Henry VIII government

What type of government did henry inherit from his father?

Conciliar government, 1509-1514.

Why did henry scrap the first conciliar form of government?

Reluctance of senior councillors to support war in France
Henry surrounded himself with many other young courtiers who were suspicious of the “old guard”
Henry became impressed by the organisational skills of Thomas Wolsey whose contribution to the French campaign earned him gratitude

When was the council learned abolished?

Abolished by henrys first parliament in 1510.

How did the privy chambers role extend in the earl years?

The kings “Minions” (young courtiers who enjoyed company of the king) became gentleman of the privy chamber. By 1519 Wolsey removed them and replaced them with his own supporters, but most minions got there positions back and the privy chamber remained outside of Wolsey immediate control.

What was the court of chancery?
-what was its main issue?

While wolsey was not a trained lawyer, his role as lord chancellor allowed him to administer the legal system.

-the court of chancrey was used to uphold fiar justice.
-used to deal with problems relating to enclosure, contracts and wills.


-the main issue was that it became too popular and justice was slow as it was clogged up with cases.

How did Wolsey improve the court of star chamber?

it was the centre of government and justice under Wolsey
Extended its use in 1516 to uphold cheap and fair justice
encouraged it use for private lawsuits

Proved to be too successful, he had to set up an “overflow tribunal” to deal with the pressure of business

in 1519 Wolsey established a permanent judicial committee to bring up cases involving the poor

the court was in huge demand as a result of Wolsey’s actions because he got distracted by foreign policy.

What was the tudor subsidy?
-what was an issue?

1523

Wolsey made a big change in the way subsidies were collected.
Rather than using using local commissioners to assess taxpayers wealth, Wolsey set up a national commitee which he himself headed.

allowed direct and realistic assessments of the wealth of taxpayers.

the amount was insufficient. wolsey was forced to pass the amicable grant in 1525.

How much did Wolsey raise in subsidies?

over 300,000

What was the amicable grant and was it successful?

Additional tax demanded in 1525 by Wolsey (without approval from parliament)

caused rebellion in east Anglia, and widespread non payment.

what were the Eltham Ordinances

in 1526, Wolsey introduced the Eltham ordinances to reform the finances of the privy council, claiming to be wanting to “reduce royal household spending’s”. He reduced the number of privy chamber gentleman, the one area of government which he did not control.

He also secured the removal of sir william compton the groom of the school, replacing him with a new, more complaint groom of the stool.

what was the kings great matter?

by the mid 1520s, henry became disatisfied over his marriage with catherine, who was 5 years old then him and past childbearing age. his one child princess mary was a woman. he wanted a male heir.

-henry tasked wolsey to secure papal dispensation for the annulment of his marriage to catherine.

wolsey attempted to use a fake canon court to annule henrys marriage in 1527. catherine appealed to the pope.

fruitless diplomacy betweeen 1527 and 1529 sealed wolseys faith as he could not secure annulement.

How did Henry and Cromwell exploit the weaknesses of the church?

Church grew weaker due to humanist criticisms of Colet and Erasmus and Simon fish

1528, churches legal status was challenged by lawyer Christopher St German, stating English law was above canon law.

Thomas Cranmer and Edward Foxe were used to justify kings divorce on legal and historical principles

Henry gained support for his divorce from continental universities, pressuring the pope

Church Structure
when and what was the act in conditional restraint of Annates?

1532, withheld the traditional first years income from the office of bishop which the papacy enjoyed.

Church Structure
when and what was the supplication against the ordinaries?

1532, church law was to be examined by the crown, and the church now cant enact church law without the crowns permission.

Church structure

When and what was the formal submission of the clergy?

1532, clergy accept king henry as their lawmaker rather than the pope.

Church Structure
When and what was the act in restraint of appeals?

1533, declared that the monarch posssessed an imperial jurisdiction not subject to any foreign power.
Also declared that appeals could not be made to rome regarding marital cases.

When and what was the act of succession?

1534,declared henrys marriage to Catherine as void. also declared that henrys succession should be held in annes children.
also introduced an oath taken to accept the new marriage

Church Structure
when and what was the act of supremacy?

1534, made the king head of the church, completing the break with Rome.

when and what was the treason act?

1534,granted that treason can be comitted by spoken word/writing, calling the king a “hereitic” “usurper of the crown” or “tyrant”

What caused anne boleyns execution and when was it?

Relations between anne and cromwell broke down.
cromwell felt threatened and persuaded henry that annes flirty personality led to adultery and incest.
This constituted to treason (as she was the wife of the king) and she was executed in 1536.

When and what caused cromwells execution?

by 1540 his influence was delcining. fp;;pwing janes death after giving birth prince edward in 1537, cromwell in 1540 married henry to the german protestant princess, anne of cleeves.

this was an unhnhappy marriae which was quickly annuled, and it destroyed what was left of cromwells credibility. he was accused of treason and heresy at a council meeting and was executed the same day in 1540.

What the structure of government near the end of hernys reign?

Aform of consilliour government restored
ermegence of a privy council with fixed membership, supplemented by a secreatary who kept a formal recording of proceedings.
in 1540, power lay with conservativers in the council suhc as norfolk, stehen gardiner and thomas wriothesly.

When and why was catherine howard executed?

catherine howard was not a virgin, and to make matters worse, there was an ellegation of an affair betwen her and her cousin, thomas culpepper. she was executed in 1542 and henry chose his 6th wife to be the protestant Katherine parr.