English Society Flashcards
(24 cards)
What was the feudal system?
•the medical system by which society was structured depending on relationships in which land was held in return for some form of service
Was the feudal system in use?
•Remnants of the feudal system were still apparent in the law, social relationships and attitudes
What did the nobility still dominate?
•Landownership
Who were the peerage?
•A group of people who held one of the five ranks of the aristocracy; usually landholders
•Comprised of no more than 50 or 60 men
Did you have to be a member of a peerage family to be part of this faction?
•No, peerage families often died out on a regular basis but were replaced by others who had acquires or bought the kings favour
Why did the crown rely on peerage and peerage families?
•To maintain order in the countryside
What was Henry VII reluctant to create peerage titles?
•Possibly because he was deeply distrustful of the nobility as a class
•He only trusted Lancastrian military commanders like Earl of Oxford and Lord Daubeney
What was Henry’s most important method of controlling the nobility?
•Through bonds and recognisances
What system was key to the power of nobles?
•A system which 19th century historians labeled bastard feudalism (also known as retaining)
•This is when wealthy magnates recruited knights and gentlemen- retainers, to serve them as administrators or accountants or sometimes for military purposes
Why did Bastard feudalism/ retaining give nobles so much power?
•Noblemen could use their retained men to bring unlawful influence on others in a court case or even go as far as to use them against the crown
•So Henry sought to limit their power
Why did Bastard feudalism/ retaining generate so much power for the nobles?
•They could potentially use their retained men to bring unlawful influence on others in a court case or even use them against the crown
How did Henry try to limit the power of nobles via retaining?
•Henry tried to develop legislation against retaining
When making legislation against retaining what did Henry have to be mindful of?
•The fact that loyal retainers were essential to maintain the Crowns security
Give examples of legislation Henry employed against retaining
•He had Parliment pass acts in 1487 and 1504 to take strong action against individual nobles who were held to abuse the bastard feudalism system
•Such as Lord Bergavenny in 1506
•in 1487 a law against retaining was established
•The 1487 law was reinforced by an act passed in 1504, under which licenses for retaining could be sought
Who was below the peerage?
•The gentry; land owners
Why was the church important to English society ?
•Important for its spiritual role but also as a great landowner
Describe the social status of the clergy?
•Enormously varied
Describe the role of lower parish levels; curates and chantry priests
•They were modestly rewarded for dealing with the spiritual needs of ordinary people
Describe the role of Bishops and larger religious houses
•Were very important figures who were entitled to sit in the House of Lords and who often had political roles to undertake
Who were the two most important clergymen to Henry?
•John Morton and Richard Fox
Who governed the churches in England on behalf of the Pope?
•Martin V, the pope from 1417 to 1431, declared that the king of England governed the church in England
How did Henry exercise the power as governer of the Church?
•He used that power to appoint bishops who had legal training
•He valued their administrative competence over their spirituality
•Hence, Morton and Fox
Due to the kings reluctance to appoint men whose social background was aristocratic as higher clergy members how did the higher clergy transform?
•Became less socially exclusive
Who were below the nobility, gentry and higher clergy ?
•The commoners
