Henry VIII Flashcards
Wolsey and star chamber
From 1516 extended the use of the star chamber, which had been established as an offshoot of the kings council during Henry VII’s reign, making it both the centre of government and legal system. Used to increase cheap and fair justice. Caseload increased from 12 under HVII to 120 in Wolseys time
Court of chancery
Presided over by Wolsey which he used to uphold fair justice in problems relating to enclosure of open fields for sheep farming, contracts, and land left to others in wills
Wolsey and finance
Instead of using local commissioners to assess taxpayers wealth for the raising of subsidies he set up a network of royal commissioners appointed by himself
In 1526 introduced Eltham Ordinances . These ostensibly aimed to reduce royal household expenditure by reforming the privy chamber’s finances, but through them Wolsey also succeeded in reducing the influence of the privy chamber
Amicable Grant
In 1525 when the amount of extraordinary revenue raised still proved insufficient to finance Henry’s war with France he tried to raise the so-called ‘amicable grant’. Was in theory a voluntary gift to the king from his subjects however in reality it was a heavy tax, levied without parliaments approval. It led to widespread resistance and almost sparked rebellion. Wolsey had to do a public display of clemency
King’s Great Matter
1525- Henry asked Wolsey to secure a papal dispensation for the annulment of his marriage to Catherine providing biblical justification that his marriage to his brothers widow was illegal
1527- Wolsey called a court to try Henry for his sin. Catherine appealed to Pope, pope reluctant to co operate as Charles V was severely opposed
1529- pope sent cardinal campeggio to hear case with wolsey. In October Wolsey charged with praemunire
1530- Wolsey arrested but died on way to being executed
1531- Cromwell passed a series of measure to release the King from papal control so he was free to remarry
1533- married Anne as she was pregnant
1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals
No appeals could be made to Rome against decisions of Church courts in England
Meaning Catherine could not appeal to Rome against her marriage annulment
1534 Act of succession
Annulled Henry’s marriage to Catherine; vested the succession in Anne’s children; to deny Henry’s new marriage was declared treason
Princess Mary became illegitimate
Cromwell and domestic policy
Developed more modern form of- court of Augmentations and First Fruits and Tenths established to look to look after Henry’s income from the church
Changed the composition of the Privy Council, reducing it to 20 men who took the responsibility for the business of government. Increased efficiency
Negotiated further marriages for Henry. Made the case for Anne’s adultery
Government in Henry VIII’s last years
Under a revived conciliar government, Henry’s final years dominated by conservatives anxious to halt religious change like Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Wriothesley. Norfolks influence threatened following Catherine’s death. Faction rivalry intensified in a bid to be able to control his successor
Foreign policy 1509-14
1510- Henry entered an alliance with Spain, HRE and the papacy against France
1512- sent 10,000 soldiers to south-west France but Ferdinand of Spain failed to support the English who suffered defeat in Gascony
1513- Henry led a force north-east France winning the battle of the spurs and capturing Tournai and Thèrouanne
James IV invaded England and was defeated in Battle of Flodden and killed
Results of military campaigns 1512-13
Huge drain on England finance
Trouble in Yorkshire where resentment to taxation almost caused a rebellion
Loss of the French pension which Henry vii had won
Insignificant gains in France, Tournai sold back to France 1519
Peace with Scotland
Foreign policy 1514-26
1517- Charles V and HRE agreed treaty of cambrai with french leaving England isolated
1518- treaty of london was a personal achievement by Wolsey- signed a non aggression pact
1521- treaty of Bruges negotiated by Wolsey with Charles V
1522- english armies invaded France but gained little, Parliament reluctant to grant extraordinary revenue to support
1525- Charles V defeated france at battle of pavia but refused a joint invasion of france with Henry
Foreign policy 1527-40
1527- Henry allied with the french in the treaty of Amiens
1532- formed a further alliance with france in an attempt to pressurise Charles into supporting Henry’s annulment
1538- Charles and Francis signed treaty of nice followed by 1539 pact of Toledo agreeing to sever connections with England
Pope Paul III absolved English Catholics from obedience to their ruler
1539- Henry married German Protestant princess Anne of Cleves. However this was unnecessary when relations broke down between Charles and Francis
Ireland
The earl of Kildare had governed on Henry’s behalf. However a rebellion in 1534 proved difficult to suppress. The attempt to bring Irish government more directly under english control failed and Ireland became an increasing expense to the crown.
1541 the government tried to pacify Ireland by establishing it as a separate kingdom under the English law, creating counties out of the Gaelic lordships, granting the Irish nobles peerage titles and the same legal protection as their English counterparts
Foreign policy 1540-47
1543- By the Treaty of Greenwich Edward was betrothed to Mary
1544- Henry in alliance with Charles V invaded france. He captured Boulogne but Charles made a separate peace with Francis
1545- France sent troops to scotland to support an invasion of England
1546- France and England agreed peace as neither could afford to continue conflict
Elites and commoners
Henry relied on the landed elites to maintain control
He gave them property/titles to nobles so that they could exert royal authority in particular areas
Gentry provided Henry’s justice of the peace and often undertook unpaid administration for the crown
Most Englishmen continued to live in rural areas where they mostly worked as free self sufficient peasant smallholders. More prosperous peasants were able to buy land
Social impact of religious upheaval
In the short term resentment at the dissolution of monasteries and attacks on traditional Catholic practices was exacerbated by fears of an attack on parish churches. Led to a major rebellion the Pilgrimage of Grace 1536
Education suffered with the loss of monastery schools
Monks and nuns became unemployed
Causes of Lincolnshire rising and pilgrimage of grace
Resentment of taxation, tenants grievances
A courtly conspiracy by former supporters of Catherine of Aragon who wanted to restore princess Mary
Loss of charitable/ educational services offered by monasteries
Fear that north would be impoverished
Cromwells injunctions of 1536
Lincolnshire rising and pilgrimage of grace
Largest rebellion in Tudor history with 40,000 people involved
Began as a rising in Lincolnshire in early October 1536 and spread into Yorkshire
A second more militant rising started in Yorkshire dales and spread west into Cumberland
Rebels hostile to gentry due to their grievances with landlords, sending out letter in the name of ‘captain poverty’
Pontefract Articles
Provide the most comprehensive set of rebel demands incorporating a range of grievances:
Religious- express concerns from both common people and the clergy and attempts to restore some of the religious houses
Regional: call for parliament to meet at York
Specific: resentment of Cromwell
Trade
English trade increased during first half of 16th century. Most important export was woollen cloth.
Merchant of Adventurers flourished and they traded in finished cloth which was sent to base in Antwerp
Exploration
Henry made no attempt to build on the achievements of Cabot and the Bristol merchants at the end of the 15th century.
Robert Thorne continued involvement in an Iceland and newfoundland fishery but other merchants failed to procure royal support for exploration
Depression
Bad harvests raised food prices. Good prices almost doubled across Henry VIII reign leading to urban poverty
Da basement brought inflation and for many there has been a fall in real wages by the end of the reign as prices and rent rose
Continuity in religion
The hierarchy of the church remained largely intact
There was little attempt to alter the interior of churches
Services remained largely traditional in form
Six articles act in in 1539 and the fall of Cromwell in 1540 weakened the cause of religious reform
Change in religion by 1547
The jurisdiction of the Pope had been replaced by the more visible authority figure of the king
The monasteries has been dissolved- many monastic building fell into ruins and there had been a massive transfer of resources from the church to the crown through dissolutions
Religious doctrine had been influenced by Protestantism
