LOCALITIES Flashcards
the marcher regions during the Middle Ages and noble control
-during the Middle Ages, the marcher regions developed their own laws and customs
-nobility who ruled these areas gained lots of power and were quasi- kings in their dominance of the marcher regions
-had their own language and culture which meant they were more inclined to follow local leaders
wales law during henry vii and Henry VIII, AND why was control of wales important
crown controlled the principality of wales but…..
-wales had their own legal system (depended on the marcher lord’s power and control)
-in wales and its marcher regions it was possible to commit a crime in one lordship and escape justice by fleeing to another one
-welsh law allowed the continuation of blood fueds (meant area had a tendancy for lawlessness)
control of wales and marcher regions was vital for monarchs as it was still possible for powerful members of the nobility to use these militarised regions to build up their own power bases to challenge the monarchy
how did henry vii and Henry VIII attempt to secure conntrol of wales and its marcher regions pre 1530
-both attempted to secure control of wales through it’s marcher regions by using the council of wales and the marches
-the council was based at ludlow council and headed by royal family and most trusted nobility
-henry vii reinforced royal control in 1501 when his son prince arthur was sent to wales (was sent to create a more permenant presence of royalty in wales , but arthur died in 15020
-Henry VIII tried a similar tactic in 1525 with Mary
-it wasnt until cromwell rose in 1530s that a lasting solution to exxtending royal authority into wales and its marches was found (through the law in wales act)
the north from 1485-1537
-under threat of invasion from scotland (threat increased as north was remote with poor communication)
-council of the north governed 6 northern counties
UNDER HENRY VII
-as Henry VII was a usurper he had issues controlling the north as he was vunerable in attempts of invasion from rivals (and regions like york were loyal to Richard III)
-north had economic hardship
UNDER HENRY VIII
-key noble families in the north (like the Darces, cliffords and percey’s) had fueds with eachother, so were unreliable to keep peace
-attempted to revive the council of the north in 1525 when henry Fitzroy was made president of the council (was an illegitimate son of henry) but he died
-wasn’t until pog that royal intervention in the north began
what was the law in wales act 1535
cromwell transformed the structure of welsh government, and ended the traditional power of the marcher lords which meant for rest of tudor period wales remained under control of the crown:
-principality of wales and the marcher lordships were replaced with 12 english style counties
-emglish style sytem of local government introduced in each county (sheriffs, coroners, JP’s)
-banned the use of welsh in courts (interpreters had to be used in more remote regions of wales where mostly welsh was spoken, gentry already spoke English)
-each welsh county was allocated 2 MPS that participated in english parliament (for the first time)
what was the law in wales act of 1542
(cromwell had fallen from power and been executed by then)
built on 1535 act…
-introduced the system of english law into wales (ended traditional welsh sytem, including blood feuds)
-council of wales became a more formal body (president and vice president appointed by the monarch) and its powers included right to hear legal cases
-because of extension of royal control onto the marcher coun, there was little trouble during the tudor period, from what had previously been a provlematic area
how had the marcher council adapted by elizabeth’s reign
marcher council had adapted to include lord lieutenants
impact of law in wales acts on wales overall
-because of extension of royal control onto the marcher coun, there was little trouble during the tudor period, from what had previously been a provlematic area (reforms successfully extended power of the tudor monarchs)
why did thomas cromwell decided to remodel the council of the north
-henry viii’s inability to control the north became clear in 1536 when rebellion broke out in lincolnshire and spread northwards
-cromwell decided to remodel the council in 1537 to strengthen it’s power
how did cromwell remodel the council in 1537 and increase its authority
was the voice of the government in London, in the north….
