HVII - Main Info Flashcards
To corroborate
To support
Historiography
Historian’s opinions/the methods of writing history
Where was Henry VII’s royal blood from?
His mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of Edward III
What was Henry’s side in the War of Roses?
He was Lancastrian, but TRICK QUESTION: he did not want the war and so publicly supported no one
What was the state of the country in the time of Henry VII?
Conflict (civil war) of the Wars of the Roses (white Yorkist vs red Lancastrian)
Name some characteristics of Henry VII
-Pertinacious memory
-Wise
-Brave
-Tall and slender, but well-built
-Known to have an attractive and cheerful face
-Cavity-filled teeth, few and blackish
How was Henry VII crowned king?
On 22nd August 1485, at the Battle of Bosworth, in Milford Haven, Henry killed Yorkist King Richard III, and so placed the crown on his head found in a thorn bush
What was Henry’s main objective once becoming king?
Uniting the Lancastrians and Yorkists by marrying Elizabeth of York to make a red and white rose (Tudor Rose)
What was Henry’s main successes in his reign?
-Established a new dynasty after 30 years of struggle (Tudor)
-Strengthened the judicial system as well as the treasury
-Successfully denied all other claimants to his throne
-Left fairly secure and very wealthy monarchy
What did Henry die of?
Tuberculosis
What was the population of England in the time of Henry’s reign?
3 million
What was the % or rural to urban land in England?
90% rural, 10% urban
How long did Henry ruled for?
1/4 of a century
What was the livestock mostly farmed in hilly areas?
Cattle
Sheep
Pigs
Why was enclosure a concern for the poor?
Because they could eat the food for free in the fields as an open space to grow crops and feed
With enclosure, the land would be private and they could no longer do this
What was the attempted anti-enclosure law in 1489?
Since villagers were unhappy with increasing enclosure, since the farmed sheep were profitable, an attempt to pass an enclosure act to stop its spread was attempted, but failed
In Henry’s reign, how much had enclosed land increased by?
Only <3%
What was England’s main industry?
Cloth
How much of England’s exports was cloth responsible for?
90%
Where was England’s cloth mainly exported to?
Netherlands
Spain
Venice
Holy Roman Empire
Who controlled the cloth industry and why did Henry encourage it?
The Merchant Adventurers - because it brought money to the crown
Controlled export of finished cloth
Where did the best quality of cloth come from?
Western England (Welsh borders)
What was the Great Chain of Being?
Structural hierarchy system from medieval Christianity, believed to have been decreed by God, placing all matter of life into its place
Outline the Great Chain of Being
King (ruled under God)
Clergy
Nobles
Merchants
Commoners
Servants
Paupers
What was the role of the clergy?
Preach obedience and played as powerful governmental ally
Who were the nobles?
With just over 50 in number, nobles owned a lot of land and had a powerful influence over loyalties
King relied on their support to maintain law and order (especially primogeniture)
What were commoners’ main issue?
Enclosure and other changes in agriculture
How many earls did Henry create and what are they?
3 - a special honour to those loyal and supportive to him during his reign
How many ordained clergy and monks/nuns were there?
35,000 ordained clergy
10,000 monks/nuns
Was the Catholic Church wealthy?
Yes, owned 1/3 of land with considerable wealth
Who was the Pope?
Head of the Church
What is the Papacy?
Court of law
What is the Papal Curia?
Court of appeal
What did 1500s English people accept about the Catholic Church?
-Clergy active in community service spiritually
-Only formally ordained appointed priests conducted services by Latin Bible to interpret for listeners
-Submit to Church and complete 7 sacraments
-Save soul by regularly attending Church
What was the most common building across England?
Churches (the ‘social fabric’ of the community)
What fraction of English parishes were built/re-built during the 1400s?
2/3
Did people respect the Catholic Church?
Yes - respected and supported Church with gifts, jewels, etc
UNTIL
Henry VIII wants a divorce
What were the consequences of Henry VIII’s divorce scandal?
-Lead to reformation
-Focus changes to criticising the Church
With power came corruption, so some clergy were…
Absent from parishes
Immoral
Pluralists
Ignorant (didn’t recite the Lord’s prayer)
What was Professor A.G Dickens’ view on the criticism of the CC?
Due to faults and shortcomings that existed in some parishes
What have more recent historians concluded about the criticism of the CC?
Shortcomings were nothing new since the Church was primarily political
What has the Church been doing since the Norman Conquest?
