Topic 1: Henry VII 1485-1507 Flashcards
What had Edward IV done for England?
Before Edwards reign European monarchs thought the English throne was not worth having
Edward revived strong government and made many good changes
How was Edward IV characterised?
What England needed after the War of the Roses
Cheerful, great diplomat, personal splendour
Major ladies man
Had ten children in wedlock - we don’t know how many others
What problems did Edward IV have with the succession?
Heir, Edward V was only 12
Appointed Richard, Duke of Gloucester as Lord Protector
Richard put Edward and his brother in the tower
He then became Richard III
Richard III was defeated by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth
Changes made by Edward IV?
Finance: Started efficient admin of royal lands Delegated powers to local officials Make new leases, sacked bad tenants Moved to chamber finance Increased custom revenues Told parliament in 1467 that he would live on his own means - and did it
Royal Council
Widened the royal council to include lots of other people which created less bitchiness and more agreement
worked only in subcommittees and never met as a whole group
Why did Henry Tudor invade England in 1485?
To take Richard III off the throne and to put the Tudors back on the throne
What happened at the Battle of Bosworth?
Richard 3000 infantry, Percy Family cavalry and the earl of Norfolks troops
Henry had a few thousand french and welsh/English soldiers
When Richard ordered Stanleys troops to engage and they wouldn’t
Richard is dehorsed and killed (11 wounds on his skeleton and 9 were on his head)
What kind of kingdom did Henry VII inherit?
Finances were good Far less violence Crown lands were run efficiently Disorder in localities was declining A kingdom that was wary about his call on the crown
Who was Henry Tudor (Henry VII)?
28 years old when he was crowned
Son of Lady Margaret Beaufort
Left England in his teens, lived in poverty and exile in France
Married Elizabeth of York (daughter of Edward IV) within 6 months of taking the crown - therefore uniting the two houses (York and Lancastrians)
Created a safe and long succession
What was the council learned?
Formed in 1495
Handled legal prosecutions on behalf of the king
Collected outstanding debts to the king
Ruthless reputation - especially Sir Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley
What were the key aspects of royal finances under Henry VII?
- Revived chamber finance in order to circumvent the exchequer in situations where quick raise of money were needed (war)
- Regularly signed off accounts himself
- Efficient money manager
- Appointed Sir Reginald Bray to run things and he was trained by Margaret Beaufort and he was really efficient
- Accumulated more lands than any monarch than William the Conqueror
- Used the acts of attainder to take lands
- Signed many trade and customs treaties and increased revenues
Financial Achievements of Henry VII
Returned the crown to solvency by 1490
Regular income of 113,000 per year
Income was under his direct control
Was able to respond swiftly to threats and opportunities
He had a great reserve - may have been as high as 1 million pounds
Domestic policy of Henry VII
Tried to make his subjects respect the king and be loyal (used domestic policy to do this)
Tried to address tax inequality by amending the tax system
Used ‘reign of terror’ to keep the nobles in check
Stepped back at the end of his reign and became quite aloof
Bad aspects of Henry VIIs reign
Acts of attainder are unpopular
Use of bonds and recognisances were unpopular
Learned council was ruthless
Made lots of money (and enemies) from ward ships
Made its of money from simony
Asked for large tax adjustments
The Court of Henry -what changes did he make?
He created a vibrant court
Modelled his court on the Duke of Burgundy
The enhanced court helped his reputation in Europe
Court had factions - the Stanley family was a notable example
What was the Breton Crisis?
1487-1492
Henry sent troops to France to help Duchess Anne and laid siege to Boulogne.
Henry VII agreed to leave when Charles VIII agreed not to support any pretenders
