The government of Henry VII and threats to his rule Flashcards

1
Q

How serious a threat was Simnel to the dynasty? (1486-87)

A
  • support of Margaret of Burgundy
  • 8000 Irish mercenaries
  • claiming to be earl of Warwick
  • Earl of Lincoln sided with him
  • biggest threat due to a clearer claim
    and most support
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2
Q

How serious a threat was Warbeck to the dynasty?

A
  • pretending to be Richard IV of York
    (one of the tower children)
  • foreign support from M.O.B, French,
    Scottish and HRE (Maximilian)
  • cut of cloth trade to stop support
    (big source of revenue)
  • couldn’t dispute his claim
    -Plotters eventually executed.
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3
Q

What year was the Yorkshire rebellion?

A

1489

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4
Q

what caused the Yorkshire rebellion?

Why were Yorkshire particularly annoyed?

A
  • It was the result of henry’s attempts
    to raise money to aid Brittany in its
    struggle against France.
  • Bad harvest in 1488.
  • other northern counties had been
    exempted from the tax because
    they were expected to defend
    northern border against Scottish
    attacks.
  • less concerned about about
    invasion from France than other
    Southerly counties -> indication of
    localism + regionalism rather than
    national feeling (big impact on
    politics at time).
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5
Q

What happened at the Yorkshire rebellion?

A
  • Henry refused to negotiate.
  • When Earl of Northumberland tried
    to collect tax he was murdered (had
    an apparent support for tax +
    illustrated by Yorkists?).
  • Rebellion led by sir John Egremont.
  • Rising easily crushed by royal army.
  • BUT money not collected.
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6
Q

What did the Yorkshire rebellion teach Henry?

A
  • Ruling the north required
    compromise as royal authority was
    weak.
  • Henry recognised this and
    appointed Earl of Surrey as his
    representative in the north.
  • he was trustworthy as he had no
    vested interest there and secure
    loyalty.
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7
Q

What year was the Cornish Rebellion?

A

1497

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8
Q

What caused the Cornish rebellion?

A
  • Threat from Scotland -> James IV
    sought to aid Perkin Warbeck and
    invade north of England.
  • Cornish -> no interest in events do
    geographically far away.
  • saw little reason why they should
    pay taxes to fund a war on Englands
    North border.
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9
Q

What happened at the Cornish Rebellion?

A
  • rebels assembled in Bodmin (May
    1497).
  • There numbers swelled as they
    marched through the country
    (15,000 supporters.)
  • This showed large dislike of tax on
    big scale.
  • Henry took no chances, 25,000 royal
    army crushed the rebel force at
    Blackheath.
  • Some rebels cleared of before they
    reached London (fear)
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10
Q

What was the king’s council?

A
  • part of Central government
  • Advisors chosen by king
    (trustworthy)
  • 200 councillors.
  • meetings were attended by a much
    smaller number and on most
    occasions he relied on an inner
    group so that the efficiency of the
    central government was improved.
  • eg. lord chancellor Morton, Lord
    privy Seal Fox, Lord treasurer
    Dynham.
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11
Q

What were the committees from within the council?

A
  • Court of requests.
  • Court of general surveyors.
  • Council learned in the law.
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12
Q

How did henry VII use the committees within the kings council optimally?

A
  • Henry did not rely on particular
    families but instead drew his chief
    advisors from the lesser
    landowners, gentry or professional
    classes. (mostly lawyers)
  • Henry needed men of ability in
    order to exploit his finances.
  • Didn’t give large rich families more
    power.
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13
Q

What was the court of requests?

A
  • Part of the royal council
  • Dealt with individual requests from
    ordinary people.
  • Gained nickname “court for poor
    mens causes”.
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14
Q

What was the court of general surveyors?

A

This checked the revenue coming in from crown lands and those lands of which the king was feudal overlord.

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15
Q

What was the council learned in the law?

A
  • Deals with problems concerning
    royal lands and rights.
  • Staffed by men with legal expertise
    and was important in enforcing
    bonds and recognisances.
  • B + R Feared and hated by end of
    henry’s reign.
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16
Q

What was the purpose of the regional government?

