Henry VII's government

Question 1

Why was Henry’s rule unusual?

Answer 1

He bypassed the elites and relied heavily on the exercise of royal power. He held his natural councillors and servants at a distance.

Question 2

What was Henry obsessed with?

Answer 2

Accumulating wealth, not to go to war or reward his servants but to ensure he was not dependent on them.

Question 3

Who did the King rule with?

Answer 3

‘Council’ of advisors who supported him in making key decisions.

Question 4

How many men were recorded as having attended the Council during his reign?

Answer 4

227

Question 5

How was Henry’s actual working council different?

Answer 5

It was a much smaller affair with around 6 or 7 members

Question 6

What were the 3 main functions of The Council under Henry VII?

Answer 6

1. To advise the King
2. To administer the realm on the King’s behalf
3. To make legal judgements

Question 7

What were the 3 main types of councillor?

Answer 7

1. Members of the nobility such as Lord Daubenay and Dynham
2. Churchmen such as John Morton and Richard Fox
3. Laymen, gentry or lawyers, who were skilled administrators, such as Sir Reginald Bray and Edmund Dudley

Question 8

What did the importance of The Council depend on?

Answer 8

Its key members and its offshoot, the Council Learned

Question 9

Who was argued to be Henry’s most influential advisor?

Answer 9

His mother Lady Margaret Beaufort

Question 10

How often did the Kings council meet?

Answer 10

Daily

Question 11

What was the Great Council?

Answer 11

gathering of the HoL and HoC
no clear defined functions and was occasional rather than a permanent body
Met only 5 times throughout Henry’s reign

Question 12

What was the Great Council concerned with?

Answer 12

Issues relating to war or rebellion
was a means of ensuring the nobility stayed loyal with decisions relating to national security

Question 13

Who was John Morton?

Answer 13

Churchman and lawyer who was a passionate Lancastrian but made peace with Yorkists to secure Edward IV. Became a Bishop. Henry promoted him to Archbishop of Canterbury in 1486 and he became a cardinal in 1493

Question 14

Who was Richard Fox?

Answer 14

Served Henry while he was in exile
1487 he was Bishop of Exeter and Lord keeper of the Great Seal. Came with wealth and prestige.
He was successively Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, and became also Lord Privy Seal.
One of they key people who managed transition of the crown from Henry 7th to Henry 8th

Question 15

Who was Sir Reginald Bray?

Answer 15

Faithful servant of Henry Tudor. Helped Henry raise funds before Battle of Bosworth. He was the Chancellor of the Duchy and County Palatine of Lancaster under Henry VII, briefly Treasurer of the Exchequer, and one of the most influential men in Henry VII’s government and administration.
Lead the Council Learned in Law
Described as ‘Kings chief executive’ ‘more powerful than most nobles’

Question 16

What was the Council Learned in Law?

Answer 16

Developed during second half of Henry’s reign
Its function was to maintain the King’s revenue as the owner of all the Crown lands, ensuring that he received all the money he was entitled to and to exploit his prerogative rights.

Question 17

What are prerogative rights?

Answer 17

Rights or powers which the monarch could exercise without requiring the consent of parliament.

Question 18

Who lead the Council Learned in Law?

Answer 18

Sir Reginald Bray

Question 19

What system did the Council Learned make work effectively?

Answer 19

Bonds and recognisances

Question 20

What was a bond?

Answer 20

A bond was a written contract of good behaviour or for the individual to perform a specific task. If they failed in this, they lost the money associated with their bond.
Bonds had been used for many years, primarily as a way of ensuring good service from those in customs and excise. However, Henry extended their use.

Question 21

What were recognisances?

Answer 21

Recognisances were formal acknowledgements of actual debts and other obligations owed to the Crown.
This legal status tied individuals to Henry and they reneged on (revoked / went back on) such debts at their peril. As courts were very much influenced by the Crown, any judicial decisions were almost certainly going to be in Henry’s favour.
Recognisances were seen as being so important by Henry VII that none could be issued without his explicit agreement.

Question 22

What was the importance of bonds and recognisances?

Answer 22

Immediately after the Battle of Bosworth, the Earl of Northumberland and the Viscount Beaumont of Powicke had to both pay £10,000 as guarantees of loyalty. If a court deemed that they had been disloyal to Henry after this, they would have lost the £10,000.
Some merchants paid a bond to delay payment of customs dues. Less ethical, bonds were issued as a pardon for murder or to release a wealthy person from prison. Between 1485 and 1495, 191 bonds were collected. By 1493, they were earning Henry £3,000. By 1505, bonds were worth £35,000 a year.

Question 23

What did Henry use b+r for?

Answer 23

Henry used bonds and recognisances to keep people in check – especially the nobility. Research by Professor Lander has shown that out of the 62 senior noble families in England in the reign of Henry, 46 were at one time or another financially tied to Henry – 7 were tied by attainder, 36 by bonds/recognisances and three by other means.
Rather than being just simply greedy, Henry saw money as a key way to keep the nobility under his control. To him, the more money he had, the more authority he gained over the nobility, some of whom were less than loyal in the early years of his reign.

