The rule of Henry VIII and Wolsey, 1509-1529:

Henry VIII, start of a new era; Wolsey as chief minister - Church and State; England’s relations with other powers 1509-29; Quest for the divorce

this day is the end of our slavery, the fount of liberty; the end of our sadness and the beginning of joy

How did Sir Thomas More desrcibe Henry VIII ascendency to the throne?

Thomas Lovell as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Bishop Fox as Lord Privy Seal, Archbishop Warham as Lord Chancellor

Henry VIII inherited from his father a group of trusted and experienced advisors

1. arrested his father’s chief financial enforces, Empson and Dudley of the Council Learned in law, and abolished this hated court

2. Marry Cahteirn of Aragon

3. Aggressive foreing policy

What were H8 first decisions?

imperial kingship

came from the Roman Empire whose government was being studied by Renaissance men, like H8

one that recreated the glories of H5’s victory at Agincourt in 1415, Established the belief that he was ruling on behalf of god, and revive the notion of England conquering large areas of France

What was H8 keen on promoting his monarchy as?

projection of the king’s personality and aura of majesty he sought to create

Why was a King’s court important?

hunting, jousting, tennis

What were H8 favourite acitvities?

generous hospitality, patronage of scholars and explorers, dedicated to pleasure and refinement

How did H8 maintain a lavish court?

175

How many bonds and recognisances did H8 cancel?

Edmund de la Pole(executed by H8 in 1513) and Richard de la Pole(d.1525 Battle of Pavia)

Who were the remaining Yorkist claimants?

Privy Chamber

• Most intimate advisers and courtiers were allowed to attend H8 here

• Sure sign of who was in favour in the politics of court life

• Consisted of about 20 men

• Gave advice on matters of state

Never gave affairs the same personal attention, delegated far greater powers to chief ministers

How did H8 differ from H7?

relied heavily on the privy chamber, used Justices of the Peace, encouraged talented advisors from outside of the nobility

How were H8 and H7 similar?

medieval and renaissance kingship

What was H8 a combination of?

medieval kingship

the medieval good lord, who exhibited courage and honour

renaissance kingship

universal man, skilled in courtly etiquette and the arts as in warfare

Thomas Wolsey(15-29), Thomas Cromwell(32-40)

H8’s reign was dominated by which two leading men?

factionalism

ambitious courtiers clustered around powerful nobles and ministers, and rivalries grew between these groups(factions) as all were keen to win what limited patronage there was

Royal Court

• not parliament

• centre of political power and influence

• courtiers advanced here by attracting king’s attention, often with the help of those who were one of H8 friends or supporters

The Auld Alliance

alliance with France and Scotland, pinning England in the middle

inherited lots of finances, few opposition

What allowed H8 to pursue his aggressive foreign policy?

Battle of Flodden

• Artillery played a vital role in the battle

• English lost 1,500 men

• Scots lost 10,000

  • Including 9 earls, 13 barons, and 3 bishops

• 1512 - disaster

• 1513 - more successful expedition organised by wolsey

Timeline of H8’s expeditions to France

Treaty of Saint Germaine-en-Laye(money+reputation), Battle of the Spurs, Therouanne and Tournai

What was H8 success in the 1513 French invasion?

invaded north-east of England, whilst Catherine of Aragon acts as Regent

What did Scotland do in 1512 to aid France?

King James IV dies and a Committee is established to rule on behalf of Margaret Tudor and her 18 month old son, James V

What was the result of the Battle of Flodden in September 1513?

Treaty of Saint Germaine-en-Laye(1514)

• Sealed H8’s achievement in France

• Negotiated by Wolsey

• H8 gained the reputation he sought as a young warrior king

Possession of the Fortress of Therouanne and the town of Tournai, Annual payment for giving up claims to French throne

What were the terms and conditions of the Treaty of Saint Germaine en Laye in 1514?

organising transport, supplies, and equipment for the 30,000 strong army to France

What did H8 entrust Wolsey with in 1512?

Dean of York and Bishop of Tournai in 1513, Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York in 1514, Cardinal and Lord Chancellor in 1515, Papal Legate in 1518

What were Wolsey’s church titles?

Duke of Buckingham

• Only man to hold title of duke after H7’s reign

• 1520: investigated by Wolsey after rumours that he had said in a private conversation that H8 might not be king for much longer

• 1521: Ordered to London, arrested, and imprisoned in Tower

  • Refused to plead for life, was tried for treason and beheaded

Papal Legate

Allowed Wolsey to deputise for the pope and exercise papal powers

extended his household to 500 servants, and usually travelled with large escorts of richly dressed attendants

How was Wolsey lavish?

unusually proud, ostentatious, arrogant, vindictive, big ego and expensive tastes

What was Wolsey’s personality like?

