Role of Secretary and Lord Lieutenants

Question 1

Development of the role of the Secretary (Cromwell 1934)

Answer 1

1. When Cromwell took office the secretary was essentially a member of the Household, whose importance lay in access to the king combined with an intimate knowledge of royal affairs.
2. First became important in the 1530s under Cromwell – personal access to the monarch with control of the privy seal; very influential, extended influence to virtually every area of public life and in doing so set a precedent for later secretaries.
3. Status recognised in the 1539 Act of Precedence, where it was listed as one of the great offices of the realm.
4. Cromwell became Henry VIII’s Secretary in 1534 and manipulated his position to become most powerful man in the country – controlled council meetings, detailed knowledge of Henry’s day-to-day business.

Question 2

What caused the downfall of Cromwell in 1540?

Answer 2

Declined in political importance – split between Thomas Wriothesely and Ralph Sadler; ensured no man could gain too much power or exploit position to his own advantage, also the duties of the Secretary increased as government became larger and more complex.

Question 3

Development of the Role of Elizabeth’s Secretary

Answer 3

William Cecil transformed post of secretary (1558-72) – professional bureaucrat who served in the reign of Edward VI, trusted by Elizabeth.

• Secretary was a member of the Privy Council and responsible for day-to-day running of the government on the Queen’s behalf – pursued by ambitious men who could build up power through access to the monarch.
• Cecil used the job to build up a network of supporters as he had access to the queen’s correspondence which included information and positions available as well as requests – ensured that patronage was distributed to his own clients, and no to his rival’s, the Earl of Essex.

– JOBS: Be tactful with the queen, ensure Council meetings and government were well run, controlled all written communication to and from the Queen – closest thing in Elizabethan government to a chief minister.

– Dangerous job, very exposed – William Davison imprisoned after sending Mary, Queen of Scots, death warrant.

-Sir Francis Walsingham held the post for 17 years (1573-90), appointed Robert Cecil in 1596.

Question 4

Why was the role of The Lord Lieutenant created?

Answer 4

Prior to the mid 16th century, local government was carried out by the ‘middling sort’ – presiding over legal cases as JPs, collecting taxation, upholding law and order, and raising armies.

• Gave power to land owners, and was possible for them to rise up against the monarchy e.g. War of the Roses.
• Equally, they were capable of manipulating the local legal system to benefit their family and friends.
• These men were unpaid and not necessarily suited to the roles – system of Lord Lieutenants developed as part of the monarch’s attempt to solve these problems, especially recruitment of royal armies and royal control of the regions.

Question 5

Development of the role of the Lord Lieutenant.

Answer 5

Improvement of military recruitment and extension of royal power into the localities via the LLs began under Henry VII, as a response to demands of foreign war and threat of domestic rebellion – recruitment of noblemen.

• First LLs appointed during war with France and Scotland 1512-13, 1536 issued commissions to deal with threat posed by Pilgrimage of Grace – temporary responses to invasion
• 1549 Duke of Northumberland, Protector of Edward VI, appointed members of nobility as LLs to deal with threat of rebellions that year – policing and military role at local level.
• Mary I – further attempt to formalise this system, war with France caused her to divide the country into ten
  lieutenancies, with each Lieutenant being responsible for defence of their region and military recruitment. System
  ended after threat of French invasion finished in 1558.
• Elizabeth I – post of LL became permanent, as a response to war in Spain 1585. LLs appointed to each county with a deputy, responsible for recruiting, organising and disciplining armies. Harnessed most powerful men, the nobility, in the service of the Crown.
• Nobility became answerable to the monarch, raising national armies, not private armies.
• Members of the Council acted as LLs – enhanced link between central government and localities.
• LLs also gained information about local conditions – recruitment and military organisation ran more smoothly.
• Possible for local communities to close ranks against LLs – happened in Suffolk and Wiltshire in 1590s.
• The LL was not really an innovation, because it relied on the nobility in their traditional military role.