Chapter 8 Flashcards
Henry overall style of government and relationship with parliament
Henry VIII liked to have an overview of his government, but he was happy to let others do the mundane work for him - be it his Royal Council or his chosen ministers. The style of government therefore varied across his reign. A further complicating factor was the existence of Parliament and the use to which this was put. Indeed, thanks to a very personal matter relating to Henry’s concern for a son to succeed him, a maior overhaul of relations between Crown and Parliament took place during Henry VIIIs reign.
Before the 1530s, there was little to suggest that Henry VIII’s view of the role of Parliament differed from that held by his father. Its two main functions remained, to grant extraordinary revenue to the Crown and to pass laws.
Parliaments could also advise the monarch, though neither Henry VI, nor Henry VIlI in his earlier vears, saw the need to seek Parliament’s advice.
Indeed, before 1529 Henry VIII only summoned parliaments in 1510, 1512, 1515 and 1523. His first minister, Wolsey, in particular, seems to have regarded Parliament with some distaste and only one parliament (that of 1523) was called during his period of dominance (c1514-29).
Henry list parliaments and events
1
Jan-Feb 1510
Abolished the Council Learned in the Law.
2
Feb 1512 - Mar 1514
Provided extraordinary revenue for invasions of France and Scotland; Anticlerical Act restricting benefit of clergy.
3
Feb 1515 - Dec 1515 Act restricting benefit of clergy not renewed despite
the apparently anticlerical atmosphere of the House
4
Apr 1523 - Aug 1523 of Commons.
Provided extraordinary revenue for invasion of France; Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Thomas More, made the first known plea for freedom of speech for MPs. Despite Parliament’s ill-temper, the level of anticlericalism seemed much reduced.
5
Nov 1529 - Apr 1536 ‘Reformation’ Parliament.
6
Jun 1536 - Jul 1536
Called to enact a new Succession Act following the fall of Anne Boleyn.
7
Apr 1539 - Jul 1540
Called to provide extraordinary revenue with invasion threatened; produced divergent religious legislation, for example the dissolution of the greater monasteries and the Six Articles Act.
8
Jan 1542 - Mar 1544
Provided extraordinary revenue for invasions of Scotland and France; dealt once more with the issue of succession.
9
Nov 1545 - Jan 1547 Provided extraordinary revenue.
Wolsey vs Cromwell use of parliament
In the first part of the reign it is evident that the use of Parliament by Henry VIlI followed the pattern associated with his father. The primary reason for calling Parliament was to secure revenue. Wolsey seems to have been reluctant to use Parliament. On the other hand, Cromwell exploited its legislative possibilities much more thoroughly. Consequently, Parliament met much more frequently in the second half of Henry VIII’s reign.
Why did rule by council break down?
During Henry VIIIs reign, governance via councils broke down for the first time because of conflict between the king’s own impulsive personality and that of his more conservative councillors. It was Thomas Wolsey who came to Henrys rescue and provided the effective management of government which was required.
The conciliar approach to government was adopted at the start of the reign, and lasted from 1509 to 1514. However, several factors combined to bring it to an end
• Henry became disenchanted with the reluctance of some of his father’s
•senior councillors to support a war with France.
•As he became more attuned to governing, he became increasingly his own man by asserting his undoubted right to control decision-making.
•Henry surrounded himself with like-minded young courtiers who reinforced his suspicions of the Old guard
• He became particularly impressed by the organisational skills of Thomas Wolsey, whose contribution to the effective management of the French campaign earned him royal gratitude.
In the end, Wolsey, with his energy and organisational skills, emerged as the dominant political figure. He had the uncanny ability - at least in his early years - to give the king precisely what he wanted, or to convince the king of what he assumed he wanted.
Nature of Wolsey’s power
Wolsey’s influence was derived more from the closeness of his relationship with the king than from the formal positions he held. He complemented the king’s customary ‘hands-off’ approach to the details of policy-making. In addition to the management of the Church and the conduct of foreign relations, Wolsey’s main concerns were the legal system, the formulation of domestic policy and political decision-making.
