Henry VII's government

Question 1

What was the councils role?

Answer 1

Supported Henry in making key decisions.

Question 2

Who were the three main types of councillors?

Answer 2

Nobles e.g. Lord Daubeney
Churchmen e.g. Richard Fox- often had legal training and were excellent administrators
Laymen- e.g. Sir Reginald Bray - either gentry or lawyers who were skilled administrators

Question 3

What are examples of none councillors who advised the king?

Answer 3

Henry’s mother (Margaret Beaufort) acted as an unofficial advisor

Question 4

What was the function of the council learned?

Answer 4

To maintain the king’s revenue and to exploit his prerogative rights.

It made the system of bonds and recognisances work effectively therefore helping to ensure loyalty and finance

Question 5

What was the council learned not recognised as?

Answer 5

A court of law so there was no right of appeal against and it bypassed the normal legal system

Question 6

Who were Empson and Dudley?

Answer 6

Empson = Bray’s associate in the council learned - a fiercely ambitious lawyer
After Bray’s death in 1503 Empson was joined by Dudley

Question 7

What were Empson and Dudley known for and what happened to them?

Answer 7

Known for their ruthless extraction of money from the king’s subjects - this made them unpopular and feared and created enemies out of some of the king’s other advisors
They were removed and executed after Henry’s death

Question 8

What was the royal court?

What was a persons power determined by?

Answer 8

The centre of Government - and a system in which a person’s power was determined by his relationship with the monarch

Question 9

In 1485 what 2 elements did the court comprise of?

Answer 9

The household proper and the chamber

Question 10

What was the household proper?

Answer 10

Responsible for looking after the king, courtiers and guests , supervised by the Lord Steward

Question 11

Who presided over the chamber?

Answer 11

Presided over by the Lord Chamberlain = William Stanley (a powerful courtier who was also a member of the king’s council and often spoke for the monarch

Question 12

What did Henry’s Privy chamber mean for his traditional contacts of court?

Answer 12

Made it more difficult for the kings favour to be gained and cut Henry off from many of the King’s traditional contacts of court

Question 13

What happened to the chamber in 1495 after the involvement of sir William Stanley in the Perkin Warbeck conspiracy?

Answer 13

Henry remodelled the chamber as the Privy Chamber - he could retreat into this protected by him most trusted servants.

Question 14

What did 2 bodies did parliament consist of (still exists today) and was it important?

Answer 14

House of Commons and the House of lords (more important)

It met infrequently so was not central to government

Question 15

Who could call parliament and how often did Henry do so?

When and why was it most frequent?

Answer 15

Only the king could call it
Demonstrated power by calling it early November
Only called it 7 times in his reign (five in the first 10 years and only 2 in the last 14 years) - showing when Henry felt more secure parliament wasn’t needed

Question 16

What were Henry’s early parliaments largely concerned with?

Answer 16

National security

Raising revenue

Question 17

Which acts proved that Henry was focused on national security early on?

Answer 17

His first two parliaments passed numerous acts of attainder - individuals could be declared guilty without trial

Question 18

Which acts proved that Henry was concerned with finance in parliament?

Answer 18

His first parliament granted tonnage and poundage for life and others granted extraordinary revenue ( one off payments - allowing king to wage war)

Question 19

How effective was parliament under Henry?

Answer 19

The king appeared to accept its decisions and operated fairly effectively but was used very little

Question 20

What were profits from feudal dues?

Answer 20

Profits from wardship (minor is kept under protection)

Question 21

What were Profits from wardship?

How much did he earn from it?

Answer 21

(when property was held by a minor) In 1487, wardships provided Henry with just £350. By 1507, wardships were earning Henry £6,000 a year.

Question 22

What was feudal aid and when was it granted?

Answer 22

Feudal aid granted in 1504 (The crown’s right to impose taxes for certain services)

Question 23

How much did income did Crown lands generate?

Answer 23

£12,000 at the start of the reign (collected by inefficient court of Exchequer)

By the end of the reign = £42,000 per year

Question 24

What were some other methods used by Henry to grand revenue?

Answer 24

Ordinary revenue -
Customs revenue 
Legal systems and profits of justice (includes fines and incomes from bonds)
Bonds and recognisances 
Clerical taxes and grants
Loans and benevolences
Parliamentary grants
Pensions from other powers (Treaty of Epales in France 1492 = £5000 per annum) 
Crown lands .

Extraordinary revenue - Henry received over £400,000 from extraordinary taxation
Profits of Justice (including bonds) 1504-07 at least £200,000 was promised but not all was collected

Question 25

What happened following the lose of land and power during the war of roses?

Answer 25

The great magnates (wealthiest nobles) were powerful only in the north of England

Question 26

Who controlled the north west?

Who controlled the rest of the North/North East

Answer 26

The Stanleys controlled the north-west
The earl of Northumberland ruled the north east until 1489 until the Earl of Surrey was released from prison and sent to the north - surrey then served loyally for ten years

Question 27

What council did the earl of surrey rule his area through?

Answer 27

Through the council of the north - there were other councils in Wales, The Marches and Ireland

Question 28

Who did Henry prefer to rely on?

What did he employ to ensure loyalty amongst nobles?

Answer 28

Lesser magnates but he trusted few and employed a spying network to ensure all the nobility remained loyal

Question 29

At a local level who did Henry gradually increase the powers of?

Answer 29

Justice of the peace (JPs) who together with the sheriff (responsible for elections to parliament and peacekeeping) were appointed to each county to maintain law and order in the countryside

Question 30

Who were JPs and what were they responsible for?

Answer 30

They were unpaid and mostly local gentry (sense of duty or hope of advancement) - a few were royal officials

They were responsible for routine administration e.g. tax assessment, complaints against local officials and maintenance of law and order

Question 31

Who were more serious cases heard by?

Answer 31

The courts of assize by judges appointed by the crown

Question 32

What could the Court of King’s bench overturn?

Answer 32

Could overturn the decisions of the lesser courts

Question 33

What is example of an influential advisor holding no office?

Answer 33

Henry’s mother - Lady Margaret Beaufort

Question 34

What was the Great Council?

Answer 34

A gathering of the House of Lords.

Only met 5 times in total in Henry’s reign.

Usually concerned itself with issues relating to war or rebellion.

It was a means of biding the nobility to key decisions relating to national security.

Question 35

What price did Henry’s extraordinary revenue come at?

Answer 35

Helped to provoke rebellions of 1489 and 1497

Question 36

How much money did Henry leave?

Answer 36

In total, he left plate and jewels worth around £300,000 and £10,000 in cash

Question 37

What were the two main functions of parliament?

Answer 37

To pass laws and to grant taxation to the crown.