Operated its own laws to try crimes involving priests/breaches of doctrine
Still active in 1400s but medieval kings did best to weaken power and Church independence
Which members of the Church sat in the House of Lords?
Bishops and Abbots, since Churchmen were highly educated individuals (skills as administrators valued)
Why did Henry work with the Church?
Powerful ally in case claim to the throne was challenged
What did Henry commission during the Renaissance?
New palace to be built at Richmond
New chapel built in Westminster Abbey (where he and Elizabeth are buried)
What arts did Henry encourage?
Music, writing and poetry - his own children received education reflecting the Renaissance
Who is Polydore Vergil?
Individual instructed by Henry to write a history of England up to Tudor rule
Why did humanists become involved in religious debate?
-Disturbed by poor quality of Parish clergy
-Wanted to improve their education standard
-Upset by exploitation of money in indulging for luxurious lifestyles, rather than promoting charitable works
Name some medieval humanist scholars/authors
Plato
Aristotle
Plutarch
What idea was reinforced by William Melton (Cambridge scholar)?
The shortcomings of Church were leading souls away from God
Who was Erasmus and what did he advocate?
-Dutch Humanist Scholar
-Advocated inward faith, with prayer and reflection, with focus example being Jesus
Who was Erasmus fond of?
-John Colet (English priest), who delivered lectures about St Paul’s clergy corruption
-John Skelton, who became tutor for Henry VIII
What did Erasmus’ book “The Adages” involve?
Made Roman proverbs relevant to his time, urging all to live good and with wisdom
Which king encouraged the printing press?
Edward IV
What did the printing press do?
Printed books in English for all to read, not just in Latin which only clergy and members of the Church could understand
What did the printing press help with?
The spread of new ideas and information, though early books in English were mainly myths
What was the main myth found in early books in English?
Thomas Malroy’s ‘King Arthur’
What did Henry VII and Henry VIII have in common?
Both showed little interest in new thinking and knowledge from the printing press
Preferred chivalrous stories over humanist publications
What did Henry VII’s creation of the King’s Printer encourage?
-Gentry and noble classes to read and assimilate wider culture
-More and more books published, expensively bought and shared (books physically and info orally)
-England becomes more literate nation
-Cultural Renaissance of Elizabeth’s reign
What was Richard III widely held responsible for?
The deaths of the Princes in the Tower (young Prince Edward V and Richard, Duke of York), his nephews
Why did Henry VII need to summon Parliament from time to time?
To get support, grant taxes and make laws
What is humanism?
Cultural and educational movement which emphasised the potential of mankind
What is a magnate?
Member of greater nobility e.g. noblemen, clergy, etc
Consolidated power through marriage and family links
What is primogeniture?
Inheritance law meaning property (estates) passed to eldest son or nearest male relative
What is arable farming?
Farming which produced crops using basic tools
Who were attainders?
The loss of rights when a man was convicted by parliament of treason or any other serious crime
Applied to man’s heir’s too and meant loss of family estate
What is the bastard line of descent?
A claim to the throne through illegitimate ancestors
Who is a cardinal?
One of the senior officials of the Catholic Church
What are custom duties?
Money paid on goods entering/leaving the country
What is dei gratia?
By the will/grace of God
What is enclosure?
Rearranging open fields into separated from each other by fences or hedges
What is feudalism and who introduced it?
System meaning the King owned all the land and distributed it among loyal servants; in return, attended court, provided armies & ran administration at central and local government
Introduced by William the Conquerer (Normans after 1066)
Medieval system
What is bastard feudalism?
When land was no longer the reward for military or other service, but services exchanged for money not land
Is an explanation of Wars of the Roses (social structure)
What were indulgences?
Roman Catholic belief that they could reduce time spent in purgatory if they purchased one (usually money given to the Church)
What is the Papacy?
Pope, Head of the Church, supreme authority over spiritual matters
Also recognised as a Court of Law
What is patronage?
Monarch granting land, gifts, offices or special favours to groups of people in order to retain their support (king becomes their patron)
What is poundage?
Taxes on exports
What is tunnage?
Taxes on imports
What is a royal progress?
A king’s journey around the country to meet his subjects
What is the meaning of ‘Rex est Lex’ and ‘Lex est Rex’?
Latin maxim - ‘the king is the law’ and ‘the law is the king’
What is a statute?
Laws passed by an Act of parliament
What is ‘retaining’?
Employing and maintaining servants
What is the Roman Curia?
