Henry vii - economic development

what was Englands population at the beginning of the 15 century

2.2 million

what did the majority of people do for a living?

farming and lived out in the countryside

how much of the population lived in urban areas?

10%

population of London?

50,000

how many people did most towns have

no more than 20 towns had 3000 people

main industries in urban areas?

wool and cloth

name other industries

mining tin, lead and cloth; metal working; leatherwork; shipbuilding; paper making

good/bad parts of cloth and wool industry?

good: important export money for crown

bad: caused problems in countryside (unemployment)

when did the population increase?

1480s-1490s

lead to greater move towards sheep farming

what did a move to sheep farming imply?

showed depressed profitability of arable farming

also improved profitability of sheep farming increased demand for wool - larger population / trade overseas developed

why were bad harvest a problem?

• disease

• malnutrition

• violence and disorder

• inflation / money fluctuation

how could England be divided agriculturally ?

‘lowland zone’ = south and east

‘highland zone’ = north

what was the most common type of farming in lowland zone?

mixed farming

pastoral in woodland areas

specialisms (horse breeding in the Fenlands)

what was mixed farming?

growing crops as well as raising animals as livestock

what was pastoral farming?

rearing animals for milk, meat, eggs, wool…

what was open field husbandry

mainly in lowland england

a system of farming where land was divided into large fields, farmed in strips by different families, promoting communal farming practices. farmers there had common rights

how were some regions experiencing change?

wool and cloth trade made sheep farming more profitable

increased production but came at price of peasants

how did the peasants suffer?

lost assess to land and common rights = destitute

how much of exports did cloth trade make up?

90%

what did jack lander estimate?

that there was a 60% increase in volume of cloth exports

what had the bulk of exports comprised of at the beginning of 15 century

raw wool

shipped mainly from east coat ports (Boston, Lynn, Yarmouth) and exported through Calais by Merchants of the Staple

what were merchants of the staple

introduced in 1319

controlled exports of wool

staple = based in Calais from 1363

however, eventual decline in wool trade reduced the company’s importance

what did the trade of finished cloth lead to?

development of weaving, and fulling and dyeing

= rural employment

which towns were prosperous

Lavenham and Lewes

what happened to historic cities?

suffered decay - cloth moved from older corporate boroughs to newer manufacturing centres in smaller towns

how was cloth exported from london

through Merchant Adventurers

who were the merchant adventurers

founded in 1407

dominated by members of Mercer’s company (wealthiest company in london)

trading organisation that dominated london cloth trade in Antwerp

what was the relationship like between crown and merchant adventurers

positive = acted as voice of industry for commercial needs

= king used their expertise to negotiate Intercursus magnus and intercursus malus

why couldn’t the merchant adventurers reach full power

couldn’t overcome trading privileges of Hanseatic League

who were the Hanseatic League

group of free cities who formed a commercial union to control trade in Baltic sea

when were the hanseatic league reasserted

1474

why did henry reassert the Hanseatic League

-needed to make sure they wouldn’t support earl of suffolk

how did jack lander describe henry’s choice about the hanseatic league

sacrifice of the commercial interests of england was “all out of proportion to the feeble threat” of the de la poles

what were germany and bohemia superior in

mining and metallurgy

who was superior in shipbuilding

spanish portuguese and dutch

how could you describe most industrial processes

small scale craft operations

little capital investment

where was tin mined

cornwall

where was lead mined

durham and northumberland

where was iron mined/smelted

Weald of sussex and kent

what was henry interested in

maximising customs revenue

what was henry’s biggest trade concern

from his embargo with netherlands in 1493

came from threat of margaret of burgundy supporting PW

meant trade went through Calais

how did the trade embargo with netherlands end

with intercursus magnus

what was the intercursus magnus

english merchants could export to any part of duke of burgundy’s lands APART FROM FLANDERS

philip confirmed in 1499

benefit of intercursus magnus

solid basis for trading relationships

when was the intercursus malus introduced

exorted from philip in 1506

problem with intercursus malus

never implemented

how many trade treaties did henry negotiate

7

what did henry’s trade treaties show

he prioritised foreign policy and dynasty over english merchants

when did henry removed edward iv trading restrictions

1486

reinstated 1487 in responce to invasion of brittany

most removed through treaty of etaples in 1492/ then gone by 1497

weaknesses of etaples

shown when attempt to make significant breakthrough in Mediterranean trade - FAILED

how was the hanseatic league successful

limited development of english trading in the baltic

when did henry pass navigation acts

1485 and 1489

encouraged english ships should carry certain products to and from english ports

who led exploration

portugual and spain

for spice

what were bristol merchants interested in

transatlantic discovery

when did john cabot arrive in bristol

1494/95

what did john cabot discover and when

newfoundland in 1497

had fishing grounds (couldn’t go to iceland)

what was the pattern with prices

temporary increase in 1480s

mainly steady

(same with wages)

when was there a decrease in the export price

wool / price of grain and animal produces by 1490 s

what did export price reduction imply

reduction in farming profitability