Why Richard of York failed to dominate government (mine)

Question 1

By what point had opinion shifted in favour of the court and against Richard of York?

Answer 1

by 1453

Question 2

how had opinions shifted against york by 1453?

Answer 2

He had lost the active support of some of the few noble allies he had, most notably the Duke of Norfolk, and his followers were being hounded by the government.

Question 3

why did the household support somerset?

Answer 3

saw him as the only defence against York and his ‘reforms’ which were to remove the ‘evil councillors’ (the household) and they knew that the mob was hostile to them

Question 4

why did somerset need control over the household?

Answer 4

to exercise his power

Question 5

why did somerset need to be careful with his control over the household?

Answer 5

he wanted to avoid looking like he ruled through this (doing so was associated with discredited regime of Suffolk)

Question 6

how did somerset secure the support of the household?

Answer 6

• he shielded many members of the household from attempted resumptions
• he was freer in allowing courtiers access to the king and his patronage, as he felt more secure after the Dartford Incident
• government expenditure was allowed to rise from 1452 onwards

Question 7

whilst the household was less visible than under suffolk, what evidence is there that their support of somerset was crucial?

Answer 7

1450 and 1455 Somerset rehabilitated despite much opposition in the nobility

Question 8

why did somerset become close with queen margaret?

Answer 8

she was suspicious of york

Question 9

why was queen margaret suspicious of york?

Answer 9

Margaret was worried about the succession; she had no son so Richard was a threat

Question 10

what evidence is there that queen margaret favoured somerset?

Answer 10

in November 1451 she began to pay him a 100 mark annuity

Question 11

why did the Success of ‘Somerset’s regime’ 1451-1453 make it hard for york to dominate government?

Answer 11

made it hard for York to make his case that he was needed

Question 12

how did the financial state of the crown improve under somerset’s regime?

Answer 12

• the financial position of the king improved due to his hereditary revenues and resumptions
• Some suggestions of 1450 to reform royal finances were discretely enacted. ​

Question 13

how did the Commons under somerset’s regime improve the crown’s finances?

Answer 13

• made the king a life grant of the subsidy on wool, tonnage and poundage, and the tax on aliens; an extraordinary act of generosity
• also a grant of one and a half fifteenths and tenths and a force of 13,000 archers for defence (their cost to be borne by the districts in which they were raised)

Question 14

how many archers were granted to henry vi by commons under somerset’s regime?

Answer 14

13,000

Question 15

who was to bear the cost of the 13,000 archers granted to henry vi by commons under somerset’s regime?

Answer 15

the districts in which they were raised

Question 16

how did somerset improve and control government?

Answer 16

Somerset reasserted king’s right to personally control his government and then used this authority to dominate it

Question 17

how did somerset try to gain favour in the government?

Answer 17

• included a wider range of the polity in government and worked to give an image of ruling through a council of the nobility
• worked to secure the support of nobles like Norfolk, Salisbury, and Warwick with patronage, at least until late 1452

Question 18

give an example of somerset working to diversify the polity of government

Answer 18

after Dartford Incident 1452 Somerset replaced Lord Beauchamp of Powick (member of King’s household) as treasurer with the John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester (more independent)

Question 19

give evidence as to the strength of government under somerset

Answer 19

government was able to block attempts made by York’s supporters to have him acknowledged as heir presumptive​

Question 20

how did somerset’s government block attempts made by York’s supporters to have him acknowledged as heir presumptive​?

Answer 20

• Thomas Young’s petition to parliament in 1451 saw him sent to the Tower.​
• prominent Yorkist and former speaker, Sir William Oldhall, attainted. ​

Question 21

which parliament was favourable to the somerset regime? what did this reflect?

Answer 21

• Reading parliament of March 1453
• reflected growing popularity of judicial and military measures up to that point. ​

Question 22

give an example of some limitations of somerset’s improvements of government

Answer 22

• Somerset’s government rejected parliamentary demands to scrutinise royal grants leading to some criticism, especially from those who had supported York in 1450.​
• York not included in government and his reforming programme was not acknowledged or openly enacted.​

Question 23

give an example of some limitations of somerset’s improvements of finances

Answer 23

Crown remained heavily indebted. ​

Question 24

what developments did somerset’s government make in the military?

