Henry VIII & Society Flashcards
How did Henry deal with the nobility in England?
- Like his father, Henry VIII wanted to limit the power of the nobility.
- He strengthened the power of the Justices of the Peace (JPs).
- Some of Henry VIII’s closest advisors were courtiers in the Privy Chamber.
Who benefitted from the dissolution of the monasteries?
- Alongside the King, the nobility was the main group to benefit from Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.
- Many noblemen bought land seized by the Crown to enhance their wealth.
What was the hierarchy of commoners?
- Gentry - wealthy landowners who did not have an aristocratic heritage.
- Merchants - men who lived in cities and traded in goods.
- Yeomen - independent farmers who had their land.
- Husbandmen - independent subsistence farmers who had their land. This means they usually only produce enough for their family.
- Cottagers and labourers - farmers who worked on other people’s land in return for wages.
What were the regional problems in Wales and how were they dealt with?
- The Act of Union 1536 brought Wales into English legal and government systems.
- Wales was divided into three shires with JPs appointed by the king and given 24 MPs.
What were the regional problems in The North and how were they dealt with?
- The Council of the North was re-invigorated after the Pilgrimage of Grace (a rebellion in 1536 which began in Lincolnshire). The King’s authority was felt more directly.
- The council was responsible for: law and order north of the River Trent; appointing and overseeing JPs; and serious crimes like treason.
How did Henry deal with Local Power?
- The Act of Liberties and Franchises in 1535 removed powers traditionally held by local nobles.
- For example, Durham was a semi-independent region run by its bishop.
How did the dissolution of the monasteries affect Landowners?
- The gentry bought up land to increase their standing locally. The gentry was growing in importance in the 16th century, helped by buying monastic lands.
- Some of the lands came with the right to appoint minor clergy, like parish priests.
- Members of the nobility also built up their landholdings.
How did the dissolution of the monasteries affect communities?
- Monasteries had often provided education for those who could afford it.
- Some new grammar schools were founded in place of schools that had been attached to monasteries.
- Monasteries also provided care for the sick. In London in 1538, for example, St Mary Spital and St Bartholomew’s hospitals were closed.
- Abbeys also provided help for the poor.
How did the dissolution of the monasteries affect Monks and Nuns?
- Thousands of monks and nuns had their vocations and homes taken - as did the people who worked for them, on their farms for example.
- Some monks became priests or learned trades.
- Nuns were worse off. They were not allowed to marry but it was hard for a woman to earn enough to live and they could not become priests.
What was The Amicable Grant?
The Amicable Grant was designed to fund Henry’s war in France in 1525
How did the population react to The Amicable Grant?
- It met with hostility.
- Across East Anglia people refused to pay and some rebelled.
- Up to ten thousand marched on Lavenham, Suffolk.
Was the Amicable Grant successful?
No;
- The Grant was abandoned.
- Henry VIII made peace with France instead, giving up his claim to the French throne.
- Wolsey was blamed.
- He raised no further taxation.
What was the cause of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
Rumours about taxes and closing down churches triggered riots in 1536 in Lincolnshire.
What happened in the Pilgrimage of Grace?
- The riots grew to become a rebellion of 40,000 people, called the Pilgrimage of Grace.
- The rebellion was led by the gentry.
- The rebels issued a range of demands, including ending the Statute of Uses (a property law that Henry VIII passed), Princess Mary restored to the succession, the dismissal of Cromwell, stopping enclosure, and elections and the Catholic Church restored to all its former rights.
What was the aftermath of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
- Henry VIII agreed to pardon the rebels and said Parliament would look at their demands.
- Fresh rebellions in the north in January 1537 gave Henry VIII the excuse he needed to execute the rebel leaders and go back on his promise.
