Henry VIII 1509-1547 Flashcards
Henry’s chief ministers
-HVIII’s councillors 1509-1515
~continued old policies
~Less severe with nobles, arresting Empson and Dudley
-Wolsey 1514-1529
~Increased legal reforms, limited financial, church and enclosure reforms
~Henry is less controlling than his father
-Cromwell 1532-1540
~Increased royal authority, carried out reformation, increased finance, divorce
Problems for HVIII
Empson and Dudley:
-HVII used council learned in law to control people
-HVIII saw this as unjust
-Abolished CLIL and imprisoned E&D
-Set up commissions for people to air grievances against HVII’s agents- no evidence of oppression (complaints were petty)
-E&D executed anyway-public satisfaction
Marriage
-Needed to marry to secure heirs
- Catherine of Aragon (previously married to Arthur)
-HVII kept her in England- to maintain connected to Spain
-1509: Married CoA, 7 yrs older than HVIII
-CoA= ambitious queen
Declaration of war with France
-1510: peace treaty with France (HVII’s old officers)
-HVIII wants war and imperialism, but HVII was peaceful
-April 1512- war declared
HVIII’s government
importance of Privy Chamber grew
HVIII claimed more power at expense of Pope
Structure of HVIII’s Gov
Court~people in HVIII’s household
Privy Council~give advice to King
Privy Chamber~Gentlemen of Privy chamber-‘minions’, like minded to the King (sometimes had greater influence over him than his wife), Outside Wolsey’s control (attempted to replace with own supporters but failed)
Groom of the Stool~Henry’s companion to the toilet, influential
Wolsey 1473-1530
Chief minister 1515-29
from modest background- son of butcher and innkeeper, rivalry from nobility
Intelligent- graduated from Oxford
Constantly promoted Church~ 1518 Papal Legate- personal representative of Pope in England
How did Wolsey rise so rapidly?
1509- W made Royal Almoner and member of Council
Wolsey saw what king wanted and agreed
1513- W organised Henry’s expedition to France (even though he opposed war)
1514- excellent diplomat in peace negotiations
AUG 1514- high in favour
Role of Wolsey
Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Chaplain to Henry VII
1514 – Archbishop of York
1515 – Pope made him a cardinal
King’s Lord Chancellor
Wolsey: Admin and Finance
AIM- replace HVII as centralised business manager
he tried to pass plans twice- but no need to pass reforms (achieved anyway)
Relatively successful
-more efficient, effective local officials- more answerable to King
-centralised system
-same structure of appointing King’s servants into each locality to break up gentry groupings
Wolsey: Legal reforms
AIM: provide cheap and impartial justice+ root out corruption
1516- reforming plan to root out corruption
Star Chamber- 10x as many cases as HVII
~rooted out cases of perjury, contempt etc
~Wolsey- social status would be no protection
- eg Earl of Northumberland- contempt
Increased respect for Wolsey- also made enemies within nobility
-Court of Chancery- cases involving property, wills, contracts etc : dispensed justice but not big enough
-Judicial committee- help poor
Partially successful: limited by number of courts- (demand>supply)
Wolsey became distracted by foreign affairs- didn’t develop system enough
Wolsey: Enclosure
AIM: challenge landowners, stop enclosure
Wolsey saw enclosure as greed- but actually a symptom of inflation
1517- National enquiry into enclosure: legal proceedings against 260 landowners, 222 came to court
~high numbers- Wolsey’s passion
~ BUT little practical effect, enclosure continued
Not very successful- despite Wolsey’s good intentions
-Brought opposition from landowning gentry class- increased range of opposition
Finance: Wolsey
AIM: increase Crown finance, especially land
subsidy tax introduced: flexible system based on wealth rather than fixed rate , realistic- people were able to pay and needs of crown were met
1515 Act of Resumption, increased land back to throne, higher income
Royal income<needs for war
1525 Amicable grant- nonparliament, to meet needs of war
~ rebellions in East Anglia, refusal to pay elsewhere
~ rebels won, leaders pardoned, grant abandoned
Partial success- subsidy tax was good, but income raised was not enough for war needs
Parliament: Wolsey
AIM: control parliament
Wolsey unable to manage parliament- rarely called
1515 Parliament dismissed before it granted taxation
- Wolsey wanted to stop criticism of the Church
- Lack of humility, lying on Wolsey’s part led to increased hostility and confrontation
1522- forced loan not repaid
The Church: Wolsey
AIM: reduced power of Church, make it loyal to King
Wolsey- most powerful churchman in England, precedence over Archbishop of Canterbury
-HVIII became head of Church after Wolsey’s death
~Paved way for reformation- centralised involvement with Church
- closed 30 religious houses not up to demand
- Churchmen became used to orders from King
Wolsey was not a religious man- displays issues with church
- Lavish displays of wealth
- created enemies
Partially successful in creating centralised control but he himself was a bad representative
Pre- reformational church
radical change despite Henry’s own Catholic beliefs
- doctrine of church remained essentially catholic BUT destruction of some Catholic practices paved way for Protestant reform
-Majority of people in England- Catholic church played vital role in live s
-Church was crucial in spiritual and social sense
Importance of Catholic Church in lives
Salvation only achieved through following Church
-7 sacraments
-Mass every Sunday- said in Latin
-Congregation separated from priest
-Needed to absolve themselves from their sins
-Church= focal point of community
-Donations
~Norwich-90% of wills gave something to Church
~ Around 50% of parish churches were remodelled due to extra money
Causes of dissatisfaction with Catholic Church
-uneducated priests
-clerical abuses
-Monks and nuns
~800 religious houses in England, many in sate of disrepair, No. of monks/nuns decreased, some abbots were extremely wealthy due to land rents
-Benefit of clergy: could escape trial in secular courts to church courts(more lenient sentencing)
