1A Land Flashcards
Why was land important
It was a crucial demonstration of royal power
In theory all land belonged to the king and he could grant it to whomever he wished. why was this not the case in reality
It was important that a certain level of stability was maintained and the Kings were obliged to recognise the hereditary claims of noble families- failure to do so could be catastrophic for example Henry Bolingbrooke and Richard
What was one of the key attractions for the nobility of the Hundred Years’ War
The fact that kings did not always have substantial amounts of land to hand out and the new land gained on Henry’s conquest meant that more land was available
What was one method of a Monarch gaining land
Forfeiture- when an individual Lord was found guilty of treason he was liable to be executed and to give up his lands to the crown
What was passed in the most extreme circumstances against those who committed treason
Acts of Attainder
What did this Act mean
Land was lost to that family permanently unless the act was repealed
Why was this act potentially a very powerful method of control available to monarchs
Land gave nobles and their heirs status and power so losing their estates permanently was a considerable threat
How did Henry VII show himself to be very aware of the power and value of the act when he became king
After his troops killed Richard the third at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 he was careful to date his reign in official records to the day before the battle had taken place so that those who had supported Richard could be classed as traitors and potentially have their land seized by the crown
Why was attainting enemies not always wise course of action
During the complex politics of late mediaeval England it meant that the disinherited heirs had little to lose and much to gain from further rebellion therefore individuals heirs could regain their lands by show of loyalty
How come the crown periodically gained considerable estates from forfeiture
The fraught political situation of the Wars of the Roses meant there were many battles where leading nobles or gentry were found guilty of treason
Why did the land from battles not financially benefit the Crown in the long-term
These windfalls were normally used to reward the King’s supporters
When forfeited lands were not available, how did the kings reward their followers
One option was to grant away Crown lands- properties also described as royal demesne. This was property held by the Monarch directly.
Why was royal demesne a topic of considerable political tension particularly under Henry VI
Henry was widely regarded as so mentally unstable that he was not able to make reasonably decisions and so was vulnerable to exploitation by greedy opportunists
