Topic 1 - Principal Servants of the Crown

General role of Cromwell and Wolsey

• Advise H

• Extend/sustain Tudor power

• Reliant on H

Difference in Wolsey and Cromwell’s methods

Wolsey - foreign policy and legal matters

Cromwell - religion, centralising gov and parliamentary legislation

Wolsey’s role/appearance

• Son of Ipswich Butcher

• On Henry’s Council from 1509

• Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York

• Altar rex (Hampton Court)

• Accused of undermining power of members of nobility because he resented them as he came from a lowly background

Example of Wolsey using power to prosecute personal fued

Speaker of commons Sir Robert Sheffield was critical of Wolsey 1512

Put in tower and fined

Legal reforms by Wolsey

In charge of the civic courts

Revives the star chamber

• enables the nobility to be punished

• improves administration of justice

• Backlog of cases

Eltham Ordinances 1526

• attempt to control the Privy Chamber as rival source of power

• Never implemented (distracted by H’s want for divorce)

Change in number of star court cases

12 - 120

Economic policy by Wolsey

National enquiry in 1517-18 to investigate illegal enclosures

New form of taxation

Consequences of Wolsey’s tackling enclosure

264 landlords prosecuted and 188 verdicts reached

Limits of Wolsey’s economic

Failure of Enclosure commission

• Commissioners to investigate are bribed/killed

• Wolsey lost support with gentry and nobility

• Had to reverse policy on enclosure 1523

Mismanaged financial crisis of 1522-23

• haranguing Parliament for higher rate of taxation

• Non-parliamentary Amicable Grant

Foreign Policy by Wolsey

Wanted to enhance H’s reputation

War is expensive so Wolsey tries to avoid - International peacemaker

• 1512-14 Wolsey coordinated war effort in the Battle of the Spurs w/ France and achieved peace through marriage of Henry’s sister Mary with King Louis XII

• Wolsey gets HRE, Spain and France to sign a peace deal - England gives land to France (Tournai), England gains money and hands over Mary (Treaty of London 1518)

• Means no territory gains but keeps England out of unnecessary conflicts

1520 field of Cloth and Gold in Calais (English territory)

• England and France friendship event

• Jousting and merrymaking

Changes to gov. by Wolsey

1519 expelled the ‘minions’ (young men friendly w/ Henry) from the household who had too much influence on King

Unsuccessful at setting up a Marcher council

Changes to religion/divorce by Wolsey

• Closed 20 monasteries in 1520s

• Unable to secure divorce 1530

• Cardinal and papal legate

Cromwell’s role/appearance

• Son of cloth maker

• 1523 MP

• 1531 member of H’s council

• Factionalism - Duke of Norfolk has more power

Cromwell’s legal reforms

1536 Act abolished franchises and brought Wales into English judicial system

Changes to Marcher councils

Economic changes by Cromwell

• Makes crown financially independent of Parliament

  • Restores power of exchequer over royal household

• Gained monastic lands

• Created 4 specialised courts (e.g. Court of Wards and Liveries) to handle increased money of the crown

What was crown’s income 1541

£126,000

Cromwell changes to structure of gov

• Limits and modernises gov

  • Head of Privy council and makes it deal with day to day admin

• Sets precedent that changes to succession/religion require Parliament

• Centralises

  • Marcher Council

Cromwell changes to religion/divorce

• Act of Parliament for H’s annulment

• Break with Rome

  • See religious Acts!

  • Told Chapuys Luther was right on several points

  • told French ambassador 1536 that England and France should abandon mass

• Vice-regent of spiritual matters 1534

  • Influenced Church appointments (introduced new bishops who supported his views)

• Monasteries

Cecil’s role

Secretary of state

• access to E1 and her correspondence

Lord Treasurer of the Crown 1572-1598

• organised the council

• managed Parliament

• Controlled the Exchequer

Persuades E1 to act

• Support Scottish reformation

• Set up a convention 2x to try MQOS (failed)

• Persuaded execution of MQOS after Babington plot (sent away as E1 is unhappy with him but not executed like Cromwell)

Cecil’s background

From gentry background

Limits on Cecil’s role

E1 heavily involved so restricts Cecil

1569 court based plot to remove Cecil by Duke of Norfolk

1569 Revolt of NE wanted to remove him

Legal reforms by Cecil

Star chamber used as convenient court for trying cases of riot and abuses of judicial system

Financial changes by Cecil

• Ended debasement of the coinage

• Avoided warfare until 1585

Foreign policy by Cecil

• Negotiated treaty of Edinburgh 1560

  • Removed French troops in Scotland

  • Set up Protestant gov

Changes to structure of gov

Reshaped Prviy council

• smaller

• Cecil dominated

• ensured Protestant majority (no Catholics after 1570s)

Religious changes by Cecil

Helped with 1559 Device for the Alteration of religion (set out religious settlement and highlighted religious problems)