Maintenance 6 - Role of Gentry

Question 1

Why did the gentry and ‘middling sort’ play an increasingly important role in maintaining stability in the Tudor period?

Answer 1

• Their inclusion in the running of the Tudor state meant that they no longer provided leadership for rebellions, as had happened with Kett and Wyatt, but instead worked for the state.
• It can be argued that this change explains why rebellions after 1549 attracted such small numbers and why peasant rebellions, such as Oxfordhire in 1596, were so poorly led.

Question 2

How did the gentry impact political stability as JPs?

Answer 2

• Formed a pivotal link between the king and counties.
• Despite their existence in the 14th century, their work and numbers increased dramatically over the period 1485-1603.
• Absence of major rebellions after 1570 may not be solely attributed to their existence but they did ensure that the government was better informed and able to respond to local crises, such as the 1590s food shortages.

Question 3

What two main roles did gentrymen have as JPs?

Answer 3

• Judicial: They dispensed justice at a local level, committing to jail those who disturbed the peace and therefore preventing local disturbances from becoming rebellions. They could detain and punish rioters and resolve disputes between masters and servants.
• Administrative: They ensured that statutes were enforced, most importantly the price of grain during the food shortages and overseeing the welfare of the poor, both which were vital in the harsh economic climate of the 1590s.

Question 4

What impact did the increased role of the gentry have on them?

Answer 4

• Increased statue of the gentry, with some even becoming MPs, and moved them up the social ladder.
• Ensured that they had more in common with the ruling elites than the peasantry, encouraging loyalty to the state.

Question 5

Who were the ‘middling sort’?

Answer 5

• Men below the status of gentry, the yeomen farmers.
• Lower income than gentry but growing richer.
• Often largest landowners within villages and, as such, they were seen as the village elite.

Question 6

What roles did the ‘middling sort’ take on in the later Tudor period?

Answer 6

• Churchwardens
• Bailiffs
• Constables
• Overseers of the Poor

Question 7

What impact did the new roles of the ‘middling sort’ have on them?

Answer 7

• Gave them measure of local control.
• Increased their status within communities ensuring they had more in common with the higher orders of society.
• This did however mean they became suspicious of the poor and the threat they posed.

Question 8

What did the incorporation of the ‘middling sort’ into the national political culture mean for the Tudor government and stability as a whole?

Answer 8

• The government had an increasing number of men who put the state above local communities.
• This is demonstrated in the lack of support for the Oxfordshire rising in 1596.
• Those who held local offices had a vested interest in supporting the state and maintaining rather than challenging order.