How successfully did Henry VI strengthen central and local government?

Question 1

Henry’s aims in central/local gov

Answer 1

Although there had been progress in restoring ‘good government’ during the
second reign of Edward IV (1471-83) and Richard III (1483-85), Henry was
determined to ensure that law and order was firmly established after the
chaos of the Wars of the Roses. The problem was made worse as Henry lacked
experience of both the country and its government. However, most historians
agree that Henry was able to overcome the difficulties he faced and restore
government at national, regional and local levels

Question 2

Changes to central gov

Answer 2

The Council was chosen by the king and although there were over 200 councillors
during his reign, meetings were attended by a much smaller number, and
on most occasions he relied on an inner group so that the efficiency of
central government was improved

used smaller committees from within the Council, as Richard had done, but made the practice more frequent, with
the establishment of a Court of Requests, Court of General Surveyors and the Council Learned in the Law

did not rely on particular families, but instead drew his
chief advisors from the lesser landowners, gentry or professional classes
particularly lawyers, as was seen in the rise of men such as Reginald Bray
and Edmund Dudley

Question 3

Who was in the inner group of the council

Answer 3

This inner group was made up of: the
Lord Chancellor, Morton; the Lord Privy Seal, Fox; the Lord Treasurer,
Dynham; and five others

Question 4

How did council differ little from Yorkist system

Answer 4

most were either
members of the nobility or the Church. However, some of the more
important members did come from the gentry

Question 5

Why did Henry not rely on particular families

Answer 5

In order to exploit his finances the king needed
experts in property law and administration and therefore needed men of
ability, rather than just birth.

Question 6

Hatred of the Council Learned in the
Law

Answer 6

hated by many because of its links with bonds and
recognisances, supervising their collection. This hatred became even more
pronounced after 1504 when, under the joint leadership of Empson and Dudley,
it ensured that royal rights were thoroughly enforced, causing much resentment.
Although there were some changes to the Council, particularly with the
establishment of committees, it was the exploitation of royal rights that was
the most noticeable change and caused such hatred that Empson and Dudley
were soon removed and executed by Henry VIII on his accession

Question 7

How did Henry ensure that the authority of central government was upheld
in the outlying regions of the country

Answer 7

developed the Yorkist
use of regional councils in the north, Wales and Ireland. These were
the peripheral regions of the country where royal authority had been
traditionally limited.

Question 8

Council of the North

Answer 8

At first, Henry had used the Earl of Northumberland to act as his deputy
in the north, but following his death during the Yorkshire rising
Henry appointed the Earl of Surrey. The Council of the North not only had
responsibility to defend the northern border, but also had administrative and
judicial power so that the law could be enforced quickly. However, the major
change was in practical terms as the Council in London closely watched the
Council of the North’s activities and Henry ensured that the members of the
Council were appointed by him, rather than Surrey, thus ensuring greater
loyalty and enforcement of royal will.

Question 9

Council of Wales

Answer 9

Wales had been a particularly unruly area during the Wars of the Roses
due to the absence of continuous and effective rule from London. Although
Edward IV had established the Council of Wales and the Marches in
1472, no attempt had been made to create a single system of counties and
lordships, or abolish the privileges of Marcher lords, though it had brought
some improvement in restoring a degree of law and order. Henry revived the
Council in 1493, under the nominal head of his son Arthur, and with the
king’s Welsh connections and the death and loss of lands by a number of
Marcher lords he was able to increase his control.

Question 10

Council of Ireland

Answer 10

Ireland, as Yorkist stronghold, was a particular problem for Henry. Direct
English control in Ireland was limited to an area around Dublin, known as
the Pale; outside of this area it was the influence of the major Irish families,
such as the Kildares, that held sway. Although Poynings’ Law was passed in
1494, stipulating that Irish parliaments could only be called and pass laws with the prior approval of the king, other attempts to increase his authority were limited in their success, Sir Edwand Poynings, Henry’s deputy in Ireland,
failed in his efforts to bring Ulster under greater control. Attempts to
increase control in Ireland would be costly and therefore Henry was
forced to rely on its rule through the traditional families, with the Earl of Kildare,
being restored as Lord Deputy.

Question 11

Edward IV mistakes in attempting to restore law and order

Answer 11

The Wars of the Roses had seen the breakdown of law and order in many
areas and Edward IV had been forced to address this. In doing so he had
relied on a number of powerful families, but this reliance had given them
enormous amounts of power and influence which meant that they could, any
often did, ignore royal commands

Question 12

why Difficulties in ensuring laws were obeyed

Answer 12

lacked paid officials in the localities to enforce his laws, and instead had to
rely on the support of the nobility and gentry to carry out his wishes. Henry
was content with this provided they upheld the law and did not disobey it
themselves, and relied on men such as the Earl of Shrewsbury in the West
Midlands and Lord Hastings in the North Midlands

Question 13

Developing the office of Justice of the Peace

Answer 13

This was
not a new position, but in the past these unpaid officials had been either
under the influence of larger magnates or had used the system to further
their own interests. However, these problems were lessened by the system of
bonds imposed on both nobles and gentry who held such offices. Justices
of the Peace were appointed annually, and as under Edward IV, Henry VII
continued to choose men from the second rank of landowners, meaning that
their loyalty was more assured and further weakened the power of the greater
nobles

Question 14

What new things did the role of JPs include

Answer 14

implementing social and economic statutes
# dispensing justice and trying criminal offences
upholding public order
# replacing suspect members of juries
# acting in cases of non-capital offences without a jury
# rewarding informers
# arresting and questioning poachers
# empowered to grant bail.

Question 15

Weakness of JPs

Answer 15

Although their power was greatly extended by Henry, JPs were still dependent
on other officials bringing offenders to them. However, local officials were
often reluctant to act as it made them unpopular and local offices were
frequently left unfilled. As a result, Henry was heavily dependent upon
goodwill to ensure justice was implemented.

Question 16

Parliament

Answer 16

not a permanent feature of government. The
king could summon, dissolve and prorogue it when he wished. It was called
when the king needed money or to pass laws. As today, it was composed of
two Houses, the Lords and the Commons, but the Lords were seen as the
more important House and the election of members to the Commons was
made by a very small, but wealthy electorate

Question 17

Limiting Parliament in Henry’s reign

Answer 17

The fact that parliament met only seven times during Henry’s reign and
that four of those occasions were in his first decade is a clear indication of
its limited role

even when parliament met, the meetings were usually brief

Question 18

Why limited role of Parliament

Answer 18

Henry wanted to avoid asking the country for money as it could cause
disquiet, as happened in 1489 and 1497, and therefore found other ways to
raise funds
Henry avoided war as much as possible so needed to raise less money.
- Parliament was used to pass Acts of Attainder and much of these were
either at the start or end of his reign.
- Parliament’s role as a court of law was being fulfilled by other courts, such
as the Council Learned in the Law

Question 19

When was Parliament used

Answer 19

Henry did use it to help establish and uphold law
and order. It was used to pass Acts of Attainder against nobles, to uphold
Henry’s claim to the throne and to define the responsibilities of JPs

Question 20

What was Henry’s major concern

Answer 20

to restore law and order as this would
bring stability and therefore support after the unrest of the previous years

Question 21

How successfully did Henry VI strengthen central and local government?

Answer 21

Although there were still problems, such as poor communications or the
reliance on unpaid officials to implement policies at a local level, much had
been done to improve the situation. Men were increasingly willing to take
on roles such as JPs as it brought them social prestige and increased status.
As a result, strong leadership from the king, increased central control and
the careful selection of officers meant that law and order was more firmly
established than it had been at the start of the reign