government

Eric Ive's interpretation of Henry VIII's Early Government

He argued that Henry VIII liked to have an overview of his government but he was happy to let others do the mundane work for him

how did Henry VII's treatment of the nobility differ from Henry VIII

Henry VII controlled the ambitions of the nobility more by threatening their status and wealth than by making concessions to them. Henry VIII's attitude to them was different from the start

what did Henry VIII do to relax the treatment of the nobility

He disbanded the council learned in law and cancelled 175 bonds and recognisances that were owed

what did Henry mostly call parliament for

Henry mostly called parliament to secure revenue

two functions of parliament

1. Grant extraordinary revenue2. Pass laws

how many times was parliament summoned

Before 1529, Henry VIII only summoned parliament 4 times

did he use JPs

yes

what did he use JPs for

He used JPs to carry out his wishes in local government rather than relying on the nobility

what years were councillor government used

1509-1514

what did the council do

They handled the routine matters of state. Henry did not attend the meetings but he drew up the agenda and decided what they would discuss.

how many people were in the council

20

why did the council not last long

1. Henry became disenchanted with the reluctance of his father's senior councillors to support a war with France2. As he became more used to ruling, he increasingly asserted his right to control decision making 3. Henry surrounded himself with younger, like-minded courtiers rather than his father's councillor who echoed his ideas and for that reason, Wolsey became a dominant political figure 4. He became impressed with Wolsey's skill. His successful management of the French campaign earned him Henry's gratitude

how was the privy chamber changed

It was an area of government which before 1519, lay outside Wolsey's immediate control. Its role was extended during Henry VIII's early years.

who did the privy chamber include

It included Henry's minions (young nobles) that had enjoyed Henry's personal favours and the Groom of the Stool

what was wolsey's role

Chief minister aka Lord Chancellor

date of Wolsey's time as Lord Chancellor

1514-29

why did Wolsey progress under Henry VIII

His organisational skills and ability allowed him to progress under Henry VIII

wolsey's rise to high office

1513- Dean of York and Bishop of Tournai 1514- Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York 1515- Made Cardinal by Pope Leo X (a high-ranking position in the church, above any English churchman)1515- Official became Lord Chancellor1518- Appointed Papal Legate by the Pope which allowed him to deputise for the pope and exercise papal power

what was Wolsey known as

Alter X - the other king as he was able to elbow aside the kings advisers and minions on the royal council

what did Wolsey do to anyone he saw as a rival

He used his legal powers as Lord Chancellor and his informants to intimidate anyone he saw as a rival for example the Duke of Buckingham.

who did Wolsey mistreat

The Duke of Buckingham

what did Wolsey do the Duke of Buckingham

He was investigated by Wolsey in 1520 after rumours that he said Henry might not be king for too long. In 1521 he was ordered to London, and imprisoned in the tower, tried and beheaded.

Wolsey's personality

Wolsey played on the king's insecurity to convince him to order these actions and used the Duke of Buckingham as a warning to anyone who might be trying to attack the cardinal's power

who did Wolsey ruin

Sir Amyas Paulet

sir amyas paulet

Wolsey had been humiliated by Sir Amyas Paulet when he was a young priest so when he became Lord Chancellor, he summoned Paulet to London on a fake charge and kept him there, he demanded his daily attendance at the court of chancery for 5 years, the case was never heard but the delays and expenses ruined Paulet

what can wolsey's reforms by divided into

Legal ReformsFinancial ReformsEconomic reforms

Wolsey's Legal Reforms

Court of ChanceryCourt of Star ChamberCourts became accessible

court of chancery

Wolsey was not a trained lawyer but as Lord Chancellor, he was responsible for overseeing the legal system. The chancery was the main court of equity in the land. Wolsey presided over the court and tried to use it to uphold fair justice. For example, he used the court to deal with problems relating to enclosure.

what was the main problem with the court of chancery

The main problem with the chancery court was that it became too popular and justice was slow since it became clogged up with many cases

what was Wolsey's main concern with the legal system

Wolsey's main concern was to tackle the problem of slow and unfair delivery of justice and by 1516, he was already planning reforms to the systems to improve matters

what was the key change to the legal system that wolsey made

One key change was that he promoted civil law, which was decisions based on natural justice and evidence rather than common law based on precedents that had not been questioned.

