Wolsey

Question 1

What was Wolsey’s background?

Answer 1

• Butcher’s son - He was educated at Oxford University -Wolsey then entered the Church before his political career developed

Question 2

What was Wolsey’s first major role?

Answer 2

A Royal almoner

Question 3

When did Wolsey become Chief Minister?

Answer 3

1513 - just before the end of the first French war.

Question 4

When did Wolsey become Lord Chancellor?

Answer 4

1515

Question 5

When was Wolsey made Cardinal of England by the Pope?

Answer 5

1516

Question 6

When was Wolsey made Papal Legate by the Pope?

Answer 6

1518

Question 7

What other church roles did Wolsey hold?

Answer 7

He appointed himself Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Winchester

Question 8

What was the importance of Chief Minister?

Answer 8

• In charge of government finances: taxes and spending - Day-to-day control of government: decision making and problem solving - Control of appointments to jobs in national, regional and local government

Question 9

What was the importance of Lord Chancellor?

Answer 9

• In charge of England’s legal system: courts, laws, justice and punishments - In charge of the Court of Star Chamber - In charge of the Court of Chancery: could interfere with wills, inheritances and properties

Question 10

What was the Court of Star Chamber?

Answer 10

This Created by Henry VII with Sanction of parliament in 1487, and intended to end perversion of English justice by powerful nobles who used intimidation and bribery to win favourable verdicts in court cases. King Councillors sat as judges, more equitable & amenable to royal will.

Question 11

What is the Court of Chancery?

Answer 11

• The main court of law in England - Wolsey could oversee all cases in this court and he tried to use it to uphold ‘fair justice’ - It dealt with cases such as enclosure, contracts and things left in wills

Question 12

What was the main problem with the Court of Chancery?

Answer 12

It became overloaded with cases. This meant that many cases were not heard or had to be dismissed.

Question 13

What was the importance of the title of Cardinal?

Answer 13

Cardinal was a senior representative to the Pope in Rome. It put him in charge of taxation to the church, appointments to church jobs, and the church laws, courts and punishments

Question 14

What was the importance of the title of Papal Legate?

Answer 14

Papal Legate allowed the bearer to be the Pope in their country, giving Wolsey powers simulacra to the Pope in England which he would later attempt to use to his advantage. It was a rare title.

Question 15

What groups/who was opposed to Wolsey?

Answer 15

• Parliament - the nobility - the Boleyn faction - Duke of Buckingham - Earl of Surrey

Question 16

Why did parliament oppose Wolsey?

Answer 16

• His ‘excessive’ taxation angered the gentry of England - the nation was financially unable to sustain the war. - Wolsey had passed measures that took away benefit to landowners - actions against engrossing and enclosure. - The case of Richard Hunne also angered representatives.

Question 17

Why did the Boleyn faction oppose Wolsey?

Answer 17

• Religious differences - Wolsey was a Catholic and the Boleyn faction were staunch protestants. - Wolsey’s ideas conflicted with that of Boleyn’s (Abbess of Wilton) leading to a battle for influence.

Question 18

Why did the nobility dislike Wolsey?

Answer 18

• He was a butcher’s son - “promoted beyond his station”. New men were generally despised by the nobility. - Wolsey’s power and influence were far greater than theirs, making him a career threat. - He passed measures which disadvantaged the nobility. Promoting new men, measures against engrossing, improving and encouraging the use of the court of star chamber, etc.

Question 19

When was a conciliar form of government in place?

Answer 19

1509 - 1514

Question 20

What factors were important in ending the conciliar form of government?

Answer 20

1 - Henry wasn’t impressed by some of his Father’s senior councillors not supporting a war in France 2 - Henry became more attuned to governing, asserting his right to control decision-making 3 - Henry surrounded himself with like-minded people who all believed in the ‘old-guard’ 4 - He became particularly impressed by Wolsey and his effective management of the French campaign

Question 21

Who were Henry VIII’s ‘minions’

Answer 21

A group of young courtiers who enjoyed Henry’s personal favour

Question 22

What was Wolsey’s method of dealing with ‘the minions’?

Answer 22

• Eltham ordinances - Moved nobles who did not like him away as diplomats or war officials. - Took actions to weaken the influence of the nobility - Duke of Buckingham and Earl of Surrey.

Question 23

When were the Eltham Ordinances? What did they do?

Answer 23

January 1526, Wolsey wanted to reduce household expenditure and so reduced the number of Gentlemen in the Privy chamber - an area that he could not control

Question 24

What is the Groom of the Stool and what did Wolsey do to this role?

Answer 24

Groom of the Stool - the most intimate of the English Monarch’s courtiers ( a lot of confidence was placed in this role) Wolsey replaced Sir William Compton with a more compliant Henry Norris.

Question 25

Why did Wolsey remain in Henry’s favour?

Answer 25

• By holding the posts of Cardinal/Papal Legate and Chief Minister, he was the means through which Henry could control the Church - His multiple power bases = could effectively and quickly carry out what Henry wanted with little opposition, and also meant he had more opportunities, means and methods to act flexibly - It was in the interest of both Wolsey’s masters that they support his power bases as long as their interests, aims and policies remained aligned.

Question 26

In what ways were Henry and the Pope aligned?

