Tudors Chapter 1 - Changes @ Centre Flashcards
Outline aspects of Henry VII’s Household.
Created personal bodyguards - Yeomen of the Guard.
Stored royal income in Privy Chamber.
Outline aspects of Henry VIII’s Household.
Made up of most trusted friends.
From 1518, staff known as Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber.
Control of dry stamp from 1540s.
What did David Starkey say about the Privy Chamber under Henry VIII?
It became a political hub.
How was the dry stamp exploited in 1547?
Seymour’s faction used it to alter H8’s will, becoming E6’s protector following H8’s death.
Who were the staff of Mary’s Privy Chambers?
Give an example.
Were often wives of male household members.
Frances Jerningham - wife of the Captain of the Guard.
How did Mary limit manipulation within the Privy Chamber?
She kept the dry stamp under lock and key.
How did the Privy Chamber decline in importance under Elizabeth I?
1559 reforms - members of Household were Councillors - decisions made through formal channels.
How was E1’s household similar to M1’s?
She appointed wives of Councillors, such as the Earl of Leicester.
Outline the nature of Henry VII’s council.
200 men, including 42 ex-Yorkists.
Held 5 Great Councils to suggest he listened to all nobles.
How did H7 manipulate his council in the 1490s?
1492 - already wanted to end French invasion, yet made nobles sign document to suggest he listened to them.
Why did Wolsey rise to prominence in Henry VIII’s council?
H8 wanted to be a warrior king.
Wolsey would provide this opportunity, unlike traditional councillors such as William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury.
What was membership of the Council in 1520s?
Around 40.
What were the Eltham Ordinances?
1526 - Wolsey tried to shrink council down to under 20 members to increase his influence.
Failed, though plans similar to Privy Council.
What did GR Elton think of the Council reforms 1540?
Felt it occurred in 1536, as Cromwell consciously aimed to modernise govt.
What did John Guy think of the Council Reforms 1540?
Felt PofG triggered emergency 1536 response.
Permanent reform occurred following Cromwell’s fall 1540.
What did the 1540 reform of the Privy Council do?
Collective responsibility; Council became own chief minister; 19 members; issue collective proclamations in monarch’s name.
How did the Council’s role change under Edward VI and Somerset?
Somerset bypassed the Council using the Household, e.g. Groom of the Stool, Sir Michael Stanhope, controlled the dry stamp.
How did the role and membership of the Council change under Edward VI post-Somerset?
Warwick was a Councillor when he rebelled in 1549 - he reasserted Council’s importance as he needed noble support following revolt. Thus membership rose to 31.
How did the Council change under Mary I?
50 members to be inclusive, yet only 8 attended more than 50% of meetings.
Had own seal, but didn’t override dry stamp.
Council seen to serve England, rather than being private servants to monarch.
How did the role of the Council change under Elizabeth?
1559-1603, membership dropped from 19 to 13.
Traveled with E1 on progresses.
Work expanded as control in localities grew.
Which fact best shows how the Council grew in importance?
1520s-60s, Council met x3-4 a week.
1590s, at least once a day.
Outline the role of secretary pre-1540.
Richard Foxe, Councillor 1485-87.
Cromwell manipulated position to become Chief Minister - controlled Council meetings and knew H8’s daily business.
What happened to the secretary post-Cromwell?
Split between two men - Wriothesley and Sadler - workload increased.
Who were E1’s more significant secretaries 1558-90?
William Cecil 1558-72 - trusted advisor.
Francis Walsingham 1573-90- spymaster.
When was there a period of no secretary?
1590-96, following Walsingham’s death?
How did Robert Cecil use secretary role to gain power?
1596 - controlled distribution of patronage to undermine Essex’s powerbase.
What was the primitive LL system under H8?
1512, 1536, 1545 - commissioned nobles to recruit local militia for defences against France, PofG, and Scotland.
