Henry VIII social/economy/government Flashcards
What were the first three things Henry VIII did as King?
- Execute Empson and Dudley
- Married Catherine of Aragon
- Declared war against the French
Why was executing Empson and Dudley a good idea?
The nobles hated them and were on the brink of rebellion. It was a symbolic action that showed them that H8 was going to treat the nobles differently to his father
What did H8’s early marriage to CoA do?
It symbolised his intentions to continue the dynasty and also showed that he was against the French
Why did H8 replace a lot of his government in the first few years of his reign?
His ministers were old and quite cautious like H7
Which advisor came into the government and immediately supported his idea of the French war?
Wolsey
How long did it take H8 to blow all his father’s money? Which year was this?
4 years- 1513
When was Wolsey made Chief Minister?
1515
Who hated Wolsey and when did they die?
Margaret Beaufort (H7’s mum) died in 1510
What was one of Wolsey’s main skills?
He was very flexible in his ideas, which was good when dealing with a temperamental H8
Which counsellor recommended Wolsey and why did they regret this?
Richard Fox. He thought that as a chaplain, Wolsey would be against the French war… he was wrong
When did Wolsey become Papal Legate?
1518
What was Wolsey’s opinion on enclosure?
He saw this as evil and wanted to end it
When did Wolsey conduct a national enquiry into enclosure? How many landlords prosecuted? Was this successful?
In 1517, an enquiry examined the extent of the enclosure problems- 260 landlords were prosecuted. The prosecution process took ages and most cases were dropped
What did Parliament agree to regarding enclosure in 1523?
They agreed to abandon enclosure policy for 18 months to get a large subsidy for war against France
What was one of Wolsey’s main beliefs in terms of social policy? How did he follow up on this? Did it work?
He believed in a ‘just price’ and often attacked traders for charging too much, but this wasn’t really backed up by legislation
How did Wolsey improve the Star Chamber?
He made it cheaper, more efficient and fairer. It rose from 12 cases a year to 120. Wolsey liked to sit, often daily, in the Star Chamber himself
It made justice more accessible to the poor
What were some of the negatives regarding Wolsey’s reformed Star Chamber?
It became overworked and people seemed to be using it to settle their personal vendettas.
Which two nobles (out of probably several) were punished by the star chamber and what for?
Earl of Northumberland for enclosure
Lord Burgavenny for illegal retaining
What and when were the Eltham Ordinances?
1526- Henry complained about being deprived of advisors, so Wolsey planned to reduce the Privy Council from 12 to 6 members. At least two men were supposed to be available in the morning and afternoon. This was supposed to be efficient and meet the King’s needs
What was the real purpose of the Eltham Ordinances?
It was a way for Wolsey to remove influential men for more neutral ones e.g. William Compton (groom of the stool). Wolsey was trying to bat away the competition
What was the ‘Council Attendant on the King’, when were they introduced, and what was the catch?
1526- 20 men dealing with admin and judicial matters. BUT they couldn’t meet in the King’s household.
What and when was H8’s Act of Resumption and why was it necessary?
1515- It takes back what H8 gave out. It was necessary because England was broke
What and when was there a general prescription?
1522- it was a survey of England’s military resources and financial capacity. BUT there was no military organisation, it was just a way to extract loans of £260,000 from wealthy. This increased unpopularity further
What and when was the Amicable Grant?
1525- Charles of Spain had the French King in custody. Wolsey, under persuasion, started the Amicable Grant. 10,000 men gathered in Levenham because the Amicable Grant was super unpopular.
Henry cancelled the forced tax (for the grant). Wolsey was made to apologise for this, which increased hatred towards him
When and why were Wolsey/parliament looking for 4 shillings in the pound? What happened?
1523- Parliament voted on 4 shillings in the pound being taxed (20%), which would raise approximately £800,000. However, they only managed to collect less than half of this (2 shillings in the pound- 10%) so this was disappointing.
They needed this money to keep Henry’s foreign policy campaign going
How many peers did the nobility increase by from start to end of Henry’s reign?
9 more peers by the end of his reign. Most achieved their rank through royal service
How many non-royal ducal titles did H8 give out?
2: Suffolk and Norfolk
Norfolk had been restored and given his father’s title
How many gentry families does John Guy suggest there were in 1540?
5000
How many Knightly families were there in 1524?
200
What and when was Cromwell’s Poor Law? Why was this significant?
It was part of the 1531 Vagabonds Act. A clear distinction was made between those able to work and those unwilling to work.
Vagabonds were whipped and sent to their place of origin (sent to work). Impotent poor licensed to beg. Parishes had to pay for the poor, JPs and sheriffs collected alms for the poor.
What and when was Cromwell’s (technically first) Act of Union?
1536- It divided Wales into 7 counties, each with its own JP. Wales were represented at parliament by 26 members
What and when was the Jurisdiction in Liberties Act?
1535- brought the self-governed Palatines under the control of the crown. Examples of this are Durham and Lancashire.
Opposition to this was part of the factors resulting in the Pilgrimage of Grace
When was the Council of the North re-established as a permanent body?
1537
When did Henry start debasing the coinage?
1544
When were there some bad harvests during H8’s reign and what impact did this have?
1520-21 and 1527-29. This temporarily led to significant increase in food prices.
What did Wolsey’s enclosure commission reveal?
There were around 188 people who were found to have enclosed illegally. This was most common in East Midlands villages
When did Cromwell replace Wolsey?
1529
How much had Henry spent on wars with Scotland and France by 1546?
Over £2 million