how did Wolsey change the star chamber

Wolsey strengthened the star chamber from a court established under Henry VII which had been staffed by members of the Privy Council to deal out justice on his behalf in cases involving the nobility to a centre of government and justice.

what crimes were the court of star chamber used for

He used it to deal with crimes such as disorder, riots, assault, fraud, corruption, trade disputes and enclosure and to attack nobles and local officials who abused their power.

why was wolsey seen as a friend of the poor

He encouraged commoners to bring their complaints before the court and he presided over them in person, this gave him the reputation of being a friend of the poor, especially in relation to laws against enclosure.

what court was used to hear cases from poor people

The court of requests was used to hear cases from poor people.

why was the court of star chamber popular

It was popular because of the low cost of bringing a case and because decisions were reached quickly.

how many cases did the Court of Star Chamber deal with

It dealt with over 120 cases each year under VIII compared with around 12 cases per year during Henry VII

courts and accessibility under Wolsey

Courts became accessible to the poor, normally there were high fees for putting a case to court but with Wolsey's reform anyone could bring their cases and get justice regardless of wealth and social status.

who were disadvantaged by Wolsey's legal reforms

The nobility

how did the nobility gain a disadvantage from Wolsey's legal reforms

The nobility was controlled because they were no longer superior in the courts and Wolsey did not want them dominating legal proceedings. Wolsey was not afraid to prosecute members of the nobility, especially for breaches in the laws against maintenance and affrays.

examples of Nobility being punished by wolsey

in 1515 the Earl of Northumberland was sent to fleet street prisonin 1516 Lord Burgavenny was accused of illegal retaining.

arguments that Wolsey did it for selfish reasons

Historian Keith Randell argued that Wolsey used the system to further his own interests, he used it to overturn legal decisions that adversley affected him and against people whom he a grudge on

how successful were legal reforms

S.T Bindoff argued that 'Wolseys administration was a period of much promise but little performance'. Wolsey started a number of cases and schemes but didn't see them through. He attempted no lasting changes and was quick to abandon his support whenever matters affected him personally or threatened his power, foreign matters took up more time.

john guy's description of Wolsey

arrogant and insensitive

wolsey's financial reforms

Tudor Subsidy Collecting Subsidy Eltham Ordinances Amicable Grant Act of Resumption 1515

tudor subsidy

Wolsey developed the Tudor subsidy which required parliament to calculate tax on the property of individual taxpayers. He justified this by highlighting the necessity of devising a more efficient tax and one that could be levied as well in a shorter time and in a more easy universal and impartial manner than the common tax of fifteenths and tenths which settled to a fixed sum of taxes collected with which growing inflation was not enough

what act was passed under the Tudor Subsidy

The Subsidy Act

when was the subsidy act passed

1512

what did the subsidy act do

The subsidy act created a more flexible and realistic subsidy, based on the ability to pay. Commissioners were dispatched to the localities to supervise assessments of wealth while graduated rates of taxes were established that placed a greater financial burden on the very rich.

what was the subsidy act raised for

Wolsey raised extraordinary revenue for Henry's war with France. Parliament were unhappy about Wolsey's financial demands to the extent that Wolsey often proved unable to secure all he wanted

when was the act to collect subsidy passed

1513

collecting subsidy

This was devised on the rank of individual noblemen together with a tax on the property of commoners. In 1514, the subsidy taxed wages as well as landed property without distinguishing between nobility and commoners.

how much was raised as a result of collecting subsidy

Between 1513 and 1516 the subsidy raised £170,000 but Wolsey had to deal with late payments from the nobility as they resented paying more tax

when was the Eltham Ordinances passed

1526

why were the Eltham ordinances introduced

Wolsey introduced these to reform the finances of the privy council

eltham ordinances - what did it do

Wolsey attempted to reduce the cost of running the royal household. This was a set of instructions drawn up to reform the king's court and privy chamber, including the financial system. He reduced the number of the gentlemen of the bed chamber from 12 - 6, who were Henry's personal attendants and advisors. This according to Peter Gwyns was a necessary cost-cutting exercise and would increase the efficiency of the administration. Wolsey removed Henry's Groom of the Stool - Sir William Crompton and replaced him with a loyalist Henry Noms.

what was Wolsey's primary concern that warranted the passing of the Eltham Ordinances

Wolsey's prime concern was to reduce the scope that others had for influencing the king and to increase the control that he could exercise over all aspects of the government. Wolsey lost interest in terms of reforming the administrative procedures and gained control over the selection of the gentlemen - he did it to increase his power base.