Answer 26

Through the defeat of heresy (especially Protestantism) and pro-Spanish, anti-French alliance

Question 27

What were Wolsey’s methods in dealing with over powerful nobles? (4)

Answer 27

• Duke of Buckingham - Ordered him to London where he was arrested for treason and later executed. - Earl of Surrey - Forced onto the jury presiding over Buckingham’s case, was forced to sign his friend’s death warrant. - Minions - Eltham Ordinances moved them out of the ear of the king (privy chamber) and were replaced by pro-Wolsey nobles or not at all. - Some of the nobility were sent away as ambassadors to foreign courts or put in charge of elements of the military in times of war.

Question 28

Why could Wolsey not overcome the Boleyn faction?

Answer 28

Henry was “in love” with Boleyn. This infatuation and her manipulative denial to become Henry’s mistress put Henry into her control, Wolsey being rather unable to do the same.

Question 29

Who was the Earl of Surrey?

Answer 29

Nobleman with wealth, lands and power. Was the nobilities favourite replacement for Wolsey - was respected and intellectual. Was forced to sign his friend’s (the Duke of Buckingham) death warrant.

Question 30

What were Wolsey’s legal reforms?

Answer 30

• Court of Star Chamber encouraged to use. The poor were given a voice to prosecute powerful nobles. This ensured an increased case-load from 12 cases a year to over 120. The result was the establishment of overflow courts.

Question 31

What did Wolsey do to the tax system?

Answer 31

Reformed it so it was now based on personal income known as the parliamentary subsidy. Before it was a fixed rate which didn’t account for inflation.

Question 32

What were Wolsey’s religious reforms?

Answer 32

• Wolsey reformed religious houses, closing those with fewer than 6 monks. - He reinstated benefit of the clergy where you only had to recite a psalm to prove you were a member of the church. This allowed you to be tried by church courts which were more lenient. - Wolsey actively moved against the protestant faction, encouraging book burning and the isolation of sympathisers. Executions were, however, not commonplace.

Question 33

What were Wolsey’s reforms to government (vaguely proposed or completed)?

Answer 33

• Henry was in agreement with Wolsey to reform the state of government away from privy chamber amongst other measures. He did only change the privy chamber through the Eltham Ordinances.

Question 34

Who was Richard Hunne?

Answer 34

A London merchant who, when he registered his dead baby son for burial, was asked by the priest to pay for it not in money but by giving the insistent priest his baby’s christening robes, which Hunne refused - causing the priest to sue Hunne in a church court. Hunne counter-sued, accusing the priest of Praemunire. Hunne was also caught sheltering a heretic and then was found dead in his cell (murdered)

Question 35

What is praemunire?

Answer 35

Allegiance to someone other than your king - in Wolsey’s case it was serving the Pope instead of the King.

Question 36

What was Wolsey’s involvement in the second French war?

Answer 36

Military treaties and peace settlements.

Question 37

How successful was Wolsey at raising tax for the second French war?

Answer 37

Unsuccessful. Initially he managed to raise a parliamentary subsidy of £230000 but upon request for a further £800000 he was rejected, leading to the amicable grant.

Question 38

What was the Amicable Grant?

Answer 38

Wolsey trying to avoid using parliament to collect a tax. It was an incredibly unpopular answer that sparked a revolt.

Question 39

How did Wolsey fail Henry in the second French war?

Answer 39

Failed to provide land or any spoils of war. He could not raise the money to invade France in its time of weakness and so no empire was gained. Henry’s partition plan was also rejected.

Question 40

What was the result of the second French war?

Answer 40

Spain conquered northern Italy and gained extortionate amounts of money from the French monarchy. England gained nothing.

Question 41

Why did Wolsey have to seek an annulment?

Answer 41

Overly powerful within the Catholic Church- ruined future career prospects to annul the marriage himself or convert to protestantism

Question 42

What was Wolsey’s domestic failure to bring about an annulment of Henry’s marriage?

Answer 42

All proper proceedings were met but Cardinal Compaggio had been ordered by pope Leo X not to grant the annulment. He also refused to use his status as Papal Legate to pass the annulment.

Question 43

Why wouldn’t the pope grant the annulment?

Answer 43

Under the control of Charles V who was the nephew of Catherine of Aragon - an insult to his family.

Question 44

What was the treaty of Westminster?

Answer 44

An agreement between England and France whereby England financially supported France to invade Charles V in Northern Italy to free the pope.

Question 45

What was Wolsey’s foreign policy failure to achieve the annulment?

Answer 45

When the treaty of Westminster and the ensuing war did not end with the pope free from Charles V, meaning that an annulment would still not be granted.

Question 46

What battle ended the French attempt to free Italy from Charles V?

Answer 46

Landriano 1529

Question 47

What were Wolsey’s domestic successes?

Answer 47

Legal and Church reforms. Reforms to enclosure and engrossing.

Question 48

What were Wolsey’s domestic failures?

Answer 48

Collection of tax to finance wars.

Question 49

What caused Wolsey’s downfall in 1529? (possible factors)

Answer 49

Failure in domestic and foreign policy Failure to please and serve the king. Failure to crush the Boleyn faction which grew too powerful.

Question 50

What is pluralism?

Answer 50

Holding more than one paid title within the Catholic Church.

Question 51

What is absenteeism?

Answer 51

Holding a paid office but not attending and fulfilling the associated duties.