Society; Elites and commoners (not finished - changes to society sheet) Flashcards
What was the hierarchical structure present at the time of HVIII’s reign ?
Great chain of Being
What two groups represented the social elite which yielded considerable political and economic influence ?
nobles and greater gentry
By the end of HVIII’s reign, how many more peers were there than at the start ?
9 more
How many non-royal ducal titles did Henry promote ? ( Henry VIII elevated two non-royal individuals to the rank of Duke)
1) Norfolk
2) Suffolk
Henry VIII elevated two non-royal individuals to the rank of Duke, Norfolk and Suffolk, what role did their holders serve for the King ?
as soldiers and courtiers
Give an example of a member of the nobility who achieved their rank as a peer due to having a close family relationship with HVIII.
1) the King’s brother in law, Edward Seymour, was elevated to the earldom of Hertford
2) Suffolk, one of only 2 non-royal individuals Henry promoted to the rank of a duke in his reign, seems to have been promoted on account of the closeness of his personal relationship with the King
Give 2 examples of a time when Henry bestowed property to a noble to enable them to exert authority in a particular area.
1) Suffolk was provided with property in Lincolnshire after the rebellion there in 1536
2) John, Baron Russell, was raised to peerage and provided lands in Devon to bolster royal authority in the South West following the execution of the Marquess of Exeter
Give an example to show how noble households remained critical to the recruitment of royal armies
The Earl of Shrewsbury raised over 4000 men for the invasion of France in 1513
Give 3 examples of how the nobility was brought under tighter control of the monarch under HVIII’s reign
1) Duke of Buckingham was executed for treason on the vaguest of charges in 1521
2) Baron Dacre of the South was hanged like a common criminal in 1541 following conviction of murder
3) Lords Darcy and Hussey were executed for their roles in the rebellion of 1536
Roughly, how many gentry families were there in 1540 ?
5000
Roughly, how many knightly families were there in 1524 ?
200
The number of gentry __________ during the reign of HVIII.
increased
Give three 3 ways in which the gentry become more involved in local administration under HVIII.
1) increase in the number of JPs
2) members of the gentry were increasingly keen on their sons acquiring legal training
3) More laymen were becoming the Crown’s local administrators, before this, it was typically clergymen
What benefits could the laymen that were increasingly replacing clergymen as the Crown’s local administrators gain in this position ? (2)
through this income:
1) land ownership
2) gentry status
What economic change under Henry VIII led to a drop in real incomes for commoners ?
the rise in the rate of inflation
There was _______ change in the standard of living of commoners during the first 1/2 of the reign of HVIII.
little
What was the attitudes towards the Amicable grant of 1525 by the majority of commoners ?
ill feeling - exasperated by the drop in real incomes of commoners due to the rise in the rate of inflation in his reign.
The Great Chain of Being was still _______ in its structure under HVIII.
rigid
What was the only way in which commoners could stand up against the King and make their voices heard ?
outbreaks of disorder were quite common in the reign of HVIII.