-responsible for enforcing royal proclamations made to sheriffs and JP’s
-oversaw food supplies, regulated trade, organised local musters for military campaigns, oversaw private cases between individuals
-extended authority of council (so not only did it govern yorkshire but also durham, northumberland , cumberland and Westmorland), the permenant headquaters were in york
AUTHORITY INCREASED
-authority enhanced because the president was a bishop or member of nobility that came from the south of the midlands (they were impartial which was a bonus)
-councillers were given further power of their region as they were appointed as JP’S
-As a result of increased control the council of the north could overssee administration of the north, control border raids and hearcourt cases to maintain local order
how did the remodelling of the northern council in 1537 reduced the pwer of the traditional northern lords
reduced the power of the traditional northern lords as the position of northern nobility was undermined as royal power was extended
how did elizabeth try to change the northern council
tried to put more southerners in the council (caused resentment among northern nobility and contributed to the outbreak of rebellion in 1569), shows council didnt have complete control of the north the whole tudor period after reformation of council
how did boroughs increase throughout elizabeths reign
-191 boroughs by the end of elizabeths reign with the right to send 2 MPS to parliament,
why was the house of commons expanding whilst the house of lords decreased (and how many members did each have in 1547)
-Henry VIII cut the number of lords in half after the dissolution of the monasteries (had 57 members in 1547)
-the increase in the house of commons was due to the increasing population leading to an increase in borough constituencies being created (had 342 members by 1547)
why did the number of MP’S rise in 1547
number of MP’S rose rapidly in 1547
(e.g during Edward the number of borough constituencies was 20 but by elizabeth the number of borough constituencies was 60)
imact of more lawyers and merchants being elected to parliament from 1547
due to an increasing number of MP’S not owing their seats to royal or noble patronage which enabled them to act independently in the House of Commons
-a radical group of MP’S emerged as a result (e.g Peter Wentworth and Thomas Norton)
(lawyers were skilled and confident enough to challenge the existing system and suggested areas for improvemet and reform)
why did borough representation grow in the tudor period
-number of borugh Mp’s grew due to pressure from the towns themselves (townsmen could ensure the interests of their community were promoted through petitions), growth of borough representation corresponded with growth of commons.
-before Mp’s werent actually townsmen, they were landed gentrys who didnt live in the towns they represent (this broke the lawcreated in the 15th century that stipulated that mp’s shuld live in the regionn they represent- but this was ignored by boroghs, gentry, nobilty to suit own interests)
-borugh Mp’s claimed a wage of 2 shillings a day for the time they sat in parliament (and claim back the costs of travelling), smaller / poorer boroughs looked to walthy gentry or novility to cover these costs to allow them to sit as Mp of choose their own candidate)
who were local gentry who were MP’s controlled by
many local gentry who became Mp’s were controlled by either a member of nobility of monarch as a part of a widespread sytem of patronage through which the crown extended its control over the localities
how would tudor monarchs use patronage
tudor monarchs would use the system of patronage to ensure that the MP’s and the commons did what they were told
gentry and nobility were keen to find opportunities to extend their power and the crown was happy to encourage this (patronage also became a reason why the number of boroughs increased)
patronage role in increasing borough representation and its challenges
on one hand tudor monarchs encouraged and allowed the creation of new borough seats becuase it kept the nobility/ gemtry happy which allowed increased manipulation of elections
on the other hand, As the number of MP’s rose so did parliamentry confidence, making it harder for the tudor monarchs to control debates (forced them to gain new methods of gaining control)
what factors contibuted to rising literacy rates in tudor england
-growth of humanist ideas promoting education
-etablishment of grammer schools for boys
-expansion of oxford and cambridge universities
how were boys and girls educated during the tudor period
boys attended grammar schools (free for all classes)
girls were educated at home (only wealthy families)
