant after the death of Perkin Warbeck?
Edmund de la Pole
What was Edmund de la Pole’s problem with Henry VII
He had not appointed him Duke of Suffolk as his father had been
What happened in 1500, 1502 & 1503 that jeopardised the Tudor dynasty?
1500 - 3rd son Edmund died
1502 - Arthur, heir to the throne died
1503 - Elizabeth of York died
What did Henry do after the death of 2 of his three sons + his wife to ensure the throne remained in his hands?
He imprisoned the Suffolk family and passed the 51 Acts of Attainder
What year did Parliament pass the 51 Acts of Attainder?
1504
Why did Henry feel secure in 1506?
Philip of Burgundy was forced to land in England then persuaded to hand over Suffolk
Were the nobility a problem for Henry VII?
Many of them had died in the WOTR but those who remained continued to own lots of land, this meant they were powerful and most supported Richard III.
Was there a dramatic increase in the amount of nobles under Henry VII?
No, he did however make an effort to not make as many as those before him. Making only 3 earls throughout his reign
What did Henry reintroduce as gratitude towards noble instead of the distribution of land?
The Order of the Garter
How many Knights of the Garter did Henry appoint?
37
What were the benefits of reintroducing the Order of the Garter for Henry VII?
It gave prestige so was highly desired but offered no land or power. The nobility could be appeased without becoming too powerful
What did Henry change about traditional patronage?
He changed it so it was given as a reward FOR service, not an incentive BEFORE service
Which two summons were also used for the nobles to reduce the amount of land given to them?
The Kings Council & The Great Council
What did membership of the Kings Council show?
Great trust from Henry VII
What did membership of the Great council do for Henry?
The Great council was comprised of Nobles, all policies passed through it. Their agreement meant they couldn’t criticise things after they’d been enacted
What two main sanctions did Henry use against the nobility?
Acts of Attainder and Bonds & Recognisances
What was an Act of Attainder?
The act of taking away someone’s privilege to own land
What were bonds and recognisances?
Written agreements where nobles paid a fine for offended the King or paid in the promise of future good behaviour
Why were bonds and recognisances good for the economy?
They could surmount to £10k
What can be seen as the largest threat to Henry’s reign from the Nobles?
The retainers
How and when did Henry try and reduce the amount of retainers in Britain?
Henry made the Lords and Commons swear to not illegally retain in 1485 and in 1504 issued proclamations that said nobles needed a license to retain
What 4 feudal rights did Henry VII exploit?
1- Marriage, he would profit from the arranged marriages of heirs
2- Wardship, the crown held land owned by minors which was exploited until they came of age
3- Relief, a payment made to the crown when land was inherited
4- Livery, a payment made to the crown when wards came of age
What was the 1486 Act of Resumption?
The claiming of crown lands back off of the nobles
How did Henry use the Act of Resumption in his favour?
He offered land to nobles that he had taken from nobles, the crown lands rarely decreased
Were the nobility ever a threat to Henry VII?
No, they were never too powerful and his later repressive policies never amounted to a civil war/revolt because of his death in 1509
Why did Henry reduce the amount of councillors present at his meetings?
Efficiency
What three courts did Henry introduce?
1- The Council Learned in Law
2- Court of Requests
3- Court of General Surveyors
Why did Henry pull advisors from the Gentry or professional families rather than nobility?
He was trying to exploit the economy, he needed experts to do so
Which new council was hated most and why?
Council learned in the law because it was responsible for Bonds and Recognisances
What was most hated about Henry VII’s government changes and whose deaths did it cause upon the ascension of Henry VIII?
1- The exploitation of Royal Authority
2- Empson and Dudley
Where did Henry develop regional councils?
the North, Wales and Ireland
Who was appointed as deputy in the north?
Earl of Northumberland and then Earl of Surrey after Northumberland’s death in the Yorkshire rebellion
What was the largest practical change about the Council of the North?
The Council of London directly overlooked it’s activities and key figures were appointed by Henry not his delegates to ensure royal influence
Who did Henry have to rely on for law-enforcement?
Henry had to reply on the support of the nobility and the gentry for law enforcement
What did Henry develop about the office of Justice of the Peace?
Most things, they were given far greater legal power
Why did the office of the Justice of the Peace not function efficiently?
It relied on other officials to bring them offenders which made them unpopular. This meant the system relied on goodwill.
What does ordinary land and extraordinary land mean?
Ordinary - Regular royal income, crown lands, profits etc.
Extraordinary - Income from taxation or lending
Why couldn’t Henry ask the nobles for money if he needed extraordinary revenue?
He could, but he’d have to pay it back so unless it was essential it was pointless, England remained broke
How did Henry exploit the churches?
He sold church officies and left Bishoprics vacant so he could claim the revenue
What was the French pension?
A Payment set up by the French to England as part of the Treaty of Etaples in 1492
Were Henry’s financial endeavours successful?
He made more money than Richard III by averaging £113k but the French King by comparison made £800k
Chris
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