How effective was Henry VIl in reducing the power of the nobility?

Question 1

Why was the nobility a problem

Answer 1

Henry was a
usurper and there was nothing preventing a powerful noble from attempting
to overthrow him. The problems of the 1450s and 1460s had been caused, at
least in part, by the power of the nobility who had been able to exploit a weak
king (see page 5). Many nobles still owned large tracts of land, for example
the Earl of Northumberland in the north-east, the Duke of Norfolk in East
Anglia and the Stanleys in the north-west; as land equalled power, it was
vital that Henry was able to control their authority. Moreover, as Henry had
spent much of his life in exile he needed their help and advice to govern; they
would be crucial in filling key offices and ensuring that the royal will was
enforced in the localities. The need for their loyalty was made more difficult
because many of them had supported Richard III as they had gained rewards
from him. Lastly, they were the group that could provide the leadership and
sufficient force for a rebellion, which, as was seen on page 10, did happen.

Question 2

How great was the noble threat

Answer 2

There is little doubt that during the earlier fifteenth century
they had gained in power to become “over-mighty’ subjects or, as A. Grant
described them, ‘super nobles’ (Henry VII, 1985). However, some have
suggested that the Wars of the Roses killed off many and that Henry did not
have much of a nobility to deal with. Despite this, it appears that, even if
nobles were killed off, they were quickly replaced by new families, suggesting
that they continued to be important.

Question 3

How did Henry make controlling the nobility easier

Answer 3

-limiting
the number he created

-inducements and sanctions

Inducements:
-used other methods
of reward, the most famous of which was the re-establishment of the Order of
the Garter

-continued to use the traditional forms of patronage,
but changed the relationship

-a summons to either the King’s
Council or Great Council

Sanctions:
Acts of Attainder and bonds and recognisances

-Restricting retainments

-insisting on his feudal
rights

-regaining of former
crown land from nobles

Question 4

How did Henry limit limit the number he created

Answer 4

only three new earls created during his reign
compared with nine under Edward IV

Question 5

limiting the number he created consequences

Answer 5

This policy also meant that elevation
to the peerage was highly valued when it happened

Question 6

re-establishment of the Order of
the Garter (other methods of reward)

Answer 6

was willing to
give many of the nobles, even those who fought against him at Bosworth,
the opportunity to prove their loyalty, as was seen with the Duke of
Northumberland

Henry created 37 Knights of the Garter.

Question 7

re-establishment of the Order of
the Garter consequences

Answer 7

In the past monarchs had often rewarded noble service through the grants of
land, but this had created the ‘over-mighty subject’, which had helped to cause
the Wars of he Roses. It had also diminished the wealth of the crown as it gave
away royal lands

was seen to be a great
honour for the recipient and was reserved for those who had given excellent
service, but it was also effective because although it gave prestige it did not give
power or land

Question 8

How continued to use the traditional forms of patronage,
but changed the relationship

Answer 8

Instead of being rewarded by the king in the
hope that service would be given to him, patronage was now the result of loyal
service. It was granted to men who had been loyal both before and at Bosworth,
such as the Earl of Oxford, and to those who provided good service during the
reign, such as Lord Daubeney, who led the royal forces against the Cornish
rebels. However, it was not just the nobility who gained from this; men such
as Reginald Bray and Edmund Dudley were rewarded

Question 9

continued to use the traditional forms of patronage,
but changed the relationship consequences

Answer 9

By limiting the amount
given out, patronage became highly valued as it was realised that Henry did
not dispense it lightly

Question 10

summons to either the King’s
Council or Great Council

Answer 10

Membership of the King’s Council was a sign
of trust, and five of his key councillors had supported him before Bosworth

Question 11

summons to either the King’s
Council or Great Council consequences

Answer 11

a summons to the Great Council was a very clever way to ensure
noble support for measures. Once a policy had been agreed, and the nobility
had supported it, it was very difficult for them to criticise the decision

Question 12

Acts of
Attainder

Answer 12

damaging to families as they lost the right to possess their land, which spelt social and
economic ruin, unless the acts were reversed

more severe

passed nine Attainders against nobles, reversed five, but attached conditions to four of them. He also increased the number of Attainders in the later years of his
reign

Question 13

Acts of Attainder consequences

Answer 13

The use of Attainders was effective because good behaviour could result in
their reversal and therefore encouraged loyalty as those attainted sought to
reverse their social and economic decline

Question 14

bonds and recognisances

Answer 14

written agreements whereby nobles who offended the king either paid for their offence or paid money as security for future
good behaviour

Question 15

bonds and recognisances consequences

Answer 15

particularly effective in discouraging potentially
disloyal nobles as the sums involved reached €10,000 for a peer; for example,
the Marquess of Dorset. As with Attainders, this policy became more severe
as the reign progressed, to the extent that, between 1485 and 1509, 36 out of
62 noble families were involved in such agreements, described by Lander as ‘a
terrifying system of suspended penalties’

Question 16

What was retaining

Answer 16

Perhaps the greatest threat from the nobility came from heir practice of
recruiting followers who formed local fighting forces. When these forces were
used on behalf of the king they strengthened the monarchy, but if deployed
against him they were a serious threat as the king did not possess his own
standing army

Question 17

Restricting retaining

Answer 17

made two attempts, in 1485 and 1504, to tackle the problem. Although he did
not intend to abolish retaining, in 1485 Henry made the Lords and Commons
swear not to retain illegally and in 1504 issued proclamations that ensured
nobles needed a licence to retain, underpinned by the threat of heavy fines if
this was not followed. The penalties were severe, with a fine of £5 per month
for each illegal retainer; when applied to Lord Burgavenny in 1506, it cost him
over £70,000

Question 18

Restricting retaining consequences

Answer 18

Although Henry was unable to abolish retaining, the absence
from records of any illegal retaining suggests that the policy was at least
partially successful and, as with bonds and recognisances, also helped the
king’s financial position by raising some significant sums of money

Question 19

insisting on his feudal rights

Answer 19

I Marriage: the king exploited this so as to profit from arranged marriages
of heirs.
- Wardship: the estates of minors were placed under royal control until
the minor came of age, but in the meantime the estate was exploited to
maximise the income for the crown.
- Relief: this was a payment to the king when land was inherited.
Livery: this was a payment to the king to recover land from wardship

Question 20

regaining of former crown land from nobles

Answer 20

The most notable measure in this area was the 1486
Act of Resumption, which recovered land granted away since before the Wars
of the Roses. When land was used to reward nobles, Henry, wherever possible,
granted it from estates that had been taken by attainder from other nobles so
that the crown retained its land

Question 21

regaining of former crown land from nobles consequences

Answer 21

the crown had five times more land by the end of Henry VIl’s
reign than in the reign of Henry VI Where land equated to power this was a very valuable development
and ensured that the monarch was much more powerful than any noble,
unlike in the preceding period

Question 22

Success of Henry’s nobility policies

Answer 22

little noble unrest after the defeat of
Simnel and the number of ‘over-mighty’ subjects was definitely reduced.
However, Henry himself remained concerned about his own security and it
might even be suggested that the increasing repressiveness of his rule would
have resulted in unrest or even civil war, had he not died in 1509, as the
nobility came under ever-increasing pressure.