what were literacy rates in 1550 and 1600
1550: 80% of men and 98% of women were illiterate
1600: 72% of men and 92% of women were illiterate
how did literacy vary by region
North england: higher illiteracy among yeoman
midlands, east south: higher rates of literacy in yeomen
how did literacy effect the role of yeomen in society
before: in order ro voice opinions they led rebellions (e.g cornish rising in 1947)
after: joined local government, administered poor law and votes (used legal disputes instead of violence)
what was the role of justices of the peace
-jp’s were responsible for law enforcement, justice and administration in tudor england
-they could hear felony cases, arrest suspects, supervise prices and wages and enforce gov policies
how did the powers of JP’s increase under henry vii
-he appointed trusted courtiers (e.g sir thomas Lovell)
-1495 act: JP’s could act without a jury, replace corrupt jurors and investigate illegal retaining by nobles, examine complaints of corruption of sherriffs
why did Henry VII extend the role of JP’s
-because his position as a usurper made him particularly vunerable to rebellions and rival claimants
what reforms did wolsey introduce for JPs in 1526
-summoned JP’s to dicuss law and order
-made them complete a 21 section questionnaire about local justice
how did the number of JP’s and role change under Elizabeth
-increased from 25 per county (wolsey) to 40-90 per county by 1603
-became responsible for poor laws, riots, witchcraft and recruitment for war
how was there corruption emongst JPS and how was royal control strengthened as a result
-because nobility and gentry realised becoming a JP would be good for social advancement, there was an element of corruption (and gov intervention was limited)
-in royal control was strengthened by the appointment of leadeing councillers and from 1595 lieutenants to county benches
why were lord lieutenants appointed
lord lieutenants were appointed from 1585 because leading councillors as they had multiple responsibilities in tudor gov and couldn’t;t always be present
-from 1585 when war broke out lord lieutenants were responsible for raising armies
what were the responsibilities of JP’s by 1603
by 1603 there were 309 acts of parliament that placed responsibility of JPS….
-from 1580 could deal with felonies
-enforcing poor laws
-supressiong riots and witchcraft
-recruiting men for war from 1585 (as lord lieutenants)
-fixing wages and prices
-collecting alimentary subsidies
-control vagrants
-interior offences: damage to crops, drunkeness etc
how did tudor monarch’s use county benches
used county benches to insert members of their court into local gov (make them become JP’s)
impact of the powers of JP’s rising
through JP’s enforcement of poor law etc trhe power of the crown expanded aswell
how did the crown control JP’s
-monarchs carefully appointed Jp’s to ensure loyalty
-used them to enforce religious change and social policies
-royal judges monitored JP’s twice a year
what were challenges to JP authority
-corruption local gentry abused power)
-limited royal oversight (judges visited rarely0
-divided loyalties between the crown andf local interests
JP important role under Edward
played an important role in enforcing edwards religious changes (1549 JP’s were ordered to take an inventory of parish goods to expose who illegally took them and prosecute them, in 1552 they were ordered to enforce the second prayer book)
what was the crown’s two main sources of income
‘ordinary revenue’ (came from royal lands / monarch’s status as a landlord)
‘extraordinary revenue’ (taxation granted by parliament for monarch’s special needs)
what were the financial issues in the monarchy throughout the tudor period
-tension between the crown’s income and expenditure, leading to reliance on taxation
-the situation was made worse by extravegant expenditure
examples of extravegant tudor spending
-Henry VIII spent over £100,000 on hampton court and Whitehall
-in 1550s the royal household cost 75,000 per year to maintain
why was taxation problematic for the monarchy
would provoke unrest, especially with high taxation over longer periods, which effected poorer regions
-caused rebellions
3 tudor rebellions caused by taxation
-1489 yorkshire rebellion (henry vii)
-1497 cornish rebellion (Henry vii)
-pilgrammage of grace had some ties to taxation in the north of england
what taxation reform was introduced in 1530
1513 subsidy, a fairer tax system based on income rather than a fixed amount
how was taxation raised before 1513
the system was based on ‘fifteenths and tenths’, a medieval method unchanged since the 14th century
-it was accepted in this time that the tudor monarch could only be granted taxation in times of emergency (war or invasion)
