Henry VII and Ordinary Revenue

What is ordinary revenue and what does it consist of?

For Henry VII, ordinary revenue consisted of income from crown lands, custom duties, feudal dues and profits of justice. Ordinary revenue was collected annually and was seen as a king's right.

What particular area of ordinary revenue did Henry VII target?

Henry VII particularly targeted revenue from crown lands as if the income from them was maximised, it represented a considerable percentage of Henry's annual income.

Why had the income from ordinary revenue been limited in the past?

In the past, money had been collected from crown land but not all of it ever reached the king's treasury. There is little doubt that corruption accounted for some of this but money was also lost to a king as a result of simple incompetence.

How did Henry modernise the way Crown Lands were administered?

In the past, large areas of crown land had been given away usually in the form of a reward for a loyal noble. In 1485, Henry had control over all the land owned by the York and Lancaster families, the Principality of Wales, the Duchy of Lancaster and the earldoms of Richmond, March and Warwick.

What was another way in which Henry gained land?

Henry gained more land as a result of escheats - when men died and left no heirs, their land passed to the king.

How did Acts of Attainder allow Henry to increase revenue?

Acts of attainder also led to the king gaining land. The most serious consequence of an act of attainder was execution. However, another common punishment was to have your estate confiscated and handed to the king. Henry VII knew that ownership of land would bring him wealth. This, in turn, would allow the king to build up his army and make him a more formidable opponent.

When was the Act of Resumption? What did it enable Henry to do? Was it successful?

In 1486, Henry persuaded Parliament to pass the Act of Resumption, which recovered for the Crown all the property granted away since 1455. Though Henry got some of the land back, he did not get it all.

How was Henry VIII also to benefit from this rise in Crown Land?

Henry VIII was to benefit from this. Henry VII did not hand out crown land as a reward for good service. Rather he ensured that he consolidated what he had and exploited it to the full. The death of Prince Arthur in 1502 meant that all crown land would pass to Henry VIII on the death of Henry VII. Therefore, it remained a solid block rather than be divided between both sons.

How much of Henry's revenue did custom dues account for in 1509?

In 1485, the largest chunk of Henry's income came from custom dues. Though crown lands overtook custom dues in terms of the amount raised, custom dues still accounted for a third of the king's income by 1509.

What were custom dues levied on?

Custom dues were levied on imports to England. The duties levied on wool, leather, cloth and wine were the most valuable for Henry.

What was the total yearly income for custom dues from 1485-1495 and from 1495-1509?

Twice during his reign he updated the Book of Rates of custom duties to be paid in London. Between 1485 and 1495, custom dues earned Henry about £33,000 a year. From 1495 to 1509, this increased to £40,000 a year.

What was the greatest obstacle Henry faced in regards to custom dues?

Probably the greatest obstacle Henry faced regarding custom dues was something he had little control over mainly because it was so difficult to police - smuggling.

What was a feudal due?

Those who held land directly from the king were his tenants-in-chief. They owed their feudal lord certain dues.

What was a Wardship?

A wardship was whereby the king took control of land when a minor inherited it and oversaw it until that minor came of age. During this time, the king took most of the profits made from that land.

What was 'relief'?

A king was also entitled to 'relief' - money he received when inherited land was transferred.

Despite feudal dues being largely outdated in Tudor England, Henry was keen to collect what he believed was rightly his. How much did Henry earn in feudal dues in 1487 and 1507?

In 1487, wardships provided Henry with just £350. By 1507, with a Master of the King's Wards in place to enforce it, wardships were earning Henry £6,000 a year.

How did the judicial system create income for Henry?

As head of the legal system, Henry was entitled to some of the money made by the judiciary. This money came from two sources: any legal action had to start with a writ and this had to be paid for and many cases ended with a fine being paid. Either way, Henry was entitled to some of this money.

How did Henry use the punishment of a fine to raise revenue? Give some examples of how much he relied on this.

Henry would enforce a fine as opposed to any other punishment. Even treason for the guilty party could end in a fine as opposed to the usual execution.

In 1497, the people of Cornwall rebelled. The leaders were executed but the followers were simply fined.

Henry also allowed people to pay a sum of money for a pardon - allowing them to avoid harsher punishment. Name some examples of this.

The Earl of Northumberland paid a massive £10,000 for a pardon for misconduct - assaulting a royal ward.

In 1495, Sir William Stanley was found guilty of treason by attainder. Rather than have him executed, Henry allowed for a pardon to be paid of £9,000 as a lump sum and £1000 a year after this.