How did Henry control the nobility?

Question 1

How did Henry use the King’s/Great Councils to ensure loyalty?

Answer 1

Appointed people to important government positions, e.g. Richard Fox

227 attended the King’s Council during 1485-1509

Question 2

How did Henry use the Order of the Garter to ensure loyalty?

Answer 2

Raised 37 new knights to the order e.g. Earl of Oxford - significant honour (Order of the Garter = chivalric order dating back to Edward III)

Question 3

How did Henry use Acts of Attainder to keep the nobility in check?

Answer 3

Formally accused someone of treason and removed their lands and titles - e.g. Thomas Howard attainted in 1486 for fighting alongside Richard III

Question 4

How did Henry use feudal dues to control the nobility?

Answer 4

It meant he could demand money under a number of circumstances such as wardship of controlling marriages (e.g. Katherine, dowager Duchess of Buckingham fined £7,000 for remarrying without the King’s permission)

Question 5

How did Henry use Crown lands to control the nobility?

Answer 5

Act of Resumption 1486 - reclaimed all crown lands that had been given away during the Wars of the Roses - amount of crown lands 5x larger by later years of Henry VII’s reign than Henry VI’s

Question 6

How did Henry use laws against retaining to control the nobility?

Answer 6

1485 - Lords and Commons had to swear not to retain illegally (£5 penalty charge per retainer)

1509 - nobles had to get a license to retain

Question 7

How did Henry use bonds and recognisances to control the nobility?

Answer 7

Financial contracts to ensure loyalty - 36/62 noble families subject to these

Question 8

How did the powers of JPs increase during Henry’s reign?

Answer 8

1485 - power to arrest poachers and hunters

1491 - power to grant bail

1495 - power to vet juries

Question 9

How many earls did Henry create?

Answer 9

Edward IV had created 9 earls, but Henry only created 3: the Earls of Derby, Bath and Devon

Question 10

How many viscounts and barons did Henry create?

Answer 10

Edward IV had created 2 viscounts and 13 barons, Henry created 2 viscounts and 8 barons (but only 3 of these were accompanied by land grants)

Question 11

How many acts of attainder were passed during Henry’s reign?

Answer 11

138 attainders passed (but 46 reversed - Henry = lenient)

Question 12

Examples of acts of attainder passed under Henry VII?

Answer 12

Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (attainder reversed in 1492)

Question 13

How do attainders show Henry’s growing paranoia?

Answer 13

51 passed from 1504-9

Question 14

Examples of income from attainders?

Answer 14

Thomas Tyrell paid £1,738 for the reversal of his and his father’s attainders

Stanley placed under attainder - fined £9,000 (when he only had £1k per annum income)

Question 15

Example of penalty for retaining?

Answer 15

Lord Burgavenny - convicted in 1507 for retaining 471 men - fined £70,650!! (however, he was placed under a bond of £5,000 over 10 years, showing leniency on Henry’s part)

Question 16

Example of Henry moving a noble away from his powerbase?

Answer 16

Earl of Surrey moved north as part of his attainder

Question 17

Income from feudal dues

Answer 17

Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Buckingham, fined £7,000 in 1496 for marrying without a license

Revenue from wardships and marriage - £350 in 1487, £6,000 in 1507

Question 18

Examples of bonds and recognisances

Answer 18

Marquis of Dorset fined £10,000 for suspected involvement in the Simnel plot

Earl of Westmorland, Earl of Northumberland, Viscount Beaumont of Powicke placed under a recognisance where, if they were disloyal, they had to pay £10,000

Question 19

How many bonds in the first ten years of Henry’s reign?

Answer 19

191

Question 20

How many nobles were there throughout Henry’s reign?

Answer 20

62 in 1485, 42 in 1509

Question 21

Historiography about Henry’s control of the nobility?

Answer 21

Caroline Rogers - ‘Loyalty and ability were Henry’s sole requirements in his most important servants; patronage had to be earned, it was not an automatic privilege of the upper class’