Royal authority and government in the 1530s Flashcards
What did Elton say about government reform during the 1530s?
He said it underwent a:
- Constitutional revolution - Henry became head of church and state and royal authority was extended over Wales and semi-independent regions
- Political revolution - Parliament was more important
- Bureaucratic revolution - privy council becomes driving force of gov, and developed specialised departments of gov appear (e.g. financial courts)
What do critics have to say about Eltons 3 opinions?
Gov didnt undergo a:
- Consitutional revolution - Crown already had significant influence over church appointments and emergency taxation
- Political revolution - Parliament only developed cuz king needed its support but it was used less with other Tudors
- Bureaucratic revolution - Gov remained personal, reflecting interests of monarch and some specialisation had already taken place in medieval period, and not all Cromwells reforms were long term
What was different about Henry VII’s and Henry VIII’s councils?
Henry VII - LARGE Royal Council of nobles, clergy and kings household staff
Henry VIII - small privy council of 20 people containing only trained lawyers, bureaucrats and advisers
What was the importance of the privy chamber?
It was where the Tudors managed national finances , as opposed to using the Treasury/exchequer
- This gave monarchs significant control over day-to-day decisions about all aspects of income and expenditure
What departments did Cromwell create to manage revenue made by the break with Rome ?
- Court of Augmentations: controlled land and finances previously under control of the Catholic Church
- Court of General Surveyors: previously handled ex-monastic land but later joined with Court of Augmentations
- Court of First Fruit and Tenths: Collected money previously sent to Rome
- Court of Wards: Collected money from wardships
How did the King’s advisers change during the bureaucratic revolution?
They started to comprise of professional administrators like Wolsey/Cromwell, rather than untrained members of the nobility and clergy
What was Cromwells reasoning behind the Act in Restraint of Appeals in 1533
He said that historically, the King was supreme in his own lands and that England was a single, unitary independent political body with all power derived from the monarch, not the pope
Was England independent from the pope in the early 1530’s?
No as the king was still subject to Pope’s views in matters regarding religious doctrine
Give evidence to suggest an uneven spread of royal authority across England
- Durham was governed by a semi-independent ruler
2. Wales was not independent but it was never legally made part of the English legal system of government
What acts did Cromwell pass, in order to try to extend royal power more firmly across the kingdom ?
- Act of Union with Wales (1536): Reorganised local government in Wales
- Act against liberties and Franchises (1536): Removed special powers from nobles in remote areas
What did Cromwell use to enact the legislation needed to legalise the break with Rome?
Parliament
Was parliament a regular part of government before the break with Rome?
No
Although statute law was recognised as the highest form of law in England, the King could still rule by proclamation on many issues
What was the role of Parliament before the break with Rome?
To collect taxes
Why was there friction between Parliament and the Crown, during Wolseys period in power?
There was friction because of Henry’s expensive foreign policy
What does king-in-parliament refer to?
It refers to government by the king, with some functios carried out by parliament