Significance of privy chamber early on in reign
The Privy Chamber was the one area of government which, before 1519, lay outside Wolseys immediate control The Privy Chamber had been established during the reign of Henry VII, but its role was extended in the early years of Henry VIII’s reign when the king’s minions (a group of young courtiers who Enjoyed Henry’s personal favour) became Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber. his process transformed both their status and that of the Privy Chamber.
Wolsey first attempt to suppress privy chamber influence and how successful
It was clear that, collectively, the minions distrusted Wolsey, who set himself the task of neutralising their infuence. In 1519 he secured the removal of the minions and replaced them with his own supporters. However, host of the minions managed to recover their positions. The Privy Chamber thus retained some of its prestige and influence and was the one part of government which was outside Wolsey’s immediate control.
Wolsey use of Court of Chancery and how successful
Wolsey was not a trained lawyer but, as Lord Chancellor he was responsible for overseeing the legal system. He had the right to preside over the court of chancery and he tried to use the court to uphold fair’ justice. For example, he used the courts to deal with problems relating to enclosure, contracts and land left to others in wills. The main problem with the chancery court was that it became too popular and justice was slow since it became clogged up with too
many cases.
Wolsey use of Court of Star Chamber and how successful
Wolsey’s most distinctive legal contribution came through the operation of the Court of Star Chamber. This had been established by Act of Parliament in 1487 as an offshoot of the king’s Council, and became the centre of both government and justice under Wolsey. Wolsey’s motive in extending the use of the Star Chamber from 1516 was to increase cheap and fair justice. Wolsey heard cases of alleged misconduct by people who were dominant in their localities.
Wolsey also encouraged the use of the Star Chamber for private lawsuits. In this regard Wolsey proved too successful and he was forced to set up a series of ‘overflow tribunals to deal with the pressure of business. A permanent committee which he set up in 1519 became the ancestor of the later court of requests, whose job was to deal with cases involving the poor.
How did Wolsey change the way subsidies were raised and how successful?
As under Henry VII, it was expected that taxpayers, including the nobility, would provide extraordinary revenue (parliamentary taxation) when required This was most effectively achieved by raising subsidies. Wolsey did not ‘invent the subsidy. However, he did make a substantial change in the way subsidies were collected - and his methods were repeated when later subsidies were demanded. Instead of using local commissioners to assess taxpayers’ wealth (with the risk that they would be over-generous to the local nobility), Wolsey set up a national committee which he himself headed. With direct and realistic assessments of the wealth of taxpayers, the nation’s revenue base consequently became much more realistic. In this way Wolsey raised extraordinary revenue for Henry VIIIs war in France. However, the amount was insufficient.
Consequently Wolsey attempted to raise unparliamentary taxation, through the so-called ‘Amicable Grant of 1525. This led to widespread resistance, amounting almost to a rebellion.
Evidence of Wolsey’s poor handling of parliament
Most historians believe that Wolsey did not manage Parliament well. John Guy, for example, has described him as ‘arrogant and insensitive. This insensitivity was clear in his relationship with the 1523 Parliament, which had been called to grant the subsidy needed to finance the renewal of war against France. Instead of the broadly supportive parliaments of Henry VII’s reign, this parliament seems to have spent its time grumbling about Wolsey’s financial demands, so much so that he proved unable to secure all he wanted. The atmosphere was so charged that the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Thomas More, felt obliged to ask the king’s forgiveness for the boisterousness of some of the members, while at the same time More defended their right to express critical opinions.
What happened in the Eltham Ordinances?
In 1526, Wolsey introduced the Eltham Ordinances in order to reform the finances of the Privy Council. In the guise of pushing forward proposals for a reduction of royal household expenditure, Wolsey secured a reduction in the number of the Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber, the one area of government over which he did not have control. Most importantly, he secured the removal of Henry’s Groom of the Stool, Sir William Compton, replacing him with the more compliant Henry Norris.
The historiography of the Eltham Ordinances
The historian Peter Gwyn has argued that the purpose of the Ordinances was primarily financial; not only did several Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber lose their posts, but many more humble household servants suffered the same fate. However, according to David Starkey, the issuing of the Eltham Ordinances reflected Wolsey’s fear that the Amicable Grant might make him so unpopular that he would be in danger of losing his political influence over Henry VIII.
