L11 - henry viii and cromwell’s management of government 1529-1540

origins of thomas cromwell

• son of a blacksmith → new man

• employed by thomas wolsey

• 1530 appointed to the privy council

• suggested the POLITICAL break from rome to secure annulment

• influenced by reformist/lutheran ideas

when was thomas cromwell appointed to the privy council?

1530 - after the fall of wolsey

what positions did cromwell hold in government and when?

1530-1540: appointed to the privy council

1534-1540: principal secretary

1535: vicar general → in charge of reform of church and monasteries

april 1540: earl of essex

when did cromwell orchestrate the downfall of anne boleyn?

1536

when was cromwell accused of heresy and treason? when was the execution?

june 1540: accused of heresy and treason

july 1540: executed

role of thomas cromwell in government 1534-40

• henry’s principal secretary 1534-40

• 1535 - vicar general and in charge of reform of church and monasteries

• 1536 - orchestrated downfall of anne boleyn

• arranged anne of cleves marriage 1540

• april 1540 - earned title ‘earl of essex’

• june 1540 - accused of heresy and treason

• july 1540 - executed

who most greatly resented cromwell for his power and influence? why?

• conservative faction at court

  • specifically thomas howard, duke of norfolk

• cromwell was king’s most trusted advisor 1534-1540, was considered a lesser born man from origins

what criteria need to be met for something to classify as a ‘revolution’?

• large amount of change

• in a short amount of time → months maximum

• vast transformative changes made

what kind of change was experienced by government under cromwell?

EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE NOT REVOLUTIONARY

what perspective does elton propose to the change government experienced under cromwell?

• REVOLUTION in government

• personal monarchy losing effect

• 1530s cromwell reduced the role of the royal household and ‘substituted’ bureaucratic administration

• extended size and importance of council

• eroded of powers and privileges of the nobility

• increased role and importance of parliament → began in passing religious reforms

which historians disagree with elton (NOT a revolution in government)?

• starkey

• guy

how did starkey and guy disagree with elton’s views on a revolution in tudor government?

• elton ‘overstated’ many of reforms under Edward VI and Henry VII

• instead claim cromwell was returning to old practices

• made existing systems work rather than creating new ones

• administrative change were not entirely established until Elizabeth I in 1560s (longer term changes/contributions to a developing trend that began w/ accession of edward iv in 1461)

• EVOLUTION NOT REVOLUTION

what’s specific to starkey’s perspective of a revoltion of government under cromwell?

• rejects ANY notion of revolution or evolution in government

• argues that systems remained dependent on monarch (remained personal monarchy)

• denies existence of any developmental pattern in methods of government

how many advisors sat on the council before and after 1536?

• before 1536 → 70 advisors

• after 1536 → 20 advisors

how did the experience of councillors change before and after 1536?

• before 1536: advisors were nobles, clergy, bureaucrats

• after 1536: advisors mostly trained lawyers and bureaucrats NOT nobility

how did the function of the council change under cromwell?

• privy council involved in daily workings of central government

• government business became less centred on the royal household, more trained lawyers and bureaucrats in specialised departments

• INCREASED efficiency

  • e.g. court of augmentations and court of first fruits and tenths from 1536

how did the council change under henry viii?

• reduced influence and number of advisors, becoming more professional

• increased focus on efficiency → streamlined and centralised

continuity in the privy council 1529-40

• skilled administrators remained cherished, continued in increasing trend

  • 1519: wolsey admired cromwell’s administrative skill and appointed him to the council

  • same occurred with cromwell admiring richard rich’s skill in financial admin

• continued to rule with conciliar form of government, small inner circle of councillors who aided in day to day decision making

• government remained dependent on personal connections with chief ministers

  • dominance of wolsey and cromwell

what ulterior motive was persisted to reforms of government?

• enhance most trusted minister’s own authority

• undermined the influence of minions on henry

  • e.g. imposition of henry norris as groom of the stool from 1526 eltham ordinances → more favourable to wolsey

  • bureaucrats of 1530s were responsible to cromwell

significance of the role of cromwell in the changes to the privy council 1529-40

• cromwell’s role as advisory to monarch/supreme authority and decision maker goes fundamentally unchanged

• reforms were exploited to increase control of chief ministers

• uncertain if cromwell instigated growth of professionalism and efficiency in council or escalated pre-existing trend

• likely a response to opposition/criticism and pilgrimage of grace

changes to the court/royal household 1529-40?