95 Thesis

• Written in 1517 by Martin Luther

• Pinned to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany

• Openly criticised the corrupt practices of the church, such as papal absues and the selling of indulgences, causing widespread upheaval and outcry in European Christendom

Lollard

• Descendants of supporters of John Wycliffe

• Believed the bible was the sole religious authority, rejecting church control

• Called for the translation of the bible into English

• Considered heretics by 1500s, facing persecution

Legatus a Latere

Papal Legate but with additional powers that meant he could act on behalf of the pope

Wolsey, pressure, Papal Legate, 1524, Legatus a Latere

H8 gave support to __________ to put ________ on Pope to make him _______ _______, first as a temporary position, and then in ____, he was granted position of _________ _ ________

most people, educated and uneducated, remained instinctively loyal to the Catholic Church however they were aware of taxes going to Rome to an extravagant Pope and anti-clericalism

What was the condition of the church in the 1520s?

two illegitimate children(b. 1510 and 1512), mistress he lived openly with until 1519

How did Wolsey personify anti-clericalism?

White Horse Pub

Group of Lutheran supporters met here to discuss Luther’s theology

John Wycliffe

• criticised for his beliefs that scripture was more important than the Pope

• believed there was too much emphasis on the venerating of saints at the expense of personal piety

Martin Luther

• His arguments contradicted some key aspects of Catholicism

  • 95 Thesis in 1517

• Stressed importance of the Bible

• Criticised many Catholic rituals

religious reasons, luthernism could be used as a weapon against Catholic Emperor Charles V

Why were many in Germany willing to support Martin Luther?

William Tyndale

• Early supporter of religious reforms along the lines outlined by Martin Luther

• Published parts of the Bible in English

• These translation were small in number but they assumed much greater importance when criticism became directed at the Catholic Church as part of H8’s attempt to gain a divorce

closed down 2 dozen religious houses and confiscated their assets; papal permission for the monastic reform was obtained on the condition he used the money gained to promote education; ordered inspections on the quality of religious life in monasteries

What reforms did Wolsey make?

Plurality and absenteeism

What were some of the criticisms against Wolsey?

Defend of the Faith

The title H8 was rewarded by the Pope for his book against Martin Luther

8 unsuitable heads of monasteries

As Papal Legate, Wolsey was responsible for removing:

Bishop of Durham in 1523, Bishop of Winchester in 1529, Abbot of St. Albans(wealthiest monastery in England)

How did Wolsey attract good income from his church titles?

minions

H8 liked to surround himself with favourite nobles of his own age

undermine potential political opponents, such as the minions, rather than to ensure good government.

How were some of Wolsey’s reforms of government designed?

Eltham Ordinances in 1526

• laid out methods for reorganising the chaotic finances of the Privy chamber and for making the King’s household more efficient.

• However, in reality it appears that Wolsey was using these so-called reforms to reduce the influence of others at court and increase the control he could exert himself over the various aspects of government

improve aspects of royal policy that did not suit him or H8

What did Wolsey’s reforms aim to do?

slow and unfair justice, poor finances, issues of enclosures and trade

What 3 issues did Wolsey face in government?

promote civil law, strengthen Star Chamber, encouraged peasants to bring cases against their Lords

What were Wolsey’s legal reforms to solve slow and unfair justice?

popular(cheap and quick), not so enthusiastic if natural justice went against his own interest

What was the result of Wolsey’s legal reforms?

Civil Law

Law based on natural justice and evidence,

Common law precedent

decisions in court based on past cases

Star Chamber

dealt out justice to the nobility

a dozen cases each year

How many cases was the Star Chamber hearing prior to Wolsey?

Amicable Grant of 1525, more flexible taxes by updating the existing fixed parliamentary grant system

What was Wolsey’s financial policies to solve the issue of H8’s poor finances in the context of rising inflation?

Nation Survey of 1522

• Devised by Wolsey

• Allowed him to gain £200,000 in forced loans the following year

Amicable Grant

• Taxed laity between 1/6 to 1/10 of the value of their goods

• Gave 10 weeks to people to pay up

• Caused widespread discontent, making H8 to step in and suspend the tax, even if he wanted to use the revenue for foreign policy in France

rebellion, failed to cover foreign policy costs

What was the result of Wolsey’s financial reforms?

survey to measure the issue of enclosure in 1517, reforms targeted landowners, sought to counteract the effect of conflict on trade

What was Wolsey’s economic policy to solve the issue of enclosures and trade?

destroyed villages and jobs

What did Wolsey believed about the practice of enclosure?

high unemployment and inflation, riots

What was the result of Wolsey’s economic policies?

two in 1515 and 1523

How may parliaments did Wolsey call?

