Henry VII's Government

Question 1

What were the three main roles of the council?

Answer 1

To advise

To administer the realm

To make legal judgements

Question 2

How many men were in the working council at one time?

Answer 2

6-7

Question 3

What were the three types of councillors?

Answer 3

Nobility

Churchment with legal training

Laymen (gentry and lawyers)

Question 4

Who was John Morton?

Answer 4

A lawyer in the council

Henry’s Archbishop of Canterbury

Question 5

Who was Sir Reginald Bray?

Answer 5

A loyal servant to Henry

Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster

Led the Council Learned

Question 6

What did historian Thomas Penn say about Reginald Bray?

Answer 6

“The King’s chief executive”

“More powerful than most nobles”

Question 7

What was the Great Council?

Answer 7

A gathering of the House of Lords without the House of Commons

Question 8

What did the Great Council discuss?

Answer 8

War and rebellion issues

Question 9

What was the effect of the Great Council on the nobility?

Answer 9

It bound them to decisions over national security

Question 10

What was the Council Learned?

Answer 10

An offshoot of the council concerned with financial control over the nobility

Question 11

What did the Council Learned do?

Answer 11

Exploit the King’s Prerogative

Entrap subjects

Summon people without chance of appeal

Question 12

Who was in charge of the Council Learned?

Answer 12

Sir Reginald Bray

Sir Richard Empson

Edmund Dudley after Bray’s death in 1503

Question 13

How did people perceive the Council Learned?

Answer 13

It was hated - Empson and Dudley’s deaths brought widespread rejoice

Thomas Penn: “it caused fear, frustration and anger”

Question 14

Who was Sir Richard Empson?

Answer 14

Councillor from 1494

Bray’s associate in Council Learned

Question 15

Who was Edmund Dudley?

Answer 15

Chairman of the Council Learned after Bray’s death

The man held accountable for the King’s demands upon his death

Question 16

What happened to Empson and Dudley?

Answer 16

Henry VIII had them executed

Question 17

What was the Royal Court?

Answer 17

The group of people found wherever the King was

A place for royal ceremony

Question 18

Why was the Court an attractive place to be in society?

Answer 18

Advancement could be attained

Support from the King or influential subjects could be obtained

Question 19

What was personal monarchy?

Answer 19

The idea that your status depends on your relation to the King

Question 20

What was the role of the Household Proper?

Answer 20

Look after the King, courtiers and guests

Supervised by Lord Steward

Question 21

Why did Henry VII form a Privy Chamber?

Answer 21

Lord Chamberlain William Stanley betrayed him by plotting with Perkin Warbeck

Question 22

What was the role of Parliament under Henry VII?

Answer 22

Passed laws

Granted taxation

Not central to the government - only called 7 times

Question 23

Who could vote under Henry VII?

Answer 23

Men of property

Question 24

What are Lords spiritual and temporal?

Answer 24

Spiritual - Bishops of the Church

Temporal - Earls and Barons

Question 25

What were the three main actions of the parliaments Henry VII called?

Answer 25

First parliament granted tonnage and poundage for life

First two passed many Acts of Attainder

Many granted extraordinary revenue

Question 26

What was Henry VII’s relationship like with parliament?

Answer 26

Parliament worked effectively

He respected its decisions

Acts were passed in response to local issues

Question 27

What are Acts of Attainder?

Answer 27

Sentence without trial

Often posthumous

Question 28

What is tonnage and poundage?

Answer 28

Customs duties granted to the Crown

Question 29

What is extraordinary revenue?

Answer 29

Money raised as a one-off

Often for war

Usually fifteenths and tenths

Question 30

What were fifteenths and tenths?

Answer 30

Taxes based on the value of the taxpayer’s goods