The development of the role of the Lord Lieutenant

Question 1

Why was the role of the Lord Lieutenant created? (Henry VII)

Answer 1

• Aimed to extend into local communities.
• Before the mid-16th century, nobility/gentry and increasing yeomen and artisans controlled local govt - gave considerable power to landowners which was critical for the monarch’s trust.
• Presided over legal cases as JPs, collecting taxation, upholding law and order, and raising armies.

Question 2

Issues with the current system before the creation of LL

Answer 2

• Abused the system - raising armies for themselves.
• Gave power to landowners - possible to rise up against the monarchy who was an usurper at the time.
• Able to manipulate the legal system to benefit family and their friends.
• Relied on local officials - often unpaid and not necessarily well-suited to their roles.

Question 3

Why has the role of the Lord Lieutenant developed over the Tudor period?

Answer 3

The role was developed over the period as part of the Tudor’s attempts to solve these problems, especially the recruitment for royal armies, and to increase royal control of the regions.

Question 4

The role of the Lord Lieutenants under Henry VIII

Answer 4

A response to the demands of foreign war and the threat of domestic rebellion - improving military recruitment and extending royal power

• 1512-13 and 1545 = sent commissions to the nobility to organise defence against the threat of France and Scot.
• 1546 = sent commissions to deal with the threat posed by the Pilgrimage of Grace as a temporary response to invasion.

Question 5

The role of the Lord Lieutenants under Edward VI

Answer 5

In 1549, the Duke of Northumberland, acting as the Protector of Edward VI, appointed members of the nobility as lieutenants to deal with the threat of rebellions, alongside a policing and military role at a local level.

Question 6

The role of the Lord Lieutenants under Mary I

Answer 6

• Further attempts to formalise the system, responding to the war with France.
• 1557-8 = Divided the country into ten lieutenancies with each being responsible for the defence of their region and military recruitment, after the gentry/nobility struggled to muster and recruit troops.
• Considered a temporary arrangement - system ended after the threat of French invasion finished in 1558.

Question 7

The role of the Lord Lieutenants under Elizabeth I

Answer 7

• Became permanent in response to war in Spain (1585-1604).
• Appointed to each county with a deputy to help their work - many appointments were for life, possibly because the war was long-lasting.
• Responsible for recruiting, organising and disciplining armies.
• Harnessed the most powerful men, the nobility, in service of the Crown.

Question 8

Positives of the LL in Elizabeth I’s reign

Answer 8

• Harnessed the most powerful men (nobility) for the service of the Crown - trad seen as the defenders of the country, raising national army troops, yet directly answerable to the monarch and could be punished if they disobied orders.
• Common for Council members to act as LL, enhancing the link between local govt and the localities, especially as the Council ran the war effort on Elizabeth’s behalf.
• Gathered information on local conditions, so recruitment and military organisation ran more smoothly.
• Enhanced the system of control.

Question 9

Negatives of the LL in Elizabeth I’s reign

Answer 9

• Possible for local communities to close ranks against LL, refusing to cooperate as happened in Suffolk and Wiltshire.
• Not an innovation, relying on the nobility in their traditional military role but did enhance ability to control the country more directly than before.