A
  • To ensure that the authority of
    central government was upheld in
    the outlying regions of the country.
  • Henry developed the Yorkist use of
    regional councils in the north, Wales
    and ireland.
  • These were the peripheral regions
    of the country were royal authority
    had been traditionally limited.
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17
Q

What changed in the council of the north to help restore royal authority?

A
  • Council of the north deputy Earl of
    northumberland killed during
    Yorkshire uprising, replaced by Earl
    of Surrey.
  • To help restore royal authority
    Council in London closely watched
    the council of North activities.
  • Henry ensured that the members of
    the council were appointed by him,
    not Earl of Surry, ensuring loyalty.
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18
Q

Which area had been particularly unruly during the war of the Roses?

A

Wales

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19
Q

How was Henry VII able to increase his control of wales?

A
  • Henry revived council of wales in
    1493, under the nominal head of his
    son Arthur.
  • Henry’s Welsh connections helped
    this.
  • by Death and loss of lands by lots of
    Marcher lords he was able to
    increase his control.
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20
Q

Why was Ireland a particular problem for Henry?

A
  • Direct English control in Ireland
    limited to an area around Dublin
    called the Pale.
  • Outside of this area it was
    influenced my major irish families
    eg. Kildares.
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21
Q

What was Poynings law 1494?

A

Meant that Irish parliament could only be called and pass laws with kings approval.

22
Q

what attempt to increase royal authority in Ireland for Henry VII were limited in success?

A

-Henry’s deputy in Ireland failed to
bring Ulster under greater control.
- Henry was forced to rely on rule of
traditional families.
- eg. Earl of Kildare = Lord deputy.

23
Q

what problems for Henry VII had formed with local government?

A
  • Henry had relied on a number of
    powerful families to control areas
    where law and order had dissipated
    during the wars of Roses.
  • This had given the families large
    power and influence, they often
    ignored royal commands. Henry
    wanted this to change.
24
Q

what did Henry VII develop to attempt to solve problems with local government?

A

Office of justice of the peace.

24
Q

What had been the problem with previous unpaid officials for Henry VII when enforcing local government?

A
  • In the past these unpaid officials had been under the influence of larger magnates or had used the system to further their own interests.
25
Q

How were JP’s appointed?

What were their role?

A
  • Appointed annually, men chosen
    from 2nd rank of land owners
    because loyalty more assured and
    less power to nobles.
  • Implementing social and economic
    statutes
  • Dispensing justice and trying
    criminal offences.
  • Upholding public order.
  • Replacing suspect members of
    juries.
  • Acting in cases of non-capital
    offences without a jury.
  • Rewarding informers.
  • Arresting + questioning poachers.
  • Empowered to grant bill.
26
Q

Why were JP’s innefective?

A
  • JP’s were still dependant on officials
    bringing in offenders.
  • Local officials often were reluctant
    to act as it made them unpopular.
  • As a result Henry relied on goodwill
    to ensure justice was implemented.
27
Q

How did Henry VII use parliament?

A
  • Not a permanent feature of
    government.
  • Called upon when king needed
    money or to pass laws.
  • Lords + commons (two houses) ->
    lords seen to be more important.
  • Parliament only met 7 times during
    Henry’s reign.
  • Used to pass acts of attainder
    against nobles, to uphold Henry’s
    claim to throne and to define
    responsibilities of JP’S.
28
Q

Why were the nobility a problem for Henry VII?

A
  • Henry was a usurper and there was
    nothing preventing a powerful noble
    from attempting to overthrow him.
  • Many nobles still owned large tracks
    of land, eg. Duke of Norfolk, Earl of
    Northumberland and the Stanley’s.
  • Many of them had supported
    Richard III as they had gained
    rewards from him.
  • They were the group that could
    provide the leadership and sufficient
    force for rebellion.
29
Q

What two methods did Henry VII use to increase control of nobility?

A

Rewards and sanctions.

30
Q

What were the rewards Henry VII mad it possible the nobility could gain?

A
  • Patronage: result of loyal service -
    granted to loyal before Bosworth.
  • Order of the garter: honorary title,
    not land as this gave nobles more
    power, effective.
  • Summons to either kings council or
    great council:
    King’s council = sign of trust, 5 had
    supported Henry before Bosworth.
    Great council = clever way to ensure
    noble support for measures, once a
    policy had been agreed it was
    difficult for nobles to criticise as they
    must have supported it.
31
Q

What were the two sanctions Henry VII punished the nobility with?

