History - Tudor's - Economic and social change

Question 0

What sub classes did the gentry include?

Answer 0

Knights (awarded by crown and given some land
Esquires (right to be called mister)
Gentlemen ( right to be called Mr and coat of arms)

Question 1

The Shivalry or the ruling elites compromised of what?

Answer 1

The monarch (queen/king) the nobility, peerage and the gentry

Question 2

Define:

Landed Gentry

Answer 2

Gentlemen who owned extensive land in the form of country estate, thus not required to work except on management of tenant farmers and collecting their rent etc.

Question 3

Define

Yeoman

Answer 3

Free man holding small landed estate, a minor land owner, not of gentle blood.

Question 4

Define

Husband men

Answer 4

Free tenant farmer

Question 5

Define

Merchant

Answer 5

Gained income from trading goods

Question 6

In what years did England suffer from a series of plagues and what were their names?

Answer 6

1500-1528 and late 1530’s.
1551-1552 plague and sweating sickness
1556-1558 flu epidemic mortality rate 6%
Diseases such as bubonic plague, influenza, cholera, malaria, typhus, English sweat.

Question 7

Name factors that created agrarian problems in the 16th century

Answer 7

Temperature drop of 2c and increased rainfall = less food produced

Poor harvests 1549-51, 1554-56, caused widespread famine thus population decrease

Enclosure - caused commercial rivalry and resentment of gentry as common land was fenced off and farmers were kicked out as sheep were more profitable for wool.

Poor transport links so grain was not distributed properly

Question 8

Name factors which contributed to inflation

Answer 8

Debasement of the coinage

Church gold and silver melted into coins, more in circulation which mean inflation

Rising population, increase in demand, increase in prices

Soon after 1500 prices and rents overtook wages. Elites profited but tenant farmers and labourers did not.

Question 9

Name factors which reduced inflation

Answer 9

1553 reduced population due to plagues and government reforms of the currency meant a fall in inflation and also led to less civil unrest

Question 10

What was the rate of inflation over the 16th century?

Answer 10

400%

Question 11

What were the terms of the vagrancy act in 1547?

Answer 11

Any able bodied persons that were out of work for 3 days were to be branded with a V and sold into slavery for 2 years.

Children of vagrants were taken from their parents and made to work as apprentices.

Question 12

When did debasement of the coinage start and what were it’s short and long term effects?

Answer 12

Raised large sums of money (£363,000 in h8’s reign and £1,270,648 by 1551.
Led to inflation, loss of confidence in currency, fall in exchange rate, fall in trade and made it more difficult for government to obtain credit.

Question 13

How did Somerset manage the economic problems that faced him?

Answer 13

Support for Scottish war meant he kept it up as well as continuing to fortify Boulougne. The Scottish campaigns between 1547 and 1549 cost £580,393.

Debasement was not stopped and he never attempted to reform the finances.

Question 14

How did Northumberland manage the economic problems that faced him?

Answer 14

Appointed the talented William paulet, Marquis of Winchester Lord of the treasury in February 1550. The governments plans were outlined in June 1551

End debasement
Reduce expenditure to match income, allow king to live of his own
Have his majesty out of debt

Question 15

Somersets policies from 1547-49 to sort out the problems caused by enclosure included what?

Answer 15

Under the commission led by John Hales in the Midlands, in March 1549 a 5% tax on personal property and a special tax on sheep was passed, (Somerset passed an act previous to this to protect copy holders on his estate)

Caused resentment among landed classes, reputation of being the poor mans friend.

Question 16

Between 1550-53, How did Northumberland address the social problems of England?

Answer 16

Somersets commissioners were withdrawn.
Sheep tax and vagrancy act were repealed.
By 1551 Northumberland had taken measures to control grain stocks to relieve the bad harvest crises.
Kept order with traditional methods using nobles and the lord lieutenant s.
Passed new treason laws in 1550