-system of tenths and fifteenths was based on property, known as ‘moveable’s’, that could include both lands and other posessions
what was parliaments role in taxation pre 1513
only parliament could grant taxation, and only in times of emergency
how did the system of fifteenths and tenths work
-boroughs paid one tenth of the value of their property
-rural communities paid one- fifteenth of the value of their goods
-had been fixed since 1334 and raised 29,500 per tax cycle
why was the system of tenths and fifteeths ineffective by Henry viii’s reign, AND why was it unfair
INEFFECTIVE
-tax levels had been fixed for 150 years and did not account for inflation or economic changes (the crows income was insufficient to cover these expenses)
UNFAIR
-wealthy individuals could avoid paying their fair share and the poorest took the tax burden
-towns paid more than countryside, even though many were depopulated
-the countryside became wealthier due to expansion of the wool and cloth trade but paid less tax
how did the gov initially tried to solve the tax problem of the system of fifteenths and tenths
-granted multiple fifteenths and tenths but still failed to raise enough money (led to introduction of the 1513 subsidy)
how did henry vii use the system of fifteenths and tenths
-used traditional fifteenth and tenths
-in 1497 henry asked parliament for two tenths and two fifteenths
-parliament agreed to agreed to a new tax called direct assessment:assessed on an individuals wealth
-this combination of medieval taxation and experiment was successful in raising additional income for the crown (this experiments were repeated in 1504), raised an additional 80,000 and paved the way for innovation under wolsey
who created the 1513 subsidy
Thomas wolsey (was used by tudor monarchs for the rest of the period)
how was the subsidy more flexible than previous taxation
assesed individuals on their income and different sources of wealth (land, wages or possessions)
key features of the 1513 subsidy
-individuals were asessed on their wealth (but they could only pay in one tax category- the one in which they were wealthiest)
-seperate assessment for the nobility based on their rank
-officials were appointed in each county to asess each persons wealth (local official were respected members of society, JP’S
who assessed taxpayers under the subsidy system
local JP’s monitored by national commissioners
why was special assessment introduced for the nobility
-so nobles could be taxed based on rank, ensuring they contributed more
how much did wolsey raise from the subsidy between 1513- 1523
322,099, compared to 117936 from the fifteenths and tenths system
how was the subsidy better recieved than fifteenths and tenths
-it was fairer and reduced resentment as it taxed people based on wealth (and ensured that the wealthy contributed more)
how did wolsey’s subsidy inspire cromwell
-led him to develop subsidies further
-introduced the 1534 subsidy
significance of the 1534 subsidy under cromwell
was the first subsidy that requested for peacetime government expenses, not war (he justified this request stating that henry had successfully ruled and his subjects ought to support him)
what happened to subsidies under Elizabeth
-subsidies became less effective due to fixed rates, failure to adjust for inflation, corruption and outdated tax records
why did wolsey face difficulties in 1523 and 1525 (shows downfalls of subsidy)
-parliament refused to grant £800,000 that he requested, forced wolsey to negotiate a lower sum
-wolsey had agreed to payments of his subsidy by instalments but by 1525 9the date of the second instalment) most payments were late
(showed that even a new form of tax payments couldnt keep subjects and parliament happy
what did wolsey do to cover growing government costs in 1525
wolsey was forced to raise a non- parliamentary tax known as the amicable grant
what was the amicable grant and why did it fail
-a non-parliamentary tax in 1925 to fund a war
-led to mass protests in east anglia (10,000 men gathered to protest in suffolk), and wolsey was forced to cancel the grant
cow did corruption effect elizabeth’s subsidy system
-no oath was required after 1563 so taxpayers underreported their incom to reduce their amount of tax
examples of how wealthy individuals evaded taxation during Elizabeth’s reign
William cecil had an income of 4,000 per year but claimed £133
failures of 1513 subsidy
-1523 opposition wolsey faced
-amicable grant
-elizabethan era
-revival of fifteenths and tenths
how did elizabeth compensate for the failing subsidy system and what happened as a result
-requested multiple subsidies and revived medieval fifteenths and tenths
