role of secretary

Question 1

what is the role of the secretary

Answer 1

• prior to cromwell it was an administrative role
• controlled monarch’s day to day business
• originally part of the monarch’s household
• involved in dealing with correspondence and general paperwork

Question 2

Cromwell’s impact(1534-1540)

Answer 2

• transformed the role from an administrative one to one at the center of political importance in govt
• controlled council meetings and had detailed knowledge of Henry’s day to da business
• elevated the role and used his position to enhance his power
• had access to Henry’s correspondence - a potential threat?
• made clear that the role of secretary itself isn’t important but rather the personality of the person holding the role - needed to be ambitious and smart
• others afterwards weren’t as powerful - perhaps due to actions taken to prevent another cromwell wielding such amounts of power again
• had access to the monarch’s privy seal - used to make documents official - gives them royal authority - can sign documents from the monarch - extended influence to virtually every area of public life setting a precedent for later secretaries
• 1539 Act of Precedence - listed as one of the great offices of the realm

Question 3

wriothesley and Sadler (1540-1543)

Answer 3

• important in demonstrating the arc of significance
• falls significantly after cromwell
• growing workload of secretary meant the role expanded so had to be divided between 2 people
• or maybe monarchy wanted to protect the role from being
• neither men attempted to recreate the power of Cromwell - role therefore decline in significance - perhaps afraid of execution -

Question 4

role of secretary under elizabeth

Answer 4

• member of the privy council and responsible for day to day running of govt on queen’s behalf
• ensured council meetings were well run
• controlled all written communication to and from the queen

Question 5

william cecil (1558-1572)

Answer 5

• transformed role of secretary once again
• professional bureaucrat - served during Edward VI’s reign
• trusted by Elizabeth - very important to her
• politically active in the top levels of gov
• used the job to build up a network of supporters through his access to the Queen’s correspondence - inluded info and positions available as well as requests
• competent and able
  similar levels of power to cromwell but maybe was less self serving??
• controlled finances and intelligence services which were under direction of Francis Walsingham who gets promoted after Cecil steps down
• this set a precedent - role of secretary shifted around into different positions in council and government

Question 6

William Davison (1586 -1587)

Answer 6

• demonstrated the danger of the role of the secretary
• Elizabeth was hesitant to send Mary Queen of Scot’s death warrant and so entrusted it to Davison
• the council decided to act in the name of royal authority and send the warrant anyway despite knowing its not what Elizabeth wanted
• this angered Elizabeth - Davison was tried, imprisoned and fined for £10,000 - released in 1589 but never employed again
• was this a tactic to avoid responsibility - distancing herself from the mistakes of the government - demonstrates power balance

Question 7

arc of significance of the role of secretary

Answer 7

• not the job itself that is important but how the person in the role chooses to act
• Cromwell and Cecil had similar power bases but only Cromwell chose to elevate his power through exploitation whilst Cecil did it through building a network of patronage to his clients ad not his rivals , the Earl of Essex
• the prson holding the role needs to be ambitious and smart