Domestic policies under Wolsey (1514-29) - Finance

How provided extraordinary revenue?

During Henry Tudors reign taxpayers, including the nobility, would provide extraordinary revenue (parliamentary taxation) when required through raising subsidies

What did Wolsey change about the collection of subsidies?

• Wolsey change the way subsidies were collected as instead of using local commissioners to assess taxpayers’ wealth

• Wolsey set up a national committee which he himself headed

Why were the way subsidies were collected changed?

There was the risk that they would be over-generous to the local nobility

What did changing subsidies do for Wolsey?

By doing this he now had direct and realistic assessments of the wealth of taxpayers allowing the nation’s revenue base to become more realistic

What can the subsidy change be described as sin simple words?

Changed if form being a configured flat rate to proportional

How did the change in subsidy collection benefit the crown?

This allowed Wolsey to raise extraordinary revenue for Henry VIII's war in France

What as the outcome of the extraordinary revenue?

The amount was insufficient resulting in him trying to raise the heavy tax levied without Parliament’s approval, the ‘Amicable Grant’ of 1525

What did the amicable grant lead to?

The 1525 ‘Amicable Grant’ led to widespread resistance and an almost to a rebellion

What was Wolsey’s problem with the royal household?

Wolsey realised the royal household was expensive with over 500 meals a day to keep them fed

How was Wolsey planning on dealing with the royal household problem?

Wolsey came up the idea to reduce the number of courtiers in the royal household

How would Wolsey’s changes to the royal household benefit him personally?

This benefited him and the king because it would reduce costs and would help Wolsey get rid of those who didn't like him because of his upbringing

What was used to reduce numbers in the royal household?

1519 and 26 The Eltham Ordinances were come up to reduce the royal house hold

When were Eltham ordinances put in place?

1519 and 26

How successful were the Eltham Ordinances?

They weren't successful as Wolsey was too busy trying to sort out the divorce so he couldn’t follow through

What was the main success for Wolsey’s sweep of the royal household?

He secured the removal of Henry’s Groom of the Stool, Sir William Compton, replacing him with the more compliant Henry Norris

What did the king want to take advantage of?

1525 King Henry VIII wanted to take advantage of the fact that the King of France Francis I had been imprisoned by Charles v  the Holy Roman Emperor so he wanted to advantage of this by invading France while Francis was gone and in prison 

When was Francis imprisoned?

1525 King of France Francis I had been imprisoned by Charles v 

How did Henry VIII take advantage of the imprisonment?

He wanted to advantage of this by invading France while Francis was gone and in prison 

How did Henry prepare for the invasion?

Money was needed to raise the army

Why couldn’t Henry VIII raise the money for the army normally?

1522 there had been a forced loan which had never been repaired and in 1523 parliament introduced a new tax which was still being collected so when Henry asked in 1525 the parliament said no

How did Henry try to deal with the tax issue?

The amicable grant was introduced to sort of resolve this issue by making it seem that this essentially another forced loan was a gift from nobility and land owners to the king which was not voted for by parliament

How did people react to the amicable grant?

• Many saw it as a forced loan and it net against parliament so people were upset

• Even the church protested in some areas

• East Anglia rose up against it

• 1524 around 4000 people in Lavenham protested

What worsened the effects of the amicable grant?

The current situation in Tudor England was quite bad in some places there was high unemployment and the price of food and other goods was rising so people so people couldn’t afford to have another tax raise

What was the outcome of the Lavenham uprising?

• The uprisings were suppressed in Lavenham the duke of Norfolk and Suffolk and they even sided with them

• They didn't like Wolsey and so they sided with the rebels to show the king that the grant was a disaster

What did the grant come to?

In the end Wolsey abandoned the grant and the king abandoned his plans of invasion this was all by force leaving a bitter taste about Wolsey in the kings mouth as he was humiliated in the process

When was the Act of Six Articles was passed?

The Act of Six Articles was passed by Parliament in 1539 as a doctrinal statement

What was the purpose of the Act of Six Articles?

Its purpose was to reinforce Catholic beliefs amid the growing popularity of Protestant ideas during the 1530s

What did the Act of Six Articles reaffirm?

• A key doctrine reaffirmed was the ‘real presence,’ the Catholic belief that bread and wine become Christ’s body and blood during Communion

• The Act declared that denying this doctrine was treason

What role did Henry play in the Act of Six Articles?

There is debate about Henry VIII’s personal role in shaping the Act:

• The Council was divided, with Cranmer and Cromwell favouring more Protestant positions, and Norfolk and Gardiner supporting Catholic views

• Henry may have been influenced by the more persuasive faction or his own religious beliefs

• Henry had previously acknowledged some Articles in 1538 and was concerned about foreign heresies spreading into England

• He made corrections to the draft bill, indicating personal involvement