• business of government now less centred around royal household → decision making no longer made in privy chambers of the king

• lost influence, government became more independent from crown and bureaucratic

• role personally reduced by cromwell → maximise efficiency w/ highly skilled new men rather than courtiers

continuity in government 1529-40

• medieval government prior to HVIII had been similarly bureaucratic and less concentrated on royal household

  • e.g. delegation of HVII’s powers to council learned

• privy chamber remained at heart of government onwards from hviii

• wolsey had previously failed to reduce importance of court w/ 1526 eltham ordinances → FAILED

• administration continued within both household and bureaucratic styles

changes to the court/royal household 1529-40

• cromwell personally reduced role of the royal household in government

  • removal of nobles from privy council & replaced with bureaucrats and administrators

  • all bureaucrats ultimately responsible to him

extent of change to the court/royal household 1529-1540

• role of court in government removal remained a balance of bureaucracy and focus on personal influence of courtiers

• business of gov. had preciously been focused on efficiency and independence

  • trend continued to grow w/ cromwell ensuring all new bureaucrats were responsible to him

changes to parliament 1529-1540

• substantial escalation in demand of parliament

• 1530s - parliament rarely met, 4 short ones solely to pass king’s policies, reform, taxes and subsidies

• cromwell called reformation parliament to pass his policies and legislation via statutes of the realm

• major shift in power from king along to laws made by the “king in parliament”

• change remained in place under future monarchs

how many statutes of the realm were printed 1215-1509 and 1509-1547?

1215-1509: 1092 printed pages

1509-1547: 1032 printed pages

• scope and quantity radically altered

how did parliament’s role extend as a consequence of the reformation?

• vital in developing legislation in reaction to watershed moments throughout break from rome

• 1534 act of supremacy and 1536 act of ten articles

  • shift towards protestant doctrine with parliament relied upon to ensure establishment war was quick and successful

who did cromwell influence parliamentary support?

• devoted time to management and influencing parliament

• printed propaganda to influence MPs votes

• filled vacancies and influence attendance to shift verdicts

continuity in parliament 1529-1540

• no revolutionary transformation of parliament’s fundamental purpose

• remained subservient to royal supremacy and royal prerogative rights despite shift to “king in parliament”

  • king could still govern via royal prerogatives and injunctions

• royal court and council remain vastly more important and powerful than parliament

extent of change/continuity to parliament 1529-1540

• parliament began to experience enhancement of status

  • increased legislative activity and need of reform

  • previously been underutilised with rare and brief assemblies

• no revolutionary transformation due to lack of overall change, remained subservient to power of king and court

• BUT experienced more drastic short term change than most areas of government

change in governance of the localities in wales

1536 act of union

• incorporated wales into english legal and administrative system → further extension of english authority

• MPs sent to London

• english made the official language

change in governance of the localities in the north

the council of the north

• reformed following the pilgrimage of grace

• brought more direct and efficient control from the king

change in the governance of the localities in ireland

• came under direct rule under an english lord deputy → greater concentration of power over ireland

• 1540: henry became “king” over ireland rather than “lord”

change of governance of the localities 1529-1540

• clear attempts to centralised and extend royal authority over peripheries of the kingdom 1515-1540

  • driven by cromwell’s views on english sovereignty

  • focused on areas of weak royal authority that became more prominent

continuity of governance of localities 1529-1540

• monarch continued to rely on local landowners to enforce henry’s laws

  • JPs remained unpaid, central government reliant on their goodwill and loyalty

    • despite short term financial prosperity of crown thanks to dissolution of monasteries

• ireland continued to hold no residual loyalty to the english crown

• royal authority continued to fail to extend beyond the pale

extent of change/continuity from local government 1529-1540

• largely remained the same w/ responsibilities of JPs being integral to maintenance of law and order across kingdom

• continuation of trend centralising government to strengthen control to create more direct and efficient system

  • greatest focus

• changes made were adaptation of those previously utilised by predecessors, but to a greater extent

change of government finance 1529-1540

• dissolution of monasteries provided stabilising rapid increase to crown revenue

  • consquence of more efficient government and exploitation of new source of income

• new specialist financial administration departments worked alongside privy chamber

how much did the dissolution of the monasteries affect crown income?

• doubled

• £150,000 → £300,000

examples of specialist financial administration departments developed under cromwell? and purpose?

• court of augmentations

  • dealt with sale of former monastic lands

• court for the first fruits and tenths

  • collected money from clergy that were originally sent to rome

continuity of finance in government 1529-1540

• continued to manage finance via privy chamber rather than the exchequer

  • used by edward iv and henry vii

change in sovereignty and the empire 1529-1540

• several documents drafted by henry’s government stressed independence of england

  • independence as single state with all powers held by the monarch and the denial of any interference from anyone external to the ‘empire’

• aided by the removal of papal authority over england

• strengthened by 1534 treason act

continuity of sovereignty and the empire 1529-1540

• english kings prior to henry had been able to choose bishops and archbishops

  • gave them some influence over catholic church in england

• henry vii had removed ecclesiastical sanctuary for treason and encouraged his lawyers to challenge church courts

role of cromwell in management of sovereignty and empire

• documents on sovereignty were drafted by cromwell

• cromwell has the idea to make henry supreme head of the church