nobility, inducements and sanctions

who were the nobility/peerage?

• held the title of duke, marquis, earl, viscount or baron

• wealthy landowners who excised power in their local areas and were members of the house of lords

• had hereditary titles and estates, that could ben given or removed by the king → not a fixed social group

who were the ‘magnates’?

• great nobles who held extensive land and power over parts of the country

• e.g. the earl of kildare

why were nobles important?

• helped maintain social hierarchy of the great chain of being

• landowners who kept law and order in english regions

• powerful in status and wealth

• responsible for collecting crown revenue

• involved in government and politics → acted as the king’s councillors

• marriages created alliances between powerful families

• played a vital role in military through armed retainers

• helped with local government and justice system

why did the nobility represent a dilemma to the king?

• henry required the support to the nobility to maintain order and govern england

• also benefitted from taxation, large sums due to their vast wealth

• however, their wealth and power threatened to become overmighty → challenge henry’s own position as king

• if henry pushed too far, could risk another rebellion

what is retaining/bastard feudalism?

• knights would serve as administrators or soldiers in return for payment or a position

• noblemen could have lots more men in their service if they had to give up their land (as in the feudal system)

• more powerful nobles could retain men

on average, how many ment could nobles afford to retain?

at a maximum, most nobles couldn’t afford to have more than 80 men in their retainer

why was the earl of warwick nicknamed ‘the kingmaker’?

• the nobility had been interfering in the succession since 1422

• overmighty noble warwick gained the nickname ‘kingmaker’

• henry had usurped the throne in 2485 and had few allies to rely upon

inducements (definition)

policy or measure that encourages people to comply due to a promise of reward

sanctions (definitions)

policy or measure that encourages people to comply due to a fear of punishment

3 examples of inducements

• patronage

• order of the garter

• appointments to the king’s council

5 examples of sanctions

• acts of attainder

• bonds and recognisances

• feudal dues

• laws against retaining

• crown lands

why did henry implement the inducement of patronage?

• gave away positions of power, titles and land primarily to the worthy gentry and lower nobility ‘new men’

• aimed to gain their allegiance by awarding their support/favour

• favour could be seen to come in the form of merit, good service and loyalty

examples of patronage

• john de vere → the earl of oxford

• lord thomas stanley → earl of derby

• uncle jasper tudor → duke of bedford

  • rewarded for loyal support before and during bosworth

• sir reginald bray and edmund dudley were rewarded on the basis of good service

how and why did henry form/expand the order of the garter?

• created 37 new knights

• knights were given the title of ‘sir’ but no land → low cost solution for inspiring loyalty and allegiance through prestige and honour

• knights were able to collect tax and rent from occupants, maintain efficient system of finance

why did henry implement appointments to the king’s council as an inducement?

• trustworthy individuals, often those experienced, intelligent and competent, placed in positions of power

• weakened the influence of nobles in government

examples of appointments to the king’s council being used as an inducement

• john morton → archbishop of canterbury AND lord chancellor

• sir reginald bray → chief financial advisor on the learned council AND chancellor of the duchy of lancaster

why did henry implement acts of attainder as sanctions from 1485?

• acted as powerful threats, noble families didn’t want to lose social standing, finance or inheritance

• display of henry’s major control and influence over parliament

• stripped land and/or titles from those found to be disloyal/ guilty of treason. all of which could be returned if loyalty was proven. acted as a motivator for nobles to prove their allegiance

  • used especially on yorkists after bosworth

example of acts of attainder being used as sanctions

• thomas howard, duke of norfolk → attainder was reversed when loyalty was proven

• 46 attainders were reversed throughout henry vii’s reign after proven good behaviour

what were bond and recognisances?

• financial contracts to ensure loyalty

• a punishment in the form of payment of a fine was required if the contract was broken

examples of bonds and recognisances being used as a punishment

• thomas grey, marquis of dorset proved his loyalty and his bonds and recognisances were cancelled in 1499

• 36 of 42 noble families gave bonds/recognisances to henry → only 1 in edward iv’s reign

• earl of westmorland fined £10,000 after bosworth

how much money was raised by bonds and recognaisances 1493-1505?

1493 - £3000

1505 - £35,000

annual income rose drastically, council learned became primary mechanism for collection and enforcement of payments from nobility, led by bray, empson and later dudley

what were feudal dues?

• right for the king to demand money in a variety of circumstance including:

• relief (acted as inheritance tax) → paid when an heir inherited

• marriage → had to be approved by henry (to prevent alliances against him or overmighty) and a fee paid when married

• wardship → king could take control of estates when the landowner was a child, able to control their income

examples of feudal dues being used as a sanction

• katherine, dowager duchess of buckingham was fined £7000 for marrying without the king’s permission

• 1487 - king earned £350 from ward ships and marriages

• 1507 - earned £6000

how and why did henry have laws against retaining 1487?

• prevents nobles/magnates becoming overmighty and growth of a higher, powerful threat

• 1487 - limited the number of men could be within a retainer

• fines were issued if laws were broken

• reduced threat of military action against henry → highly significant reduction of retainers

examples or implementation of laws against retaining

• earl of oxford (john de vere) fined £20,000 for retaining. looked after the south of england on henry’s behalf

• 1504 - nobles were fined £5 for each illegal soldier

• fined own mother, margaret beaufort, for over retaining

what were the crown lands and why were they useful?

• lands owned by henry as monarch

• avoided giving these lands out to nobles

• used the lands he confiscated by attainder to retain his control of england and to produce regular income from rent and farming

• stable, regular income allowed henry to become more independent from parliament

examples of crown land being used as a sanction

• 1486 - act of resumption → recovered all crown land properties given away since 1455, so gained crown land

• escheats → any vacant land became governed by the king

  • e.g. if a noble had no heir to inherit, the land would become the king’s upon their death

  • made entry the largest land owner in england