-e.g in 1601 she asked and was granted four subsidies and eight fifteenths and tenths (contributed to political tensions in 1590s, as she was forced to exploit royal perogative to fund her wars) HOWEVER she didnt face the same rebellion as Henry VII in 1498 and 1497 suggesting tudor england had maintained better control of the localities
what were the main causes of poverty in Tudor England
-population growth (increased steadily in 16th C, apart from 1550s decline due to influenza)
-rising prices and falling wages (infflation reduced the real value of wages, especially during bad harvests that increased food prices)
-dissolution of the monasteries (monastries had provided alms, food and shelter for poor)
-unemployment (due to enclosure, many agricultural workers lost access to land, leading to increased rural poverty)
what did economic hardship lead to
social unrest- monarchs feared poverty could start rebellion so they attempted to pass socio-economic laws
why was vagrancy and begging seen as a major problem in Tudor England
-vagrants were seen s lazy and blamed for their own poverty
-they didn’t fit under strict tudor social hierarchy making them a threat to social order as wandering vagrants could cause unrest through spreading rebellious ideas and engaging in criminal activity
-authorities attemped to control vagrancy by forcing beggars to return to their own parishes, reducing their movement and influence
-many vagrants were arrested for simply wandering showing the harsh tudor punishments for poverty
how did tudor monarchs respond to poverty and vagrancy
-LEGISLATION AND PUNISHMENT (passed laws punishing vagrants instead of addressing the cause of poverty)
-FORCED RELOCATION 9laws forced vagrants to return to their home parish to prevent the movement/ spread of their rebellious ideas)
-HARSH TREATMENT (arrested, whipped or branded to deter begging)
who was responsible for dealing with the poor
Parish officials, but there was little effective national policy before elizabeth 1st
what was the long term impact of poverty on Tudor England
-social divisions deepened due to inflation and falling wages
-local and national instability increasing fear of riots
-persistence of vagrancy forced later monarch’s like elizabeth 1st to pass poor laws (1598 and 1601)
-development of parish based welfare systems to tackle poverty
what action did Henry VII take agains beggars and the idle poor
-ordered beggars and the idle poor to be put in stocks for 3 days, whipped and returned to their origional parish
-shows that socioeconomic legislation before 1563 to control vagrancy was through punishment rather than relief)
-poor relief at this time was voluntary and relied on wealthy parish donations
what were the key feature of the 1531 poor law
-vagrants whipped as punishment
-the impotent poor could beg legally if liscenced by JP’s
-shows early distinction between the deserving and undeservig poor
what was the 1547 vagrancy act
-defined a vagrant as am able-bodied person iunemployed for 3 or more days
-first offence: a branded ‘V’ on the chest and they were foced to work as a slave for 2 years for the person who reported them
-was seen as as vey extreme and local authorities struggled to implement it to it was reappealed in 1550
how did the 1552 poor law change the system of poor relief
-required impotent poor to be registered for the firt time
-parish priests were expected to encourage wealthy donations to parish alms
-shows a shift to structured poor relief instead of punishment
how did the gov regulate wages and prices in the tudor period
-1536: comwell’s radical act required local officials to find work for beggars and organise collections from the impotent poor
-1548-49: laws passed against price and wage fixing
-1554;aw banned the export of corn when prices were high so that there were’nt food shortages
-increased intervention in the economy as a whole
what socio economic problems did elizabeth inherit
-poor weather and influenza epidemic leading to population decline and food shortages
-high prices due to lack of food leading to widespread poverty and vagrancy
what was the purpose of the 1563 statute of artificers
-it was the first gov attempt at a comprehensive social and economic policy
-placed enforcement of responsibility on the JPS
KEY PROVISIONS
-all unmarried people under 30 forced to work any job offered
-JPs could force labourers to work at harvest (if they refused they would be punished by doing stocks for 2 days and one night)
-all aged 12-60 required to work on land
-wage rates fixed by JP’s
-apprentaceships were set for 7 years (compulsory for skilled occupations)
why was the statuate of artificers significant
-lasted for the rest of the tudor period
-emphasised the importance of working under a master (reinforced social hierarchy)
-increased importance of apprenticeships