Question 24

Why was the Council Learned seen as a shady operation?

Answer 24

it was not a recognised court of law, it operated without a jury and those summoned before it had no chance to appeal. It caused fear, frustration and anger as it bypassed the normal legal system

Question 25

What did Empson and Dudley form?

Answer 25

A feared combination of able and conscientious bureaucrats- an official in gov who is perceived as being concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people’s needs. They created many enemies with their unpopular and feared financial control

Question 26

Who was Sir Richard Empson?

Answer 26

Member of King’s council from 1494
Chaired the Council Learned
Identified with ruthlessness of Henry’s regime
Arrested shortly after death of the King, executed following year

Question 27

Who was Edmund Dudley?

Answer 27

Came to prominence following death of Bray
Steven Gunn argues his rule was to exploit financial opportunities which gave him ample opportunity to make enemies.

Question 28

What was the Royal Court?

Answer 28

centre of gov-since wealth was power, royal court had to be magnificent and generous
focus of a personal monarchy and a place for royal ceremony
was to be found wherever the King was at any other time
inspired by courts in Burgundy and France

Question 29

What is a personal monarchy?

Answer 29

Where the political power and influence of an individual depended more on the relationship that person might have with the monarch than on any specific office they might hold

Question 30

How was the royal court powerful and influential?

Answer 30

Power of the monarch was demonstrated to all the courtiers
It was through the court that rewards and status were distributed to those who were deserving or well connected
Courtiers enjoyed paid positions or the right to receive free food
Support of the King could be obtained

Question 31

What was the role of the household proper?

Answer 31

Responsible for looking after the king, courtiers, guests and other ‘hanger on’s’ who were being entertained. These personal and catering requirements were supervised by the Lord Steward

Question 32

What was the Chamber?

Answer 32

The politically important part of the system
Private areas of the court, also a key department for the efficient collection of royal revenues.
It was presided over by the Lord Chamberlain

Question 33

Define Lord Chamberlain

Answer 33

experienced nobleman and a member of the King’s Council, and a personal friend of the King
He had administrative and political power

Question 34

What did Henry remodel the Chamber into?
Why did he do this?

Answer 34

Privy Chamber as a result of Sir William Stanley’s betrayal

Question 35

What was the role of the Privy Chamber?

Answer 35

The King could retreat and be protected by his most intimate servants. Its members had direct access to the monarch and could influence them more directly

Question 36

How did the Privy Chamber change the character of the court?

Answer 36

Made it difficult for those who were out of favour to regain the Kings support
Henry cut himself off from much of the King’s traditional contacts at court

Question 37

For Henry, what were the most important attributes in a councillor?

Answer 37

Loyalty and service

Question 38

Who were the 4 people closest to Henry?

Answer 38

1. Uncle Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford
2. Friend the Earl of Oxford
3. Stepfather, Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby
4. Mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort

Question 39

What type of relationship did Henry have with the Church?

Answer 39

Positive
He got papal support before Bosworth and got permission to marry Elizabeth of York
Henry was not interested in theology but he was personally pious

Question 40

What did Henry’s policies towards the Church embody?

Answer 40

His deep-seated desire for security

Question 41

What is a sanctuary?

Answer 41

Where a fugitive from justice could hide and seek refuge in a Church
As Perkin Warbeck had done in 1497

Question 42

How did Henry attack the privilege of sanctuary?

Answer 42

Only the King could grant sanctuary for treason
Henry appointed more bishops who were lawyers than bishops who were theologians
Henry required bishops to serve the state as well as the Church

Question 43

What did Henry do about the Church having a separate legal system to the state?

Answer 43

The King did not not have any influence over the operations of Church courts
Henry was determined that the authority of the Pope in the Church courts should not prejudice his rights and interests as king.
The penalty for praemunire was life imprisonment and the loss of their property to the crown

Question 44

What was praemunire?

Answer 44

Placing the authority of a foreign power above that of the King

Question 45

What was parliament like under Henry 7th?

Answer 45

made up of HoC and HoL
Only met occasionally and was not central to system of gov

Question 46

What was parliaments 2 main functions?

Answer 46

1. To pass laws
2. To grant taxation to the crown

Question 47

Who was the HoL made up of?

Answer 47

The Lord Spiritual- bishops and abbots of major religious houses
Lord Temporal- the nobility
More important than HoC

Question 48

Who was the HoC made up of?

Answer 48

2 MPs for each county, 2 MPs for each borough and representatives of Oxford and Cambridge universities
right to vote restricted to men of property

Question 49

Who could call parliament?

Answer 49

Only the King could call parliament
Henry demonstrated his right to rule by calling his first parliament early in his reign in 1485