‘The consolidation of royal authority, in the years 1487 to 1509, was due to Henry VII’s control over the nobility’. Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• Control of nobility was key to establish authority
• Authority was also established in other ways e.g. Pretenders / finances thus not solely due to this

Question 2

CONSOLIDATION DUE TO CONTROLLING NOBILITY

Answer 2

• Acts of Attainder - both
• Bonds + Recognizances - sanction
• Retaining
• Order of The Garter

Question 3

CONSOLIDATION DUE TO OTHER REASONS

Answer 3

• Actions at the start
• Dealing with pretenders: Burgundy - Intercursus Malus
• Due to large personal revenue
• Crown Lands
• Money from parliament

Question 4

Conclusion

Answer 4

• Actions at the start
• Dealing with pretenders: Burgundy - Intercursus Malus
• Due to large personal revenue
• Crown Lands
• Money from parliament

Question 5

Consolidation due to controlling nobility: Acts of Attainder

Answer 5

• family losing the right to possess its land and attended families would lose right to inherit its land
• reversible by good behaviour e.g.- passed 138 but reversed 42 / 9 passed against nobles
• Thomas Tyrrell - pay £1738 for reversal of him and father attainment: less noble thus more harsh

Question 6

Consolidation due to controlling nobility: Bonds + Recognisances

Answer 6

• Bonds: written agreement in which a sum of money payed if failed a promise
  Recognizances: formal acknowledgment of debt that already existed
• Guaranteeing good behaviours and keeps peace towards fellow subjects
• Thomas Grey - not trusted - support Richard in 1485: 1492 required to transfer all lands but 2 to trustees
• ‘terrifying system of suspended penalties’

Question 7

Consolidation due to controlling nobility: Retaining

Answer 7

• long held noble practise for recruiting gentry followers
• important part in WotR - saw them as a threat to power
• 1485: Lords and Commons had to swear to parliament on not retaining illegally
• 1504: proclamations insured nobles had to obtain special placard to retain

Question 8

Consolidation due to controlling nobility: Order of The Garter

Answer 8

• Significant honour reserved for the king’s closest servants
• Only given to close men / ultimate mark that henry favoured you over others
• No power or land needs to be given - only prestige
• Created 37 knights of garter / More than half = close associates: Giles Daubney + Robert Willoughby

Question 9

Consolidation due to other reasons: Actions at the start

Answer 9

• From 21st August 1485 - day before the Battle of Bosworth - anyone fought on Yorkist side = traitor
• Publicly rewarded may of his key supporters = 11 knighthoods
• Arranged for supporters to detain Elizabeth of York + Earl of Warwick - greater claim to the throne
  Daughter + nephew of Edward IV
• Coronation to take place on 30th October before meeting his first parliament on 7th November
  Right to parliament = heredity and not only because parliament had sanctioned it
• January 1486: married Elizabeth of York
  after everything - henry was able to ensure his consolidation not brought about by wife’s own claim

Question 10

Consolidation due to other reasons: Dealing with pretenders: Burgundy

Answer 10

• Intercursus Malus
• Located in present day Netherlands and Belgium - was a local power of England
• Not a great powers but important ally: majority of English exports - Antwerp + Bruges / under jurisdiction
• Wool exports went through Antwerp - key thus so was support of Burgundy
• Margaret Of Burgundy - Sister of Edward IV + R3 / last major torchbearer for Yorkist
• Margaret / Maximillian / Philip gave hospitality to Warbeck - he gained support
• Henry imposed a risky trade embargo w. Burgundy in order to ease Warbeck matters
• 1496: Intercursus malus - after Warbeck left in 1495 and brought trade embargo to an end

Question 11

Consolidation due to other reasons:
Due to large personal revenue

Answer 11

CROWN LANDS
- policy of bring back as much land as possible to the crown / land in 15th century = power
- 1486: act of resumption - removed all propertied granted away since before WotR (1455).
- JJ Gunn: estimates that the amount of crown land was x5 larger by latter years of reign

MONEY FROM PARLIAMENT
- First parliament: granted tonnage and poundage
- First two parliaments: passed many acts of attainders
- Others granted extraordinary revenue and enabled him to go to war e.g. fifteenths and tenths
- Made in 1487 / 1489-91 / 1491-2 and 1497 = £203,000
- Very important: helped him acquire wealth / showed stability + security he had within his reign