what were the limitations of the statuate of artificers
-backward looking (attempted to control wages like 14th C policies)
-did not resolves issues as later poor laws were needed (e.g 1572, 1576, 1598 poor laws )
-JPs kept wages low causing poverty (only after hardship in 1950 did wages rise)
-didnt prevent unemployment and vagrancy as it assumed work was available to all
how did wage control under the statuate of artificers contibute to poverty
-Jps kept wages low
-increased poverty over time which sparked poor laws
-gov didnt account of economic fluctuations and assumed work was always available
how did attitudes to poverty change under elizabeth 1st
-gov realised not all poor were lazy
-move towards compulsory poor relief payments (1563 poor act made contributions almost mandatory)
-severe attitudes remained towards unliscenced beggars- but shift in provbiding solutions and not just punishment
what did the 1563 poor act introduce
-made poor relief payments nearly compulsory and refusing to contibute could lead to imprisonment
-early sign that the gov was becoming more involved in poor relief
what were the changes the 1572 poor law made
harsher punishments for beggars (unliscenced beggars could have right ear bored through with a hot instrument, and it was harder to obtain a begging liscence as 2 jp’s had to sign)
-encouraged parishes to build houses of correction for vagrants and beggars
what were the economic and social crisises that effected england between 1594 and 1598
-multiple bad harvests due to weather leading to food shortages and price increase
-food prices were unaffordable
-outbreaks of the plague
-riots (london had riots, oxford attempted a rising against the lord lieutenants)
key features of the 1598 act for relief of the poor
-introduced an overseer of the poor in each parish (assessed the level of poor relief needed, collected and distributed relief, was supervised by JPS)
-local authorities took more responsibility for poor relief
significance of the 1598 poor law
-first national system of poor relief, and made local provision for the poor compulsory
-was a response to landowners fears of unrest during 1590s economic crisis
-formalised earlier local and national efforts (cooperation)
-was continued and revised in 1601 (was foundation of poor relief for centuries)
how did the monarchs relationship with the nobility during the tudors
-in 1485 nobility were military leaders who raised armies for the king AND land owners
-tudors limited noble power after war of the roses to prevent rebellion
-by Elizabeth’s reign nobles had to stay close to court to gain patronage (grants of lands, offices and titles)
-by 1603 nobility were reliant on noble favour
-gov aimed to control not eliminate the nobility(strengthened the links between the centre and localities)
how did the role of the gentry change under the tudors
-increased influnece as they took on local gov roles (JPs)
-looked to nobility for advancement but also gained greater access to royal patronage
-played a key role in maintaining law and order, strengthening crowns control over the localities
how did different monarchs control the nobility
HENRY VII
-distrusted the nobility as a usurper
-used loyal nobles to extend royal authority (e.g japser tudor in Wales)
-no open rebellion after 1497 suggests sucesss but resentment resurfaced after his death
HENRY VIII
-Saw nobles as friends and was more rusting
-rawarded nobles with generouly large grants of land and offices
-royal household became politicised
-patronage was controlled by close courtiers who advised Henry
why were royal progresses important
-increased royal visibility
-displayed powe and wealth
-stengthened direct contanct with the localities
-allowed monarchs to address grievances and deal with local instability
different monarch’s use of royal progresses
HENRY VII
-moved constantly in early years to assert control
-after bosworth he went on extended progresses to the midlands and north (areas most likely to challenge his rule as yorkist supporters)
-in 1487 and 97 he personally led armies against rebelions displaying local authority
HENRY VIII
-used less frequently but still important
-took his court on summer progresses to excape londons disease
-often visited hampton court or Richmond (in 1535 he toured the SW)
-prevented rebellion in SW 9n 1536 9whilst north who he neglected had POG)
EDWARD VI
-less common as he was too young
MARY I
-less common due to her poor health
ELIZABETH I
-revived progresses and went on them almost every summer
-used them to reinforce authority and saved money (stayed with nobles instead of paying for losing)
-travelled mostly in south near her royal palaces
-strengthened bond with her subjects and displayed royal power
