Henry VII’s government and administration: the Royal Council

Question 1

Henry’s aspects of domestic policy prioritised in order to retain his throne

Answer 1

• Surrounded himself with effective and able Councillors (upon whom whose loyalty he could rely)
• Establish a secure financial base – enhance prestige, enable greater independence and freedom of action
• Secure the acceptance of royal authority when machinery of law enforcement was weak and reliance on cooperation of nobility was inevitable

Question 2

Roles of the Royal Council

Answer 2

• King’s inner circle of nobility and advisers
o Advise the King over matters of state
o Administer law and order
o Act in a judicial capacity in the prosecution of nobles

Question 3

Who attended the Royal Council and their backgrounds

Answer 3

• King was central figure of government, Royal Council was his inner circle of nobility and advisers
• Total of 227 councillors during Henry’s reign
o Not more than 150 at a time
o When all active members were present the total was 40
• Largest group within Royal Council was those with church background
o 1485-1509 50% of Henry’s council made up of clerics
• Three of most favoured members of the Royal Council were:
o John Morton, Lord Chancellor and later Archbishop of Canterbury – responsible for administration
o Richard Fox, Lord Privy Seal – responsible for seals to enforce law orders
o John, Lord Dynham, Lord Treasurer – responsible for finance
• Also an elite inner circle of Royal Council that had more access to Henry VII than others:
o Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford, Henry’s uncle – most powerful nobleman in Wales
o John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, Great Chamberlain, Lord Admiral
o Lord Stanley, Henry’s step-father
o Having nobles such as these on the Royal Council combats contemporary view of Henry being somewhat anti-noble

Question 4

Offshoots of Royal Council and roles they served

Answer 4

• Court of Requests:
o Established 1483, intended to provide easy access for poor men and women to Royal justice and equity
• Court of General Surveyors:
o Established 1542, administered crown lands, handled cases, and registered leases
• The Star Chamber:
o Established 1487, originally assisted with some administrative matters
o By 1530s became a pure court, relieving king of burden of hearing cases personally
• Council Learned in the Law:
o Established 1495, defended Henry’s position as a feudal landlord
o Dealt with the king’s fiscal matters and enforced payments of debts (quite controversial)
o Kept up to date with wardship, marriage and payments on inheriting property of all king’s tenants
• Councils set up to govern North, Wales, the Marches:
o The Council of the North:
 Yorkist in origin and set up in York – ensured good governance of a lawless and undisciplined region too remote to be controlled from London
 Given responsibility to oversee defence of northern counties
o The Council of Wales and the Marches:
 Established 1472, responsible for governing Principality of Wales
 Headed by Jasper Tudor until seven-year-old Arthur’s 1493 takeover (likelihood of invasion from Wales always minimal due to family connections)

Question 5

New things about way Royal Council worked under Henry

Answer 5

• Tended to make greater use of men with a background in law and administration, especially in new offshoots set up over course of his reign
• Policy of competence over friends
o Sir Thomas Lovell, trained and practised as a lawyer, joined Henry 1483
• Always had been the case that Royal Council lacked sufficient structure, no committees or sub-committees
o Offshoots appeared during Henry’s reign (Council Learned in the Law, etc)
• Henry more forgiving, utilised former Yorkists
o 30 of 227 councillors during Henry’s reign were Yorkists who had served previously, continuity