A
  • Acts of attainder.
  • Bonds and recognisances.
32
Q

What were acts of attainder?

Why were they effective?

A
  • Damaging to families, they lost their
    right/ability to possess their land.
    Social + economic ruin. Henry was
    sever in use.
  • Acts of attainder were very effective
    given good behaviour could result in
    it being reversed, Therefore it
    encouraged good behaviour.
33
Q

What were Bonds + recognisances?

A

Written agreements where nobles who offended king paid for offence or paid money as security for future good behaviour.

34
Q

What was Henry VII’s greatest threat from the nobility?

What did Henry VII do to help stop this?

A
  • Greatest threat: retainers -> nobles
    who recruit followers who formed
    fighting forces.
  • Henry made lords and commons
    swear not to retain and issued
    proclamations that ensured nobles
    needed a license to retain.
35
Q

Apart from Henry VII’s Rewards, sanctions and anti - retainer changes, how did Henry further increase his power over the nobility.

A
  • Henry asserted his powers over the
    nobility by insisting on his feudal
    rights.
  • Regaining of former crown land
    from nobles:
    land = power, crown had x5 more
    land by end of Henry VII reign.
    ensured monarch was more
    powerful than any noble.
36
Q

Why was having strong finances important to Henry VII?

A
  • Strong finances important to secure
    throne.
  • Allows Henry to raise forces to put
    down unrest and on his death
    provide his son with the resources
    to fight off any challenger to throne.
37
Q

What 3 ways did Henry VII attempt to achieve strong royal finances?

A
  1. Reorganise financial
    administration.
  2. Exploit sources of ordinary
    revenue.
  3. Increase income from
    extraordinary revenue.
38
Q

How did Henry VII reorganise financial administration?

A
  • When Henry came to power he he
    restored exchequer, but realised its
    limitations with it being slow in both
    auditing accounts and collecting
    money.
  • He put restored Edward IV
    chamber system
39
Q

What did Henry VII’s chamber system manage?

A
  • Crown lands
  • Feudal dues
  • Profits from justice
  • The French pension
40
Q

What are a kings to sources of income?

A

The ordinary and extraordinary revenue.

41
Q

What was ordinary revenue?

A

Money coming in yearly from crown lands, customs and profits from justice and feudal dues, although the amounts varied.

42
Q

What was the most important source of ordinary revenue?

How did Henry maximise this?

A
  • Crown lands
  • Henry maximised his income from
    existing land, but also the amount of
    land the crown had was x5 larger at
    the end of henry’s reign.
  • Acts of attainder
  • £29,000 - £42,000
43
Q

Why was revenue from trade not particularly successful for Henry VII?

A
  • Smuggling.
  • Depended heavily upon relations
    between European powers.
  • Henry unable to control this.
44
Q

How did Henry VII exploit profits from justice?

A

He often punished with fines rather than imprisonment. For example he fined Earl of Northumberland £10,000 for rape of royal ward.

45
Q

What happened to income from feudal dues during Henry VII’s reign?

A

Increased.

46
Q

What was the most frequent source of extraordinary revenue for Henry VII?

A

parliamentary taxation

47
Q

Why did Henry VII not mis use parliamentary taxation to try and increase his power?

A
  • Yorkshire + Cornish rebellion
    showed how unpopular tax was.
  • He asked for money from
    parliament only in exceptional
    circumstances.
48
Q

How did Henry VII raise money in times of emergency? (a source of extraordinary revenue)

A
  • Henry could ask his wealthy subjects
    for loans.
  • Benevolences = loans king would
    not pay back (forced loans)
  • 1491 used to raise money for
    expedition against France.
  • This method could not be used on a
    regular basis as i would provoke
    resentment.
49
Q

What was Henry VII’s extraordinary revenue of feudal aid?

A

The result of the king being feudal lord. Levied on special occasions. Knighting of prince Arthur, brought in £30,000

50
Q

How did Henry VII sometimes make extraordinary revenue from church?

A

Church would often make a contribution when parliament had granted the king money.

51
Q

What did Henry VII’s yearly crown income rise to?

What was the income of the French king at this time?

A

£113,000

£800,000