Henry VII - Government

Nature of Government

Tyrannical + authoritarian

Betrayed by Stanley, family deaths (1495, 1502, 1503) - government became more opaque

Used secret spies to provoke people into saying treasonous things

3 most important institutions

Parliament

Privy Council

Local Government

Parliament’s role

Passed laws - act of attainders (consolidation of power)
1504, forbade corps from making regulations without Henry’s approval

Voted Henry money - 1491, Brittany - best example

Met 7 times during Henry’s 24-year reign

Parliament’s limitations

Met very rarely and never after 1495

Lots of the decisions made in Parliament were forced/heavily influenced by Henry

Privy Council’s role

Advise the King on matters of state

Administer law + order across the realm

Act in a judicial capacity

Handled pretenders/claimants - Simnel + Warbeck

Decided policy for the war in Brittany

Privy Council - facts

Nominal Membership of around 240 - 6-7 members regularly attended

Became more secretive after Stanley plot, Arthur + Elizabeth’s death

Divided into 4 sub-committees - including the Council Learned in the Law

Focussed on Acts of Resumption + Attainder - advised who should be subjected

Privy Council - Limitations

Could advise the King, but no independent authority
Role to execute his wishes

Different groups within the council would clash - Nobles, clerics, lawyers
Slowed decision making

Depended on the King’s backing/authority

Local Government’s role

Justices of Peace - key to his success

Chief officers who were responsible for maintaining public order and implementing any laws concerning social and economic matters

Local Government - facts

1485 - could arrest + question poachers or hunters
1487 - could grant bail to those awaiting trial
1495 - could replace members of the jury whom they suspected of being bribed

18 in each county

Local Government - limitations

Unpaid - depended on personal interest + loyalty

However, JPs were landowners themselves, therefore it was in their interest to police their locality

Potentially gave too much influence to middling gentry
Overextended their power

Council Learned in the Law’s role

Specialised royal council, dealing with the King’s financial rights:

Feudal dues
Bonds + recognisances
Legal claims to land

Did not follow normal legal procedures - worked outside the law

Fed a constant stream of information supplied by a network of agents + informers

Date Council Learned created?

1495

Why Council Learned created?

Maximise income - feudal dues + legal rights

Crown income rose - 113k/year (1509)

Control the nobility - bonds + recognisances
2/3 of nobles financially bound (1509)

Henry becoming increasingly paranoid - fragility of Tudor life (Arthur 1502, Elizabeth 1503)

Institutionalise fear + dependence among the nobility

Who was in Council Learned?

Headed by Reginald Bray until 1503 (death)
Penn, “King’s chief executive”

Edmund Dudley assumed position
Empson worked alongside him

Both identified with the increasing ruthlessness of Henry’s regime
Charged with treason + executed by Henry VIII, after VII’s death