Hunne’s case

• Richard Hunne, a respected London merchant tailor, who refused to pay for indulgences for his deceased child

• Placed in the Bishop of London’s prison

• He was found hanged here

A London jury return the verdict that the Bishop of London was an accomplice of the murder of Richard Hunne, and Wolsey was forced to beg for forgiveness in the 1515 Parliament

What was the result of Hunne’s case?

taxation as a result of expensive foreign policy

What did the 1523 Parliament call for?

King’s divorce

Why was the 1529 parliament called?

Tournai was described as an ‘ungracious dog hole’

Why were Tournai and Therouanne not considered as impressive spoils of war?

focus of French-Habsburg rivalry shifted to the Italian peninsula

Why was England relegated to a minor role in foreign affaris?

Louis XII of France d. 1515, Ferdinand of Aragon d. 1516, HRE Maximilian d. 1519

How did the European balance of power shift before Wolsey could discover a solution?

Francis I

• 21-year-old successor to the French throne

• Immediately invading northern Italy to recapture Milan from the Habsburgs

• His resounding victory over Swiss mercenaries in the Battle of Marignano gave him a reputation far in excess of what Henry had won by capturing Tournai

Charles V

• Ferdinand of Aragon and Maximilian I had allowed their sixteen year old grandson to assume the titles of King of Spain and HRE in addition to his position as Duke in the Netherlands

• Commanded vast empire stretching from the Americas through western and central Europe down into North Africa

establish England as the peacemaker, via Treaty of London(1918), Treaty of Cambrai(1529), League of Cognac(1526), Field of Cloth of Gold(1520)

What was Wolsey’s solution to foreign policy?

Treaty of London(1518)

• Leo X, who had become Pope in 1513, called for a general crusade to halt the spread of Ottoman power in Eastern Europe

• Wolsey saw the opportunity to place England at the centre of European diplomacy

• Aimed at achieving “universal peace”

• Over two dozen countries signed the resulting treaty, which committed them to avoid war or risk being attacked by the rest of the signatories

1519

When was Charles V officially elected as Holy Roman Emperor?

League of Cognac in 1526

Wolsey joined negotiations between France, the Pope, Venice, and Florence for an anti-Habsburg alliance, hoping still to play the peacemaker by using the talks to pressure Charles into being more reasonable

1522

When did H8 declare war on France a second time?

Treaty of Cambrai(1529)

following the Frence defeat by Charles in June at the Battle of Landriano, Wolsey was able to ensure that England would be included in the resulting peace treaty

Leviticus, Chapter 20, Verse 21: If a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an impurity; he hath uncovered his nakedness; they shall be childless

What argument did Wolsey use to argue that H8 had been misled and the marriage had never been valid since it have never been consummated?

Book of Deuteronomy

After his death, it was a man’s duty to marry her and have children on his brother’s behalf

alliance with France, but unsuccessful because Charles was too strongly entrenched in the italian peninsula

What were Wolsey’s diplomatic manoeuvres to try and free the Pope from Charles’ influence?

sent Cardinal Campeggio to England with strict instruction to delay the hearing and to make sure that a decision was never reached

What did the Pope do to hear the divorce but not openly offend Charles V?

Catherine appealed to move hearing to Rome

What further delayed the hearing of H8’s divorce?

collapse of anti-Habsburg strategy in Europe, forced him by the success of Charles in Italy after 1525, and inability to obtain divorce

What were Wolsey’s two main failures?

Praemunire

• H8 used Wolsey’s position as Papal Legate to accused him of this in the summer of 1529

• A latin term used in medieval law which made it a crime to use powers derived from the Pope to the disadvantage of the King or his subjects

stripped of powers and possessions and exiled to his diocese of York

What happened to Wolsey after his fall?

The Boleyn’s had gained influence in the Royal Council and had poisoned H8’s mind

How did Wolsey’s loss of influence in the Royal Council lead to his downfall?

Wolsey had been actively working against the divorce

What did Anne’s supporters at court probably convince Henry about Wolsey that made give the sack?

1530 on his way to London

When did Wolsey die?

failure to secure divorce, failure to achieve foreign policy aims, Boleyn faction, reputation and personal ambitions

Why had Wolsey lost Henry’s confidence by 1529?

Field of Cloth of Gold, 1520

Henry met Francis here, and also conferred with Charles twice before and after the French meeting. He could not afford to remain shackled to a peace treaty that was obviously collapsing, nor could he lose prestige by allowing England to stand in the sidelines and watch a Franco-Habsburg war.

1522, France, nothing, fortune, 1525, Francis I, Pavia, exploited, dividing, reluctant

In ____, England, declared war on _______, despite Wolsey’s reservations, which achieved ________ but cost a ______. In ____ Imperial forces captured ______ after the Battle of ______ in italy. Henry hoped this could be _______, calling on Charles to help him end French independence once and for all by ______ the country into an English and a Spanish zone. Charles was __________ to pursue English interests when they did not match his own and Henry again saw his plans thwarted.