when was the amicable grant passed

1525

why was the amicable grant passed

Henry was determined to take France to war but needed huge funds to do this. He demanded that Wolsey devise a scheme to raise money

what did the Amicable Grant do

Wolsey proposed the AG to collect money from both the church and tax-payers based on the valuations of their property. He sent out commissioners to collect heavy tax that was not granted by parliament. They collected tax in the laity between 1/6th and 1/10 of the value of the goods they owned and the church/clergy at 1/3 of the value of their goods. The people were given just 10 weeks to find the necessary money. It was met with violent disruptions and many refused to pay which led to rebellion

failures of the amicable grant

1. It was abandoned in 1525 and no further taxation was attempted by Wolsey. 2. To many historians it marked the beginning of the end for Wolsey and Henry denied all knowledge of the grant 3. It marked a turning point in foreign policy as Wolsey sought an alliance with France instead of waging war against them

when was the act of resumption passed

1515

act of resumption

It was an act that returned some of the lands to the crown. Wolsey wanted to increase revenue from crown lands but many had been granted away at the beginning of his reign

Wolseys economic reforms

Wolsey took legal action against the nobility who enclosed illegally as it was responsible for rural action and depopulation.

what did Wolsey do against enclosure

In 1527, he launched a national inquiry into enclosed land, many of those brought to court were ordered to rebuild houses that had been destroyed and return lands to arable farming

motives for wanting to end the marriage to Catherine

1. Against God's Will 2. Wanted a legitimate heir 3. He loved Anne and she didn't want to be his mistress

Against God's Will

Henry had a growing obsession with the fact that his marriage to Catherine was against God's will. He was focused on a section of the bible. 'If a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing.... they shall be without children' Leviticus 20:21, Henry had married his brother's wife, though they did have a daughter - Mary who was born in 1516

Wanted a legitimate heir

Catherine had many miscarriages and had been unable to provide a male heir. Henry did have an illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy who he wanted to legitimise. He made him the Duke of Richmond, a decision made in the wake of Charles V rejection of proposed marriage to Mary. The only problem with this was that Henry needed an heir whose claim to the throne would not be disputed especially after the War of Roses

He loved Anne and she didn't want to be his mistress

Historians have disagreed about whether Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn and then grew tired of Catherine or Vice Versa. He began to woo her in 1526 and by 1527, he had firmly decided that he wanted a divorce. Anne made it clear that she was not prepared to be a mistress which caused Henry to be increasingly infatuated.

the kings great matter

The process that the King went through to annul his marriage to Catherine.

why was it called a great matter

It was a great matter because it was a complicated process. Wolsey tried to use a number of measures in order to have the marriage annulled which led to his fall.

Attempts used by Wolsey to secure the divorce

1. Scriptural Arguments 2. Diplomatic Maneovers 3. Legal Efforts

scriptural arguments

First, Wolsey drew up a complex line of arguments based on scriptures to justify the divorce in the eyes of the Catholic Church. He argued that the validity of Catherine's marriage to Henry in 1509, relied on Catherins' word that her marriage to Prince Arthur had never been consummated. However, if this was not the case Henry had been misled and the marriage had never been valid. He used Lev 20:21. Henry was convinced that the lack of a legitimate heir was God's punishment and he didn't want to live in sin. Wolsey was confident that he could persuade the pope to agree to the annulment. But it was not that simple, Many theologians felt that it referred to not marrying your in-law when your brother was still alive. After his death, it was a man's duty to marry her and have children on his brother's behalf as instructed in the book of Deutronomy.

Diplomatic Maneovers

Wolsey decided to attack the HRE, Catherine's nephew who caused an inconvenience to Henry as he didn't support the divorce. Charles V was in control of Italy. Wolsey tried to free the Pope from Charles's influence. By using an alliance with France and the renewal of warfare in Italy to distract the HRE. This policy failed because Charles was too strongly entrenched in the Italian Peninsula to be evicted by France.