Answer 24

• Plans made to rescue Gascony in 1451 and a limited expedition was sent and A second, and largely successful, expedition was sent to Gascony in autumn 1452.​
• Well-publicised scheme in 1452 for Henry VI to travel to Calais and defend it.​
• In 1453 the earl of Shrewsbury reconquered Bordeaux in Gascony.

Question 25

when was the military strength of somerset’s regime demonstrated?

Answer 25

by armed support of much of the nobility against York’s attempted coup at Dartford in March 1452. ​

Question 26

what limitations are there to the developments made under somerset’s regime to the military?

Answer 26

• campaign in Gascony in 1451 was largely unsuccessful.​
• planned expedition to Calais in 1452 never occurred and the funding of the garrison there remained in arrears.​
• In July 1453 the English forces of John Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury were crushed at the Battle of Castillon and Talbot was killed. As a result, all of England’s French possessions except Calais were lost.​

Question 27

how did somerset’s regime approach justice?

Answer 27

Somerset’s regime was seen to uphold justice; under Somerset’s guidance Henry VI was firm in his application of penalties to those who were seen as the leaders of rebellion.​

Question 28

how did somerset’s regime uphold justice?

Answer 28

• Trials occurred of household men accused of corruption in 1450
• government opposed a Yorkist partisan parliamentary attempt (seen as vindictive) to posthumously attaint the Duke of Suffolk.​
• A series of judicial initiatives were launched ‘led’ by Henry VI. There were 3 great tours
• General pardons issued in April 1452 to those who were not seen as the leaders in recent disturbances. ​

Question 29

which household men, accused of corruption 1450, were put on trial under somerset’s regime?

Answer 29

Thomas Daniel, John Trevelyan, Sir Thomas Hoo, Sir Andrew Ogard

Question 30

list the 3 judicial initiative tours undertaken during somerset’s regime

Answer 30

• Kent in January 1451 – to deal with the rebels from Cade’s rebellion ​
• Coventry in September 1452 to successfully deal with the Courtenay-Bonville feud​
• The Welsh border in Autumn 1452 – to punish supporters of York at Dartford in 1452​

Question 31

give a limitation to the extent to which somerset’s regime upheld justice

Answer 31

• Many of ‘Suffolk’s men‘ who had been criticised by the mob and the commons in parliament and then indicted in 1450-51 were eventually acquitted without penalty; e.g. Thomas Daniel and John Trevelyan. This reflected badly on Somerset’s regime. ​

Question 32

why did york lack authority?

Answer 32

Nobles rejected that Richard had any authority to speak for the ‘common weal’. Only the king and the men that he appointed could.

Question 33

why did York’s actions increase his unsuitability in the eyes of the lords?

Answer 33

• His use of the mob as well as supporters in the commons in 1450 and 1452 deepened their suspicion of him, as did his related claims to be speaking for the wider ‘communitas.’​
• attempted coup at Dartford in 1452 regarded as tantamount to treason by many nobles and seemed to support previously held views as to his unsuitability.

Question 34

why was the dartford incident so significant in decreasing york’s suitability to the other lords? what demonstrates this?

Answer 34

• He had ignored royal instructions to lay down his arms and had arrived in London with an army
• noble support for the oath of loyalty York was forced to make at St Paul’s demonstrates this.​

Question 35

when was york’s noble support very thin?

Answer 35

1450-52

Question 36

who supported york against somerset in later 1450?

Answer 36

Only Thomas Courtenay, Earl of Devon and John de Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk

Question 37

who backed york at dartford 1452?

Answer 37

Only the Earl of Devon and Lord Cobham

Question 38

which important nobles did not support york 1450-52?

Answer 38

• The Nevilles (Earls of Salisbury and Warwick), who would later become key allies of York’s, remained totally loyal to Somerset’s regime at this point. ​
• Other great and ancient noble houses such as the Staffords were also happy to continue working with Somerset, undermining York’s argument.​

Question 39

how did the nobility view york’s quarrel with somerset?

Answer 39

• The nobility saw his quarrel with Somerset as a private one
• they were unimpressed by his stirring up the population and his use of language that had previously been used by rebels like Jack Cade in 1450. ​

Question 40

what are the 3 main theories for why york failed to dominate government 1450-1453?

Answer 40

• Household and Margaret’s support for Somerset
• Success of ‘Somerset’s regime’ 1451-1453
• Richard of York’s actions