Central government of Roman CC
What is a schism?
Literally ‘break’
England’s break with the Pope in Rome due to Henry VIII’s divorce
What is the Council Learned in Law?
Assumed control of all financial matters relating to Crown lands, investigated and judged cases of noblemen not paying their dues to the king
What is usurpation?
The seizure of the throne
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was to take the throne from the rightful King, Edward V
What is the meaning of ecclesiastical?
Relating to Christian Church and clergy
Name some things that continued from 1485 to 1603
-Rich/Poor difference, increased due to increased income from noble-landed property and gentry
-England’s economy still dominated by internal trade (agriculture still key to internal survival)
-Cloth industry still dominating
-Political structure
Name some things that changed from 1485 to 1603
-Support of CC went to its disappearance and criticism, along with its social and charitable institutions
-1485 England = small, European political player -> 1603 = major European power, beginning its world-domination process
-Becoming more ordered society by nobility flight from discomfort but secure medieval castles -> country houses of easy and comfort
-Monarchy changed 5x by force during 1400s, but was recovered under Tudor power where people enjoyed Edward I and II’s reigns
What national origin is the Tudor name?
Welsh
Why can much of the Tudor success be credited to the Welsh?
-Numerous in Henry VII’s army in Milford Haven
-Henry’s Welsh ancestry helped him recruit support of crucial military consituency
Who were the Welsh magnates who were the core force which faced Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth?
-Rhys Ap Thomas
-Jasper Tudor
What did Henry do in honour of the Welshmen who vastly contributed to his success at the Battle of Bosworth?
Named his first son Arthur, a Welsh name
What were the almost-immediate consequences of the decisive Battle of Bosworth?
-Henry took possession of London and summoned parliament
-Henry backdated his reign to the day before the Battle of Bosworth
Why did Henry backdate the start of his reign to the day before the Battle of Bosworth?
It was a legislative sleight of hand which enabled him to pass an ‘act of attainder’ against those who opposed him on Richard’s side at the battle (putting it under prosecuted treason)
What is an Act of Attainder?
A statute declaring named individuals guilty of treason and subjecting them to a range of penalties (most importantly, confiscation of all property)
How were the Yorkists told to demonstrate their loyalty to Henry after the Battle of Bosworth?
Were thronged to attend Henry’s coronation
What were the two reasons that Henry married Elizabeth of York?
-To join the conflicting dynasties to prevent further civil wars
-To add to perceived legitimacy of their children
Why was winning the Battle of Bosworth not enough sanction for Henry to accept himself as king?
Because of dei gratia - he wanted spport of the Papal Curia (power of CC) and wanted to finalise his idea of God making his decision to be king in the battle
How many legs was Henry’s Royal proogress?
3
Why did Henry set out on a 3-leg royal progress?
-To display himself in person as king
-To gain support across the nation
What was included in Henry’s 1st leg?
BONES AND MUSCLES
HAHA JOKING
Up north to York, Cambridge, Lincoln, Nottingham, Doncaster
What was included in Henry’s 2nd leg?
Midlands to Bristol
Nottingham
Birmingham
Worcester
Gloucester
What was involved in Henry’s 3rd leg?
Country down Thames Valley to London
Abingdon, Westminster by June
Who were Viscount Lovell, Humphrey Stafford and Thomas Stafford?
Gentlemen who availed themselves of ecclesiastical sanctuary after fighting for Richard at Battle of Bosworth
Were captured, broke out and tried to raise support against Henry in Yorkshire and Worcestershire
What did Henry do with the councillors after he became king?
He replaced those close to Richard, but kept the majority of them since they had experience
What was Henry’s foreign policy with France?
Had a short-term truce with France, omitting any reference to French claim
What did Henry do to the Earls of Warwick and Lincoln?
Imprisoned Warwick
Let Lincoln join council
How did Henry control the north after they were known to side with Richard at the Battle of Bosworth?
The government of York was left in the hands of local lords
How did Henry resolve France trying to invade Brittany (independent)?
Use army to put down rebellions to invade Brittany
How did Henry avoid danger from France?
He mounted a limited invasion
How did Henry get back at Perkin Warbeck’s attempt to make a great claim for the throne?
Banned British trade with the Netherlands
How did Henry deal with the Cornish Rebellion?
He lead an army himself to stop them and crushed the rebels, killing around 1000 in total
What did Henry do to Warbeck and Warwick?