What was a subsidy?
historically, this refers to a grant issued by Parliament to the sovereign for State needs; the 1523 subsidy imposed a tax of one shilling in the pound for land worth £50, and one shilling in the pound on personal savings and goods
What was the Amicable Grant?
in 1525 Wolsey ordered the implementation of
‘Amicable Grant’ to raise more money for war, in theory it was to be a freely given gift from his subjects to the king, but in reality it was a heavy tax, levied without Parliament’s approval; the implications of this imposition are discussed later in this chapter
Overall effects of the KGM
The problems over resolving ‘the King’s Great Matter’ led in the short term to the downfall of Wolsey and in the longer term to the establishment of the royal supremacy. This was brought about under the direction of Wolsey’s successor as chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, from 1532 by Parliament. Cromwell himself would later be destroyed on account of ensuing religious tensions and Henry’s continued marital problems.
Why did Henry need an annulment?
By the mid-1520s Henry was becoming dissatisfied at the state of his marriage.
Catherine, six years older than the king, was past childbearing age. Only one child, Princess Mary, had survived infancy. Henry was fearful for the kingdom should he die without a male heir. Henry even considered legitimating his son Henry Fitzroy (his son from his mistress Bessie Blount); a plan born of desperation which would have been unlikely to succeed.
To complicate matters, Henry had fallen madly in love with Anne Boleyn, the niece of Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk. Anne, for her part, was unwilling to become the king’s mistress (as her own sister had). Henry therefore required Wolsey to secure a papal dispensation for the annulment of his marriage to Catherine. This became known as the King’s Great Matter.
It posed a major problem for Wolsey, who was faced with the task of securing the annulment.
How did Henry try to advance the KGM himself? Was it effective?
It was in all probability Henry himself who found the biblical justification which could form the basis of an annulment; the book of Leviticus contained a prohibition on a man marrying his brother’s widow. As Catherine had been very briefly married to Henry’s brother Arthur, Henry argued that the papal dispensation issued by Julius Il to permit his own marriage to Catherine was disped. He claimed that in Gods eyes his marriage was still illegal and that he was therefore free to marry Anne.
vas here was a fundamental problem with this argument. Catherine claimed that her marriage to Prince Arthur had never been consummated and that therefore the biblical ban did not apply. However, Henry insisted that Wolsey seek a dispensation for annulment based on the Levitican argument
anyway.
Why was the Pope unlikely to grant an annulment?
In normal circumstances the Pope might have been prepared to issue a dispensation for annulment - for the right fee. However, Pope Clement VII was not in a position to do so, for on 6 May 1527 Rome had been sacked by the troops of the Emperor Charles V and the Pope was in effect the emperor’s prisoner. The emperor, Catherine’s nephew, was not prepared to see his family insulted.
How did Wolsey try to get the annulment?
-In May 1527 Wolsey used his power as the personal representative of the Pope to bring Henry before a fake court to ‘accuse him of living in sin with his supposed wife, a fault which Henry readily admitted. Catherine refused to accept the court’s verdict and, in accordance with canon law (church law), appealed to the Pope.
-Wolsey was only too aware that his own fate depended on securing an annulment. The Pope was aware of Wolsey’s situation but all he could do was play for time, which simply increased Henry’s frustration. After two years of fruitless diplomacy (1527-29) the Pope sent an envoy, Cardinal Campeggio. to hear the case along with Wolsey. This hearing opened in London on is lune 1529, but Campeggio adjourned it on 30 July, thereby sealing Wolsey’s fate: he had failed to give Henry his annulment.
Events of Wolsey’s fall
Wolsey’s fall, though sudden, was not entirely unexpected. He was already unpopular for forcing the 1523 subsidy through Parliament and imposing the Amicable Grant. Former associates had been distancing themselves from him. In October 1529 he was charged with praemunire and surrendered himself, with all of his possessions, including the sumptuous Hampton Court, to the king. On 4 November 1530 he was arrested. It was clear that the intention was that Wolsey should be tried and executed, but he cheated the executioner’s axe and died at Leicester Abbey on 29 November.
