Henry VII

Consolidation of Power, Governance and Foreign Policy

When was the Battle of Bosworth?

When was the Battle of Bosworth?

22nd August 1485

How did Henry secure the throne after Bosworth?

Predated his reign to the 21st, publicly rewarded key supporters (11 knighthoods), detained Earl of Warwick, Coronation in October (before he met Parliament), Parliamentary Acts of Attainder against Yorkists who fought against him at Bosworth, tonnage and poundage for life (increased income immediately), Jan 1486 married Elizabeth of York and used propaganda of Tudor rose (red and white roses of Lancaster and York), September 1486- Arthur born (heir).

How did Henry VII reduce the power and control the nobles, most notably the Yorkists?

Bonds and recognisances, attainders (only 16 families out of 64 left alone), Council learned in law oversaw these- not recognised as a court of law so couldn’t be appealed against.

Henry’s lack of trust led to an extensive spy network being created and they reported on magnate performance. He also controlled the Nobles access to a private army.

Bastard feudalism had previously been the key to noble power (recruiting knights and gentlemen to be ‘retained’) and they could potentially have been used against the Crown, so Henry sought to limit their power through legislation against retaining.

Henry took strong action against individual nobles between 1487 and 1504, and people were held to these laws highly such as Lord Burgavenny in 1506.

in 1486 peers and MPs were required to take an oath against illegal retaining and in 1487 law against retaining was established.

How did he improve the crown’s financial position through financial management?

Henry had been using the Court of Exchequer which was very slow but wasn’t corrupt. Henry reverted to Edward IV’s use of the Chamber which has few processes and a flexibility to change. At the end of his reign Henry was collecting £42,000 up from £12,000 at the start.

Feudal dues- Henry ruthlessly chased what was considered his ‘feudal rights’ despite some of them being old and outdated.

Gained money from fines and incomes from bonds- overseen by Council learned in law.

Foreign Pensions, tonnage and poundage for life.

How did Henry VII gain foreign recognition?

When he had lost Brittany, Henry launched a daring attack on France as he knew they were more interested in fighting in Italy. Henry invaded France with 26,000 men and the French rapidly sued for peace- he received 745,000 crowns paid in instalments of 50,000 a year- 5% of his annual income.

1493- trade embargo with Burgundy as a result of Margaret not recognising Henry VII as King.

1496- embargo ended and Burgundy agreed to not harbour pretenders and to recognise Henry as king.

1989- Medina Del Campo with Spain agreed a marriage alliance between Arthur and Catherine of Aragon (argued over dowry size)

What happened with the Lambert Simnel rebellion?

Lambert Simnel, with the help of John de La Pole attempted to pretend to be Earl of Warwick. Henry VII presented the Earl of Warwick to the people to prove Lambert Simnel wasn’t who he claimed to be. The two men fled to Burgundy and drummed up a force of mercenaries. There was a Battle- the Battle of Stoke. Henry VII was not confident – he was worried he would be double crossed. However his army was led effectively by the Earl of Oxford because the rebel side didn’t have enough extra followers joining the mercenary force.

What happened with the Perkin Warbeck rebellion?

Perkin Warbeck became a potentially serious threat to Henry VII due to the foreign support he received. He was harboured in Ireland in 1491 and then in France. IN 1492 he fled to Burgundy, and on 1495 attempted a battle in Kent which floundered. He the went to Scotland. He attempted to capitalise on Cornwall but failed and was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

What other threats were there?

Yorkshire rebellion of 1489 and Cornish Rebellion 1497 as a result of extraordinary taxation for wars.

What did the privy council/The council do?

The king ruled with a council of advisors to help make key decisions. 227 men are recorded as attending Council during his reign. But in regular attendance were probably only around 6 or 7 members.

·         They advise the king

·         Administer the realm on his behalf

·         Make legal judgements.

Councillors were members of the nobility that were trusted like Lord Daubeney, Churchmen like John Morton and Richard Fox, and gentry/lawyers like Sir Reginald Bray and Edmund Dudley.

It had no established rules and procedures and members would also meet with the king not present to do admin.

What were the three types of counciller?

3 types of councillor: Nobles, churchmen like John Morton and Laymen -gentry like Reginald Bray and Edmund Dudley. Great Magnates were rarely included in the council – Henry was stopping them gaining too much authority.

How many times did Henry call Parliament?

7 occasions, 5 of which were in his first decade

What were Parliaments two functions?

Pass laws, and grant taxation to the Crown. An additional function was that MPs could raise issues and grievances that were concerns in their localities.

Which of the houses was more important?

The House of Lords was the more important of the two houses of parliament. The vote in the House of Commons was restricted to men of property, though voting qualifications varied place to place.

Were any changes brought about in the Parliamentary system?

No

What were the feudal dues?

The king’s feudal dues were extended to him being paid if: a) a noble’s eldest son was knighted,b) the marriage of the noble’s eldest daughter

How did he find out about all these rights?

Employed lawyers to comb through 13th century texts like ‘Prerogative Regis’ and brought them back to life.

How did Henry VII change the Privy chamber?

The position of Lord Chamberlain and indeed all those in the Chamber was a great one as they were greatly trusted by the King. Thus when Henry VII discovered in 1495 that his Lord Chamberlain Sir William Stanley had been involved in a treasonous plot against him with the pretender Perkin Warbeck, Henry made changes to the Chamber. He remodelled the Chamber by creating a new ‘Privy’ (Private) Chamber to which the King could retreat to, protected by his most intimate servants. This changed the character of Court as it was more difficult to gain access to the king. Henry cut himself off from much of the King’s traditional contacts at court.

Who was in control of the regional government?

The nobility.