Had both of them executed
How did Henry deal with the Rebellion of an Irish boy being crowned king of England by playing one of Edward IV’s nephews?
Raised troops immediately and imprisoned Simnel
What did Henry do to Earl of Oxford after he raised his own private army, appearing as an indirect potential threat to Henry?
Charged him with breaking the law (no private armies)
What does it mean to consolidate power?
To secure position in power
What were some weaknesses of Henry as king?
-Avaricious (greedy)
-Kept his distance
What did Henry rule with?
Sober statesmanship (clear vision, aware)
What are some differences between characteristics of 21st century monarch against Tudor monarch?
21st century = peaceful, constitutional, less involved, reserved
Tudor = brave, bloodthirsty, dominant, Catholic, exercising power and opinion freely, ‘The king is the law and the law is the king’
What did Henry learn from the Wars of the Roses?
-Importance of strong allies
-Factionalism is not the way forward, puts country at constant risk of civil war
-Wars cause economical crises
-Peace is vital
What was the Sir William Stanley conspiracy and what resulted from it?
-Henry’s spies said he had contact with Warbeck and conspiring with him, and so was charged and arrested
-Was hung for treason
Did Lord Lovell and the Staffords have support within England in their rebellion against Henry?
Mostly northern, since it was on behalf of Richard Yorkist supporters in north riding of Yorkshire
What was the result of the Lovell and Stafford rebellion?
-Lovell escaped captivity
-Humphrey Stafford captured and executed
-Thomas Stafford pardoned
What happened regarding Lambert Simnel and Earl of Lincoln?
-Simnel figurehead of Yorkist opposition, convincing people he was the young Earl of Warwick
-Support from Margaret o Burgundy
-John de la Pole (Earl of Lincoln) organised the whole thing
What was the result of the pretender Simnel as Earl of Warwick?
-Real Earl of Warwick revealed from Tower imprisonment, humiliating Lincoln
-Simnel becomes cook in Henry’s kitchen
-Battle of Stoke
Why is the Battle of Stoke Field considered as a turning point in history?
-Considered last battle of Wars of the Roses
-Lord Lovell & Lincoln commanded Yorkist side
-Henry’s Royal forces commanded by Earl of Oxford
-Yorkists lose, rebellion ends
What caused the Yorkshire Rebellion?
-Henry made subjects angry by increasing taxation due to foreign wars
-Anger made them murder key figure Earl of Northumberland
How did Henry deal with the rebellion?
-Dealt with it quickly
-Kept it contained
-Stopped taxation on foreign wars
Who was the infamous Perkin Warbeck?
-Man who used his charisma to convince many he was Richard, Duke of York
-Convinced King of France, Margaret of Burgundy and James IV of Scotland (foreign support, patronage)
-Persistent for 8 years and was constant thorn in Henry’s side
How did Henry end Warbeck’s little throne games?
Confined him in Tower and then had him executed
Why was the conspiracy of Sir William Stanley working with Warbeck against Henry such a shock and pain to Henry?
-Worked in heart of government, important courtier
-Was Henry’s step-uncle
-William and other Stanleys fought on Henry’s side at Battle of Bosworth
-Head of Henry’s household (trusted him greatly)
What did Henry do in response to William’s conspiring?
Had him executed due to Henry’s hurt
Why did Sir William Stanley admit the offence, though the evidence for his treason was circumstantial?
He hoped that through a full confession he would escape execution
What caused the Cornish Rebellion?
-Henry again raised taxation for foreign war with Scotland
-Cornish couldn’t understand why they were paying for the war that was all up north when they were down south on the coast
What happened in the Cornish Rebellion?
-15,000 ordinary people marched up to London to protest against the raise in taxes
-Henry led forces to stop rebels on his own out of Tower of London
-1000 rebels killed
-Henry stops taxes
Why was the Earl of Warwick such a threat to Henry’s existence on the throne?
-Had strongest claim to throne
-As he got older he could become a potential political threat to Henry
-His existence was intimidating
How did Henry deal with his worries about Edward, Earl of Warwick?
Had him beheaded at 24 years old
Why were the existence of Edmund and Richard de la Pole threatening to Henry VII?
-Yorkist links to throne
-Potential threats
-Margaret of Burgundy as strong ally
-Younger brothers of Earl of Lincoln (might want revenge)
What happened to the de la Pole brothers?
-Edmund executed
-Richard in exile, hence nickname the ‘White Rose’ (for long time in exile as if treated like an enemy Yorkist)
