HENRY VIII DOMESTIC POLICY

The Hunne affair

1515, Richard Hunne arrested for challenging clerical authority (after disputes about paying for his infant son's mortuary robe) and then murdered whilst awaiting trial

lead to criticisms of the church for corruption (London and south east)

Enclosures enquiry

1517-1523, Wolsey's enquiry into the rights of landowners to enclose common land

no. of enclosures cases brought to court

260

Parliament increase taxation

1523, in order to pay for war in France

Amicable Grant

1525, in order to raise money for war in France

Amicable Grant failure

only raised £250k of £800k needed

made Wolsey unpopular with Laity and Nobles

Amicable Grant consequences

Peace with France

Rebellion at Lavenham (Suffolk) of 4000 refusing to pay it

years with poor harvests

1520-21, 1527-29, 1535

Law passed limiting the amount of sheep one person could own (supposed to limit enclosure)

1534

St Mary's Spital and St Bartholomew's church run hospitals closed in London

1538

Act of Liberties and Franchises

1535, centralised regions that had traditionally been run by independent nobles (ex. Durham)

Pilgrimage of Grace

1536, uprising in the North of England (Lincolnshire and Yorkshire) imposed a serious threat to the English crown.

Reasons for the Pilgrimage of Grace

Dissolution of the monasteries

Removal of papal authority

Cromwell's lack of popularity amongst nobility (wanted him dismissed) and increasing centralisation

Protestant heretics and extremists

Government's practice of taxing during peacetime

lack of welfare available following the closures of the monasteries

Act of Uses

1536, closed taxation loopholes

Pilgrimage of Grace leader

Robert Aske

Lord Darcy

Threat of Pilgrimage of Grace

very significant

well organised by intelligent leader (ex. commoner's petition)

managed to capture Pontefract Castle

gained noble support

around 40k rebells joined the cause

leaders of Royal Army (pilgrimage of grace)

Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Shrewsbury

demands in Common's petition

destruction of heretic works (ex. Luther)

Henry to give up position as Head of the Church of England

reinstatement of the smaller, local religious houses

Lady Mary to be made legitimate

parliament to be held at York or Nottingham

Bigod's uprising

Jan 1547, Cumberland and Westmorland

Bigod's uprising consequences

ended any leverage the north had had for religious and social reforms

178 people tried and hanged

punishment for the pilgrimage of grace

Aske charged with raising rebellion and was executed in July 1547

Buckingham threat

1521, Edward Stafford (DofB) arrested and executed for treason (supposedly for plotting to kill the King)

Surrey threat

1546, Henry Howard (EofS) places the royal crest on his insignia- tried and executed for treason (supposedly for plotting to kill the King)