Tudor society during Henry VII's reign Flashcards
Commoners
Varied from rich merchants and craftsmen to shop keepers and skilled tradesmen.
Who was Richard Fox?
Richard Fox began serving Henry when he was still in exile. In 1487 Fox became bishop of Exeter and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He became successively bishop of Bath and Wells, Durham and Winchester and, along with Morton, managed the Crown’s transition to Henry VIII.
Churchmen
The church was hugely important, not just for it’s spiritual role, but because it was a great landowner. The social status of the clergy varied enormously.
Gentry
The gentry was not a fixed caste. However the identity of the greater gentry could be established by a number of features: the possession of a knighthood, a coat of arms authenticated by the Collage of Arms, considerable income, and an imposing country residence or courtly connections.
They possessed considerable social prestige, often, for example, dominating local office. On the other hand, the lesser gentry often had more in common with the local yeomanry, living far more modestly than the greater gentry and with social horizons which were much more local than national.
Peerage
Group of persons who held one of the five ranks of aristocracy (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron); they were usually considerable landholders, exercised considerable power in their localities and were members of the House of Lords.
Sumptuary laws
Laws that attempted to regulate how individuals should dress, depending on their social status.
Feudal system
The medieval system by which society was structured depending on relationships in which land was held in return for some form of service; at the top end of the structure land was held by the monarch in return for military service, and at the bottom serfs were required to give labour services to their lord in return for the lord’s protection.
Nobility
Still dominated landownership.
The peerage (i.e. the nobility) comprised no more than 50 or 60 men and was not a closed caste.
What was the great chain of being and what was it’s role in Tudor society?
The great chain of being, linked to the divine right of kings: the king is seen as ‘God’s representative’ on earth. This was used to keep those such as peasants in line, because if they tried to move up the hierarchy then they would be going against God’s will.
