Society Flashcards
What was society like at the end of the 15th century ?
- very layered
- little had changed from the feudal system
Which groups of people made up the most of society ?
-Landowners and senior churchmen
What group of people did society witness the growth of ?
- Bourgeoisie
- Became increasingly important in London and Bristol
What was the impact of the Black death on 15th century society?
- Increased economic pressures
- Increased social mobility
- Created alarm amongst conservative upper classes, who were attempting to uphold traditional values.
What did upper classes pass to uphold traditional values ?
- Sumptuary Laws
- Regulated how people should dress, depending on their social status
What was the nobility’s importance depended on ?
Their landownership
What were peerage families ?
- Members of nobility
- Died out on a regular basis but were replaced by those who bought the kings favour
- Crown relied on them for maintenance of order in countryside
Which two nobles did Henry VII trust ?
- Earl of Oxford
- Lord Daubney
What was Bastard Feudalism (Retaining) ?
- Key to the nobles power
- Nobles recruited people (retainers) for services
- Included accounting and military
- Retainers might have received rewards
Why didn’t Henry like Bastard Feudalism ?
- Could be used against the crown
- Could be used to bring unlawful influence on others in a court case
What was Henry cautious about with retaining ?
-Loyal retainers were essential to maintain the Crown’s security
What laws were passed against Retaining ?
- 1486- MP’s required to take an oath against legal retaining or being illegally retained
- 1487- law against retaining
- 1504- licenses for retaining, ordained by king in person
Who was fined for illegal retaining and how much ?
- Lord Bergavenny
- 1506
- £100,000
What was the role of the Gentry ?
- Great landowners
- Sought knighthoods
- Made up JP’s
- Not a fixed caste
How many knights were there in 1470 ?
375 knights 1470
Who was the most important member of the gentry ?
-Sir Reginald Bray
How much land did peers and knights own ?
15-20% of the country’s land
What was the role of Churchmen ?
- Church was a great landowner
- Religion was important
- Higher clergy like bishops, abbots or larger religious houses were important figures in politics
- Henry appointed bishops who had legal training
How did the Gentry vary ?
- Higher gentry has knighthood, coat of arms and lots of income
- Lower gentry were like yeomen
Who were the two most important Churchmen ?
- John Morton
- Richard Fox
Where was the king reluctant to appoint men from ?
-Aristocratic backgrounds
What was the top level of Commoner’s ?
- Middling Sort
- The Bourgeoisie
- Educated professionals (lawyers)
- Considerable influence
What was the lower level of Commoner’s ?
- Shopkeepers
- Skilled tradesmen
- Dominated town councils
- Played key role in guilds
What was the role of Yeomen ?
- Farmed substantial properties for an increasingly sophisticated market economy
- Had small amount of land
What was the role of husbandmen ?
- Kept smaller farms than yeomen
- Supplemented their income through employment by yeomen or gentry
What was the role of labourers ?
- Dependant for income on the sale of their labour
- Provided irregular income
What Regional Divisions were there ?
- Line across Teemouth to Weymouth- 3/4 of population lived below this line
- South and East of Line- Mixed Farming
- North and West- Pastoral Farming
Why were Londoners and Northerners jealous of one another ?
- Londoners looked down upon northerns for their perceived savagery
- Northerners envious of southern riches
How was Regional Identity reinforced by local government structures ?
- Justice administered at a county level
- County towns contained jails and churches
- Saints Cults placed importance on centres of pilgrimage such as Canterbury and Durham
What was Patronage ?
- Gave positions of power, titles and land
- Result of good and loyal service
- Not bestowed lightly
Who did Henry award Patronage to ?
- Those who supported him at and before Bosworth
- Earl of Oxford
- Jasper Tudor
- Reginald Bray
- Giles Daubney
What was Order of the Garter ?
- Significent honour for King’s closest servants
- Gave prestige but not power
How many Order of the Garter’s did Henry create ?
-37 Knights of the Garter created
Who did Henry award Order of the Garter to ?
- Earl of Oxford
- Reginald Bray
- Giles Daubney
Which two chancellors retained their position in the King’s Council for the longest ?
- John Morton
- William Warham
- Others include: Bray, Daubney and Thomas Lovell
What did a position as the King’s Councillor show?
- Sign of the King’s confidence
How was the Great Council used as a form of Control for the King ?
-Nobles couldn’t criticise the King for a policy, if they were included and had agreed
What was Acts of Attainder ?
- Loss of land and title
- Passed 138 times
- Can be reversed for good behaviour
Who received Acts of Attainder ?
- Thomas Howard (earl of surrey)
- Fought for Richard III at Bosworth
- Imprisoned and attained
- Took oath of allegiance and his title was restored
What were Bonds and Recognisances ?
- Bond was a written agreement in which people promised to pay a sum of money
- If they failed to carry out promise
- Recognisance was an acknowledgement of a debt that existed
Who received Bonds and Recognisances ?
- Marquis of Dorset
- Recognisances of £100,000
How many families gave bond and or recognisance to Henry during his reign ?
-36/62 families gave bond and or recognisances to Henry during his reign
What were Fuedal Dues ?
- Henry asserting his feudal rights over the nobility
- Warship- taking control of estates of minors and collecting profits till they were old enough
- Profit from arranged marriages
Who was fined for marrying without the King’s license ?
- Duchess of Buckingham
- Fined £7000
