controlling the nobility

what does patronage mean?

patronage → giving positions of power

• came as a result of good an loyal service to the king

Give examples of patronage used

Rewarded his supporters at the battle of Bosworth

• Jasper Tudor = Duke of Bedford

• Lord Stanley = retained control of Lancashire & Cheshire

rewarded based on good service

• Lord Daubneney promoted to peerage

  • led against 1497 Cornish rebels

• Reginald Bray worth £1,000 by the time he died

  • helped Henry accumulate land

Who was the order of the Garter reserved for?

• significant honor received for King’s closes servants

• gave recipient prestige but no power/land

Who was given order of the Garter?

• 37 Knights of the garter created

  • ½ were his closest associates in gov.

  • e.g Reginald Bray, Lord Daubeney

What did a position in the King’s council mean? Who was in the King’s council?

• King’s councillor = King’s confidence

• John Morton retained position for 14 years. (1486 - 1500)

• Richard Fox was Keeper of the Privy Seal from 1487 - 1516

• many councillors were those who had aligned themselves with Henry VII before Battle of Bosworth

  • Reginald Bray, Daubeney, Guilford

How many meeting of the Great council were there?

• 5 meetings

• 1485 calling of parliament & Henry’s marriage

• 1487 response to Lambert Simnel

What was the significance of the great council?

• used to gain money and authorise war

  • 1491 authorise war with France, 1496 granted loan of £120,000 for war with Scotland

• useful form of control for King

  • way of gaining agreement and support for controversial policies

  • if nobles were included in creating policies, they couldn’t criticise Henry for them later on

What are act of attainder?

• acts which led to a family losing the right to posses its land

• reversible → used as a ‘sanction for good behaviour”

• seen as both a stick and carrot

give examples of how act of Attainder were used

• Thomas Howard (Earl of Surrey) fought for Richard III

  • imprisoned by Henry and had his lands attained

  • after refusing to escape fro, tower, and taking an oath of allegiance Henry granted the reversal of attainder

  • put in charge of law and order in North

• passed 138 acts of attainder

• reversed 46 act of attainder

• payment for reversal common

  • Tyrell paid £1,738 for reversal

What are bonds and recognises?

• bonds → written agreements - people promised to pay if they failed to carry out their promise

• recognises → formal acknowledgement of an obligation/debt - pay money if obligation not met

give some examples for Bonds and recognises

• Thomas Grey

  • 1492 - required to transfer all land, give a recognisance of £1,000

  • 1499 - proved his loyalty, and agreements cancelled

What were feudal dues?

• Henry’s way of asserting his feudal rights over the nobility

• helped to emphasise his power

What were included in the feudal dues?

• wardship

  • king took control of estates of minors

• marriage

  • king could profit from arranged marriages

• livery

  • king was paid so one could recover their land from wardship

• relief

  • form of inheritance tax

• escheats

  • payments when land reverted to the crown

Give examples of feudal dues being used

• Katherine dowager duchess of Buckingham

  • (1496) fined £7,000 for marring without king’s licence

• money from warships and marriage increased from £350 (1487) → £6,000 (1507)

What was retaining?

• retaining → practice of recruiting gentry followers

  • could be used as local fighting forces

How did Henry Limit retaining?

• 1485 - lords and common had to swear to not retain illegally

• 1504 - nobles had to obtain special licences to retain

  • had to be obtained from king in person

• 1504 Act → £5 fine per illegal retainer

  • 1506 - Lord Burgavenney (+26) fined £70,550

What did the crown lands aimed to do?

• aimed to bring as much land to the Crown

• more land = more power

how much crown land did Henry obtain?

• crown land x5 larger at end of Henry VII’s reign vs. Henry VI’s reign

• 1486 Act of resumption

  • recovered all properties granted away since 1455