How Effectively Were The Localities Governed? Flashcards
What were localities?
Regions of England that lay beyond London
The further away from the centre that these regions were…
the harder it was for the monarch to exert direct control
How was local government carried out?
By unpaid members of the nobility and gentry
What were the nobility and gentry responsible for? (3)
- Collecting taxation
- Enforcing law
- Order and supressing rebellion
What were the hardest-to-control regions of England?
Areas that had borders with Wales and Scotland (Marcher regions)
Marcher regions: (2)
- Regions on the borders of Wales and Scotland that were traditionally the first line of defence against invasion
- Because of their defensive and military function, they had developed their own laws and style of government and were controlled by members of the nobility
What did the nobility that controlled these areas gain?
Gained enormous legal and military power, and were almost quasi-kings in their dominance of the marcher regions
When was Wales conquered by England?
By the late 15th century
How was Wales being conquered a positive?
No longer a threat of hostile Welsh invasion
What did the Crown control?
The Principality of Wales
What was it possible to do in the Welsh legal system? (2)
- It was possible to commit a crime in one lordship and then escape justice by fleeing into another one
- Blood feuds
Blood feuds:
The family of a victim could take vengeance on the perpetrator of the crime
Why was control of Wales and the marcher regions important in stopping rebellions?
It was still possible for powerful members of the nobility to use these militarised regions to build up their own power bases, which could then be used to challenge the monarchy (Which was how Henry VII had been able to challenge Richard III)
How did Henry VII use Wales to build up an army against Richard III?
Henry used his family estates in Pembroke, in South West Wales, to raise an army
What other powerful nobleman, apart from Henry VII, had access to military power?
Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham: (2)
- Had a claim to the throne
- ## Had landed estates in Wales
Why had Henry VIII felt suspicious of Buckingham?
Buckingham tried to visit his estates with 400 armed men
When was Buckingham executed for treason by Henry VIII?
1521
How had Henry VII and Henry VIII attempted to secure control of Wales and its marcher regions, before the 1530s?
By using the Council of Wales and the Marches
Who introduced the Council of Wales and the Marches? and when?
By Edward IV in 1470s
Where was the Council of Wales and the Marches based?
Ludlow Castle
Who headed the Council of Wales and the Marches?
Members of the royal family and the most trusted nobility
Who became head of the Council in 1490?
Henry VII’s uncle, Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford
Who was sent to Wales in 1501?
Prince Arthur, Henry VII’s 15-year-old son and heir
How was Prince Arthur’s presence in Wales supposed to enhance royal control?
Creating a more permanent presence in the region
Was the plan of sending Prince Arthur to Wales successful?
No. As Arthur died in 1502
How was a similar tactic used in 1525 by Henry VIII?
Henry VIII sent his 9-year-old daughter Mary as a figurehead for the Council of Wales
What were Mary and Arthur given in Wales?
Given their own courts based at Ludlow
When did Mary return from Wales?
1528
What was the more lasting solution to extending royal authority into Wales?
When Thomas Cromwell rose to prominence in the 1530s
Why was controlling the North an equally challenging problem for the Tudor monarchs? (3)
- Geographically remote
- Poor communications
- Under threat of invasion from Scotland
How many times were the Northern Marches split due to the extensive border with Scotland?
3
What were the three splits of the Northern Marches?
- The Western
- The Middle
- The Eastern
Who controlled the Northern Marches?
By wardens who were responsible for their defence and keeping order
Why was control of the Northern marches not easy?
Since cross-border raids were common
Why did Henry VII face additional problems in controlling the North?
His position as an usurper made him particularly vulnerable to attempts at invasion from his rivals, who could base themselves over the border in Scotland
What regions were particularly unsettled, and why?
Regions in the North, such as Yorkshire, because they were loyal to Richard III, who had controlled the region very successfully
What had the North experienced?
Economic hardship
What revolt occurred in 1489?
There was a tax revolt in Yorkshire which led to the murder of Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland
What was Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland in charge of?
In charge of money collection in the region
After the death of Henry Percy, what did Henry use this opportunity to do?
Made Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, as Lieutenant in the North
What was the Earl of Surrey’s role as Lieutenant in the North?
Act as a representative of the king
How long did the Earl of Surrey remain in the post of Lieutenant in the North for?
Until 1499, when power reverted to the traditional nobility as wardens of the Marches
Key noble families under Henry VIII: (4)
- The Dacres
- The Cliffords
- The Percy earls of Northumberland
- Neville earls of Northumberland
Why did Henry VIII re-establish the council in 1525?
These families were involved in complex feuds with each other and could not be relied on to keep the peace, especially since they were the first line of defence against a possible invasion from Scotland
Lord Dacre in 1525:
Fined £1,000 in Star Chamber for his tolerance of disorder in the North
When was an attempt to revive the Council of the North made?
1525
What was the attempt made to revive the Council of the North in 1525?
When Henry Fitzroy, the six-year-old illegitimate son of the king was made president of the Council
When did Fitzroy die?
July 1536
Why was Henry Fitzroy dying a problem?
Henry VIII was planning to make him Deputy in the North
When was the Law in Wales Act?
1535
Why did Thomas Cromwell begin a process to bring permanent changes in Wales?
Due to the lawlessness and the limitation of royal authority
Who did Thomas Cromwell appoint to act as the Lord President of the Council?
Rowland Lee
Who introduced the Law in Wales Act?
Thomas Cromwell