Henry VII - Terms Flashcards
Feudalism
A social system based on personal ownership of resources and personal fealty between a lord and subject
Defining characteristics are:
- direct ownership of resources
- personal loyalty
- a hierarchal system reinforced by
religion
Nobility
An aristocratic or privileged social class accompanied by a hereditary title
Overmighty Subjects
A royal subject who, through financial, military and/or personal influence wielded powers on par with or beyond those of the king himself
Retaining
When lords recruited those of a lower social status as their followers or servants, able to act as a personal army, loyal to the noble and fighting on behalf of the king
Temporal Lords
Members of the House of Lords who are neither spiritual nor law lords
Spiritual Lords
The bishops who serve in the House of Lords, holding an ecclesiastical office
Act of Attainder
A piece of legislation that declared a person or persons guilty of a crime, allowing the king to revoke their title and land without a trial
Pretender to the Throne
Someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognised as such by the current government
Usurper
An illegitimate or controversial claimant to power
Privy Council
Comprised of those appointed by the monarch to advise on matters of the state
Bonds
Written agreements in which people promised to pay a sum of money if they failed to carry out their promises
Recognisances
A formal acknowledgement of a debt or obligation that already existed with the understanding to pay money if this obligation was not met
