Henry VIII - Cromwell's government

What was the problem with the Royal Council?

Large - contained over 100 people

Informal

Recorded business unevenly

What reforms did Cromwell introduce to replace this?

Created a smaller permanent Privy Council
Around 20 active members

Staffed it with administrators + lawyers

Formalised clerical record-keeping

Why was this privy council important?

More professional

Ensured councillors were loyal to the King not the nobility
Strengthening royal authority

Limitation - some councillors loyal to Cromwell
Some power shifted to him not fully to Henry

Why was finance important in 1530s?

Henry needed money to maintain a magnificent court
Display power as a renaissance prince

Fund defence against threats from Catholic powers
Deal Castle (1540) - protected the Downs anchorage
Walmer Castler (1540) - key defensive chain along the Kent coast

Henry’s income before Cromwell’s reforms

100k

What was the financial “windfall” transforming royal income

Dissolution of the Monasteries

1536-47 - income rose to about 240k per year

Sold monastic lands quickly to nobles (obtained from reformation, owned 1/3)
Generated large short-term revenue for the Crown

Institutions created to manage this new influx of wealth?

Court of Augmentations - handled monastic wealth efficiently

Court of Wards- extracted income from underage heirs’ estates

Established a more organised and bureaucratic financial system

Limitation - selling land reduced long-term income
Crown sacrificed future revenue for short-term gain

How did Parliament’s role change in the 1530s?

Used far more frequently to pass laws

1509-31: 203 Acts passed

1532-40: 333 Acts passed

Dramatic increase in legislative activity

Why was increased use of parliament necessary?

Made opponents visible if they said no

Ensured loyalty - members legally required to say ‘yes’

Needed laws to legitimise religious changes

How did Cromwell control Parliament?

1. Coerced MPs to vote (1533) - exposed opposition

2. Oversaw elections (1533) - used bribery, threats + patronage

3. Mobilised House of Lords into compliance

4. Provided prepared propaganda to pressure MPs

Overall judgement for Parliament?

Major success

Strengthening Henry’s authority

Made parliament more central to government long-term

Cromwell + justice

Problem - King’s law did not apply everywhere:

Liberties controlled by Nobles
Sanctuary in churches - criminals avoid arrest

Solution:

1536 - Liberties abolished
1540 - Sanctuary abolished for serious crimes (e.g. murder + r*pe)

Why was this important?

Removed a major loophole

Ensured criminals could no longer evade justice

Extended royal law

Why was controlling regions like the North, Wales, + Ireland difficult?

Slow communication

Geography

Reliance on nobles for military support

Reforms made in Ireland

Permanent army in the Pale

Henry was crowned King of Ireland (1540)

Reduced reliance on nobles

Control was not extended across all Ireland

Reforms made in Wales

1536 - Act of Union

Introduced English law

Divided Wales into counties

Imposed English as the official language - banned Welsh

Sent Welsh MPs to Parliament

Reforms made in North

Council of the North strengthened after P of G
Improved royal control + faster response to unrest

Staffed by trusted royal officials not local magnates
Reduced independence of northern nobility

King’s policies + laws were enforced more consistently

Why were these regional reforms important?

Improved royal security + stability

Especially in areas prone to rebellion

Limitation - crown still relied on local elites’ cooperation
Control not absolute

Overall of Cromwell’s government

Deliberate + largely successful - strengthening royal power

Created more efficient government

Power still relied heavily on key ministers

Changes depended on Cromwell himself - system not fully independent