Legal Efforts

Wolsey tried to hold the divorce hearings in England where he as Papal Legate would make the judgement. However, the pope, Clement VII, was still concerned with not wanting to offend Charles V, so although he agreed to set up a commission to hear the divorce case. He sent cardinal Campeggio to England with strict instructions to delay the hearing and to make sure that a decision was never reached. Wolsey had hoped Campeggio would be co-operative, however, he was unwell and took months to reach England, and then wanted to do everything thoroughly (stalling). When the court finally met in June 1529 to discuss the case, Catherine immediately refused to recognise it and appealed to the Pope to move the hearing to Rome - kickstarting the fall of W.

why was Wolsey's fall not unexpected

Wolsey's fall though sudden was not entirely unexpected, he was already unpopular for forcing the 1525 Amicable Grant and forcing the 1523 subsidy through parliament. Nobility disliked him

Wolsey's key failures

The collapse of the anti-Habsburg strategy in Europe His inability to obtain the divorce wanted by the King for two years.

how was Wolsey charged

In June 1526, he was charged with Praeminure (working in the interests of the pope rather than the king).

year of Wolsey's death

1530

Factors leading to Wolsey's fall

1. Failure to secure the divorce from Catherine of Aragon 2. Failure to achieve Foreign Policy Aims - England was isolated and marginalised 3. The Boleyn Faction 4. Reputation and Personal Ambitions

the Boleyn faction

Supporters of Anne Boleyn at court blamed him for his failure to win approval for the royal divorce, According to Starkey, Wolsey had been losing control of the Royal Court in the late 1520s as the Boleyns had gained more influence there. Wolsey had no way of diminishing her access to the king. They made him out to be a papal official trying not to obtain divorce - link to Pollard's intepretation

Failure to achieve Foreign Policy Aims

England and France's alliance was unpopular. The nobility did not like the Anglo-France alliance and it affected trade with the low countries. Henry was put in a weak position regarding the great matter after the sack of Rome in 1527 confirmed imperial domination by Charles V of Italy and the Pope

who was the next Lord Chancellor

Thomas Cromwell

Thomas cromwell as Lord Chancellor

1532

what did the emergence of Cromwell do for the great matter

The emergence of Cromwell brought about a breakthrough in the Great Matter. He suggested that Henry make a break with Rome and place himself as head of the Church.

how was Cromwell described by Elton

He was described as starting a 'Tudor Revolution in Government'.

what caused Cromwell's downfall

His downfall was caused by the marriage of Henry and Anne of Cleves

Elton Thesis

Elton believes that Cromwell modernised the system of government into one that was distinct from the medieval ideas of personal monarchy to a bureaucratic government. However, there are questions on how far these changes were planned by Cromwell and how far the changes represented systems that were entirely new.

cromwell's reform of the royal council

Cromwell made it smaller and made use of skilled men rather than untrained nobility and clergy. He also changed the financial management system

financial management by Cromwell

Finances were previously managed in the privy chamber which gave monarchs significant control over day-to-day decisions about all aspects of income and expenditure.

what did Cromwell create to help finances

Cromwell created new financial institutions alongside the privy chamber to manage the new revenues generated by the break with Rome. Four new departments were created.

four new departments created

Court of augmentationsCourt of General SurveyorsCourt of First Fruits and TenthsCourt of Wards

court of augmentations

It controlled the land and finances formerly under the control of the Catholic Church

Court of General Surveyors

It initially handled some of the ex-monastic lands but was later joined by the court of augmentations

court of first fruits and tenths

It collected money previously sent to rome.

court of wards

The king had the feudal right to collect money from the estate of a minor who had inherited it.

another feature of Cromwell's reforms

Power of the Crown - Another feature of the debate about the significance of the 1530s has been what effect it had on the power and authority of the monarch.

what act did Cromwell pass to increase royal supremacy - break with rome

In the introduction of the Act in Restraint of Annates in 1533, Cromwell wrote that England was an empire and that everyone owed the King ruling under God total obedience. However, the view contrasted with the reality of England in 1533.

how was the king's power still limited in 1533 and what was done to change it

First, the King was subject to the pope's permission when choosing bishops and other high-ranking religious officials. Second, parts of England had 'liberties' which gave them semi-independent status. For example, Durham was governed by the bishop as a semi-independent ruler. Wales also though not independent but neither had it formally been made part of the English system of government. All this meant that royal authority was spread unevenly across the country.

how did Cromwell make royal authority spread more evenly

Cromwell dealt with this by using the break with Rome to extend royal power more firmly across the kingdom. - 1536 Act of Union with Wales - At the same time, an Act against Liberties and Franchises removed and restricted the special powers exercised by regional nobles in the more remote parts of the kingdom, such as those held by the bishops in Durham