Henry VIII and Society Flashcards
Nobility
Like his father, Henry VIII wanted to limit the power of the nobility. He strengthened the power of the Justices of the Peace (JPs). Some of Henry VIII’s closest advisors were courtiers in the Privy Chamber.
Beneficiaries of the dissolution
Alongside the King, the nobility were the main group to benefit from Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. Many noblemen bought land seized by the Crown to enhance their wealth.
Hierarchy of commoners
Gentry - wealthy landowners who did not have aristocratic heritage.
Merchants - men who lived in cities and traded in goods.
Yeomen - independent farmers who had their own land.
Husbandmen - independent subsistence farmers who had their own land. This means they usually only produced enough for their family.
Cottagers and labourers - farmers who worked on other people’s land in return for wages.
Landlords and tenants
There was a reciprocal relationship between wealthier landlords and their tenants (people who rented their land). Commoners lived off the land of noblemen and were expected to be obedient to their landlord (deference). In return, the nobleman would protect their tenants (paternalism).
Wales
The Act of Union 1536 brought Wales into English legal and government systems. Wales was divided into three shires with JPs appointed by the king and given 24 MPs.
The North
The Council of the North was re-invigorated after the Pilgrimage of Grace (a rebellion in 1536 which began in Lincolnshire). The King’s authority was felt more directly. The council was responsible for: law and order north of the River Trent; appointing and overseeing JPs; serious crimes like treason.
Local power
The Act of Liberties and Franchises in 1535 removed powers traditionally held by local nobles. For example, Durham was a semi-independent region run by its bishop.
Landowners
The gentry bought up land to increase their standing locally. The gentry were growing in importance in the 16th century, helped by buying monastic lands. Some of the land came with the right to appoint minor clergy, like parish priests. Members of the nobility also built up their landholdings.
Communities
Monasteries had often provided education for those who could afford it. Some new grammar schools were founded in place of schools that had been attached to monasteries. Monasteries also provided care for the sick. In London in 1538, for example, St Mary Hospital and St Bartholomew’s hospitals were closed. Abbeys also provided help for the poor.
Monks and Nuns
Thousands of monks and nuns had their vocations and homes taken - as did the people who worked for them, on their farms for example. Some monks became priests or learned trades. Nuns were worse off. They were not allowed to marry but it was hard for a woman to earn enough to live and they could not become priests.
The Amicable Grant 1525
The Amicable Grant was designed to fund Henry’s war in France. It met with hostility. Across East Anglia people refused to pay and some rebelled. Up to ten thousand marched on Lavenham, Suffolk. The Grant was abandoned. Henry VIII made peace with France instead, giving up his claim to the French throne. Wolsey was blamed. He raised no further taxation.
Causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace
Rumours about taxes and closing down churches triggered riots in 1536 in Lincolnshire.
Course of the Pilgrimage of Grace
The riots grew to become a rebellion of 40,000 people, called the Pilgrimage of Grace. The rebellion was led by the gentry. The rebels issued a range of demands, including ending the Statute of Uses (a property law that Henry VIII passed), Princess Mary to restored to the succession, the dismissal of Cromwell, stopping enclosure, elections and the Catholic Church to be restored to all its former rights.
Aftermath of the Pilgrimage of Grace
Henry VIII agreed to pardon the rebels and said Parliament would look at their demands. Fresh rebellions in the north in January 1537 gave Henry VIII the excuse he needed to execute the rebel leaders and go back on his promise.
