Tudor England: Henry VIII, 1509-1547 (Part 2)

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering the political, religious, and socio-economic history of England during the later reign of Henry VIII, specifically focusing on the ministries of Wolsey and Cromwell, factionalism, and the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Thomas Wolsey

The son of a butcher from Ipswich who rose to prominence through merit and intellect, becoming Henry VIII's first minister.

The minions

A nickname given to the King's young favorites at court by $1517$ whose influence rivaled Wolsey's own.

Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber

The title given in $1520$ to the King's favorites at court, whose influence Wolsey tried to limit by sending them on foreign missions.

Star Chamber

A court used by Wolsey to ensure local administrators were not above the law; the number of cases heard rose from $12$ to $120$ annually.

Duke of Buckingham (Edward Stafford)

A member of the House of York executed for treason in $1521$ after Wolsey investigated claims he suggested Henry VIII might not be King for long.

Eltham Ordinances ($1526$)

Financial regulations for the Privy Chamber that Wolsey used as a pretext to reduce the influence of certain gentlemen over the King.

Amicable Grant ($1525$)

A non-parliamentary tax attempted by Wolsey to fund foreign policy, which led to near-rebellion and damaged the King's confidence in him.

Court of Chancery

A court overseen by Wolsey as Lord Chancellor that he made more accessible to the poor, prioritizing 'Civil Law' over 'Common Law'.

Praemunire

The legal charge brought against Wolsey in October $1529$, accusing him of exercising his powers as Papal Legate without the King's authority.

Act of Supremacy ($1534$)

A constitutional change making the reigning monarch the Head of both the Church and State in England.

Act of Union ($1536$)

Legislation that divided Wales into shires and brought Welsh representation to the English Parliament for the first time.

King-in-Parliament

The principle established in the $1530$s that the highest authority in England was the King governing through and making laws with Parliament.

Privy Council

A professional body of about $20$ men, including lawyers and bureaucrats, that emerged under Henry VIII to replace the larger, older King's Council.

Court of Augmentations ($1536$)

A new financial institution created by Cromwell to manage land and finances formerly controlled by the Catholic Church.

Court of First Fruits and Tenths ($1540$)

An institution established to collect and organize the annates that were previously sent to Rome.

Six Articles ($1539$)

Religious legislation passed to reverse 'radical' changes and return the Church to more conservative Catholic doctrines.

Catherine Parr

Henry VIII's sixth wife, a Protestant sympathizer married in July $1543$, who oversaw the education of Edward and Elizabeth.

Act of Succession ($1544$)

Parliamentary legislation naming Edward as heir, followed by Mary and then Elizabeth, while ruling out Mary Stuart.

Dry Stamp

A device used by the reform faction to make an impression of the King's signature, allowing them to legalize documents like Henry's final will.

Elizabeth Barton

Known as the 'Nun of Kent,' she claimed to have visions from the Virgin Mary and warned Henry VIII against his divorce and marriage to Anne Boleyn.

John Fisher

The Bishop of Rochester who was executed for treason in June $1535$ for refusing to take the Oath of Succession.

Treason Act

New legislation under which Sir Thomas More was executed in July $1535$ after allegedly speaking against the King's supremacy.

Pilgrimage of Grace

A large uprising in northern England in late $1536$-$7$ where participants defended their Roman Catholic faith and opposed the dissolution of monasteries.

Robert Aske

A lawyer who became the overall leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace; he was eventually executed in York at Clifford's Tower.

Pontefract Articles

A list of $24$ demands compiled by the pilgrim captains during the $1536$ uprising.

Enclosures

The regional practice of fencing off common land, which was perceived as a moral problem causing homelessness and vagrancy.

Cottage industry

A manufacturing setup where cloth was produced in people's homes, providing supplementary income but lacking job security.