Chapter 11 Flashcards
Overall change in volume of trade during reign
Though there were occasional downturns, the volume of English trade increased during the first half of the sixteenth century. There was a continued rise in cloth exports, though the market for raw wool declined. Woollen cloth exports almost doubled during Henry VIlI’s reign. This was accompanied by significant increases in the export of hides and tin. These exports were counterbalanced by an increase in the import of wine, which suggests that the spending power of the more prosperous classes increased.
How did trade centres and routes change?
The leading route for exports, particularly of cloth, was from London to Antwerp, from where it was frequently sent to customers in Central Europe and the Baltic. An increasing proportion of exported cloth was routed through London. This had a negative impact on some other ports, especially Bristol, and also east-coast ports such as Hull and Boston. Provincial traders seem to have found it difficult to compete against their London rivals. Southampton enjoyed a boom, especially in trade with Venice, but it was short-lived and was over by the middle of the century.
What was the biggest change in the cloth industry?
Though broadcloths continued to be exported, the biggest change in the cloth industry was the increase in cheaper fabrics such as kersey.
What happened to the profits from the cloth trade?
The profits of the cloth trade did not always find their way into English pockets. Although 70 per cent of cloth exports were transported by English merchants from the 1550s, much of the trade was in foreign hands before this.
Nevertheless there were certainly profits to be made in cloth, and the woollen industry grew in the first half of the sixteenth century in order to keep pace with increasing demand.
What happened with the woollen industry? (Incl. opportunities and drawbacks)
The ability of the cloth trade to supply its markets depended on the effectiveness of the woollen industry. The industry certainly grew in the first half of the sixteenth century, though by precisely how much is difficult to determine. The industry operated largely on a domestic basis with children Carding the wool, women spinning and men weaving it. The wool was then Passed from the domestic sphere for more specialist treatment such as fulling and dyeing which existed as small-scale industries throughout much of the country. The three areas which undoubtedly saw the greatest growth in the cloth industry were the West Riding of Yorkshire, East Anglia (especially south Suffolk) and parts of the West Country (especially Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Devon). The work was not always secure and this could lead to
poverty.
On the other hand, there were serious profits to be made, especially by rich and entrepreneurial clothiers who were able not only to acquire wealth but also to enhance their social status. The best such example is William Stumpe of Malmesbury in Wiltshire who became MP for Malmesbury, high sheriff of the county, wealthy landowner and beneficiary from the dissolution of the monasteries.
Growth in other industries
There was some growth in the mining industries. Cornish tin remained a prize export. Lead mining in the high Pennines and coal mining in the northeast of England were growing in importance, with Newcastle supplying an increasingly important London market by sea. Blast furnaces produced an increasing amount of iron ore in the Weald of Sussex and Kent. By the middle of the century their number totalled 26. However, the upsurge in iron ore smelting would come in the second half of the century.
What was kersey?
a coarse woollen cloth which was lighter than the traditional
English broadcloth and which took its name from the village of Kersey in Suffolk, a centre of the cloth trade; its lightness broadened its popular appeal
Developments regarding exploration during reign
Henry VIII was uninterested in exploration and made no attempt to build on the early achievements of Cabot and the Bristol merchants at the end of the fifteenth century. Although Robert Thorne, a Bristol trader, continued his involvement in an Iceland and Newfoundland fishery, other merchants that showed an interest in further exploration found themselves unable to win royal support for any venture.
Sebastian Cabot remained in Spain for most of Henry VIIIs reign apart from two short visits to England, and it was only after Edward VI took the throne that he returned. Interestingly, however, he was assisted in his mapmaking activities by Robert Thorne’s son who bore the same name as his father.
In what ways was there economic prosperity? (3)
John Guy has argued that England was economically healthier, more expansive and more optimistic under the Tudors than at any time since the Roman occupation There are a number of points which can be put forward to support this view.
•The population began to grow significantly from about 1525 with, allowing for fluctuations, a decline in the rate of mortality.
•From the 1520s, agricultural prices rose significantly, therefore there was an increase in farming incomes, enhanced in some cases by the practice of engrossing.
•Debasement of the coinage created a short-term artificial boom in 1544 to 1546, but at a long-term cost to living standards.
In what ways was there economic difficulty? (5)
•Bad harvests (for example 1520-21 and 1527-29) led to temporary but significant increases in food prices. Food prices almost doubled across Henry VIlI’s reign. John Guy has suggested that this caused problems in particular for urban workers.
•Read wages, after a period of stablity began to decline for many This process was at its worst at the end of Henry VIll’s reign when the effects of debasement were particularly evident.
•Assessment for subsidies indicated considerable urban poverty. For example, over half the population of Coventry were recorded as having no personal Wealth. The same was true for a third of the population of Yarmouth.
•There is evidence of growing unemployment amongst rural labourers, some of whom found work in rural industries such as weaving and mining or moved to towns and cities. There were over 5000 migrants a year adding to the population of London.
• Some people seem to have been made homeless on account of engrossing. though its extent and effects are difficult to determine and legislation regarding the problem was ineffective.
Impact of enclosure
Enclosure of common fields had existed in the fifteenth century, but had had relatively little impact. It was, however, perceived as creating a moral problem in that it led to the poor being forced to leave their homes. Rather muddled legislation had been passed against enclosure in 1489 and 1515, but there was no real grasp of its extent or the scale of the problem. Its harmful social effects had been highlighted in Thomas More’s Utopia, published in 1516. In response, Wolsey launched an enclosure commission in the following year to ascertain the scale of the problem, and proceedings were launched successfully against no fewer than 188 defendants who were found to have enclosed illegally. Enclosure at this time was, however, a largely regional practice, most commonly found in east Midlands villages. In any case, the bulk of the damage caused by enclosure and conversion of land from tillage to pasture had taken place before 1485.
That did not prevent further legislation in 1534 which attempted to limit sheep ownership and engrossing - with predictably limited results.
What was engrossing?
the joining together of two or more farms to make a single agricultural unit; it could be seen as improving efficiency and output at the cost of rendering families homeless
What was debasement?
the reduction in the silver content of coins and its replacement by base metal;
debased coins were regarded with suspicion and, as a result, merchants and shopkeepers put up their prices which resulted in an increase in the rate of inflation whose impact was greatest on low wage earners
Effect of rise in population
The main underlying cause of economic distress was the increase in population.
This put a considerable strain on the supply of food which made it difficult at times to meet the rising demand. This problem was made worse by the fact that wages were at best stagnating, with a plentiful supply of cheap labour. The beneficiaries of population increase were wealthier farmers and landowners.
Agricultural prices, and therefore income from farming, rose. There was a growing class of substantial farmers who were able or fortunate enough to respond effectively to changing market conditions and who enjoyed much better material conditions as a result. Thus, as John Guy has argued, ‘agricultural improvement promoted economic growth at the cost of peasant distress; increased production generated prosperity for landlords and impoverishment for wage-earners. Society became more polarised, which undermined traditional ideals of good lordship and social responsibility. Consequently, the upper strata of society became richer, but the poor became poorer. Increasingly, the former assumed that the latter were poor on account of their own idleness, which would lead in the long run to much sterner measures taken against vagrancy and begging.
