Wolseys Reforms Flashcards
Give examples of important reforms he carried out
Laws against enclosure
Reform of finance and justice system
What did he compile
Eltham Ordiances
Describe Wolsey and Enclosure
enclosure involved fencing to divide land into fields that were often used to graze sheep allowing land owners to make money through wool trade
Reduced land available to tenant farmers
Poor had less common land to graze their animals
Set up inquiry in 1517 to investigate this practice and reduce effect on ordinary
Work resulted in 260 cases being brought against landowners
Describe Wolsey and justice system
Wanted a fairer system of justice
Made sure rich weren’t above law
Strengthened Star Chamber- royal court that dispensed justice for king
Encouraged poor to bring cases to court
Increased courts work rate
Supporter cases of poor against rich
Oversaw cases himself
Describe Eltham ordinances
1526
Tackle misspending and bad management
Compiled list of rules 79 chapters long
Cutting spending on meals and servants
Laying off sick or unneeded servants
Reducing amount of money paid to people for expenses
Reducing number of gentlemen in Pricy Chamber from 12 to 6
Why was the Eltham Ordinances unsuccessful
Wolsey lost interest in them once he reduced size of Pricy council which was his main aim
Describe fifteenths and tenths
Needed to raise money for Henrys battles
Combo of old and new methods of taxation used to raise significant amount of money
Fifteenths and tenths: taxes on moveable goods 1/15th of their value in rural areas
1/10th of their value in urban areas
Describe crown lands
Crown Lands: recovered from nobility increasing income to gov- £15000 in 1515 alone
Describe the subsidy
Tax on incomes
Progressive tax: more you earned more you paid
Describe forced loans
Forced major landowners to lend gov money in 1522 and again 1523
Describe Clerical Taxation
Voluntary gift made by church to king
