Henry VIII and Wolsey

Question 1

Henry’s reign?

Answer 1

1509-1547

Question 2

Brief description of H8

Answer 2

Renaissance man, chivalric, accessible

Question 3

How was H8 different from H7?

similar?

Answer 3

H8 ascends peacefully & only knew wealth & expectation
Both had little preparation for the crown

Question 4

What were H8’s aims? (4)

Answer 4

War & glory; be a knight, emulate H5, rivalry w/ Francis & Charles
Popularity with nobles & courtiers
A male heir
Focus on pleasure of being king (left day-day ruling to chief ministers)

Question 5

what were H8’s two immediate actions when he came to power & why?

Answer 5

Executes Dudley & Empson (H7’s financial enforcers); which heralds a new reign
Married Catherine of Aragon; in court since 1502; right thing to do & alliance with Spain

Question 6

Wolsey’s dates in power?

Answer 6

1513-1530

Question 7

Describe Wolsey’s rise to power (points)

Answer 7

Organises 2nd French invasion; successful & so drawn into peace negotiations
Became influential in church – built up titles & wealth
Becomes Papal legate; on line with monarch’s powers

Question 8

What was Wolsey’s early life like?

Answer 8

Son of a butcher

Boy bachelor at Cambridge

Question 9

Give 5 of Wolsey’s titles

Answer 9

Bishop of Tournai
Archbishop of York
Cardinal
Lord Chancellor
Papal Legate

Question 10

How did luck help Wolsey secure power?

Answer 10

A new court atmosphere meant focus was placed on ability not birth
H8 wanted to be different from H7

Question 11

How did talent help Wolsey secure power?

Answer 11

Wolsey was very skilled; talents noticed during the organisation of the 2nd French expedition, also boy bachelor

Question 12

How did hard work help Wolsey secure power?

Answer 12

worked to a high standard & fast; organised Flander envoy in 3 days before H8 even realised

Question 13

How did Wolsey control the nobles?

Answer 13

merciless towards those who tried to discredit him; removed those who got to close to H8

Question 14

Who was the Duke of Buckingham

Answer 14

Supposedly suggested the King may not be King for much longer & was executed for treason
Wolsey & Buckingham didn’t get on; seen as a warning to nobility

Question 15

What was the expulsion of the minions?

Answer 15

firing of 4 men from the new post; gentlemen of the privy chamber - kings close attendants.

Seen as Wolsey removing King’s intimates
H/w - Wolsey ill at time, took 9 months to act, men already intimate companions

Question 16

Who was Paulet?

Answer 16

Paulet humiliated young Wolsey who later summoned him to London on trumped up charge & demanded his daily attendance in court - never charged but costs virtually ruined him
Seen as a warning about crossing Wolsey

Question 17

How did Wolsey’s management of wealth help him stay in power?

Answer 17

Money used as political tool to create magnificence

Question 18

How rich was Wolsey?

Answer 18

At height of power he was estimated to be 10* richer than nearest rival

Question 19

Why did H8 put so trust in Wolsey (3)

Answer 19

Wanted to deputise
As a ‘low born’ Wolsey couldn’t threaten the King’s position like other nobles
H8 enjoyed how Wolsey annoyed the nobles

Question 20

What was Wolsey’s domestic policy aims ?

Answer 20

Stay in power as long as possible

Please the king

Question 21

what did Wolsey need to do to achieve his aims?

Answer 21

please the king & raise money for war

Question 22

What financial changes/acts did Wolsey impose (4)

Answer 22

Subsidy
Eltham ordinances
Amicable Grant
Act of Resumption

Question 23

What was the subsidy?

Good or bad?

Answer 23

flexible tax on parliament grants

Good; replaced the old system as it brought in more money - based on realistic weath estimation

Question 24

What was the Amicable Grant?

Good or bad?

Answer 24

Tax on ordinary people / church for war - given 10 days to find the money
bad; resulted in unrest of 10,000 people & was cancelled - humiliation

Question 25

what were the Eltham Ordinances? | good or bad?

Answer 25

aimed at reorganising chaotic privy finances - really an attempt to control the nobility's access to H8 bad; Wolsey never secured control of court/royal household

Question 26

What was the act of resumption? | good or bad?

Answer 26

reclaiming of crown lands | good; increased revenue

Question 27

wolseys domestic policy; Finances good? bad?

Answer 27

successful in raising money for H8; £76,000 failed in Amicable grant & that he his gains failed couldn't finance war costs; £1.7

Question 28

What legal changes did Wolsey want to make

Answer 28

aimed to tackle slow & unfair delivery of justice; Star chamber & Chancery

Question 29

How successful was the Star court?

Answer 29

Wolsey strengthened it & increased the number of cases heard from 12 to 120 Hoowever, he often used it to attack nobles (making enemies)

Question 30

How successful was the Chancery chamber?

Answer 30

tried the poors cases - friend to poor put no measures in to continue this

Question 31

wolseys domestic policy; legal good? bad?

Answer 31

+ mantained law & kept country stable - incurred lots of hate from nobles - made powerful enemies

Question 32

What socio-economic changes did Wolsey make? | good or bad?

Answer 32

Ordered a survey on enclosures which led to legal cases against land lords + strengthened reputation as friend to poor - enclosures still a problem, angered nobles

Question 33

Why did H8 want a divorce (3)

Answer 33

Loved Anne Boleyn Wanted a male heir Thought the marriage was sinful

Question 34

Why was H8 wanting a male heir an important reason for the divorce?

Answer 34

CoA was too old to give him a son, he wasn't sure if Mary was a legitimate heir (bc of concerns about marriage)

Question 35

Why was Anne Boleyn an important reason for the divorce?

Answer 35

He was supposedly obsessed by her (known for having fads) & she wouldn't sleep with him unless he made her queen

Question 36

What were H8's concerns about his marriage & why where they an important reason for the divorce?

Answer 36

He wasn't sure that CoA had been a virgin when he married her (she couldn't prove she was) - if she wasn't she was religiously his sister & the marriage illegitimate. H8 thought this was potentially the case as the hebrew bible said if a brother married his sister he would have no sons... H8 was very religious

Question 37

What 3 approaches did Wolsey take to try get a divorce?

Answer 37

scriptural; argument based on scriptures diplomatic; tried to free pope from Charles legal; oversee divorce in England

Question 38

Why did Wolsey ultimately fail in the divorce?

Answer 38

foreign issues (pope was taken virtual prisoner by CoA's nephew so wouldn;t grant it)

Question 39

Evidence that the church need reform in the 1520s?

Answer 39

corrupt officials; absentee, pluralists & non celibate (Wolsey typified & Hunne Case) Uneducated clergy Lessening enthusiasm for religious orders; less new priories, friaries & nunneries (South East saw some church opposition)

Question 40

What was the Hunne case

Answer 40

A suspected Lollard London Merchant found dead - a clergyman & his gaolers accused but never charged - church corrupt

Question 41

Evidence that the church didn't need reform in the 1520s?

Answer 41

Still popular (especially in rural areas) devotional works sell lots parishioners still left lots of money in their wills

Question 42

How did Wolsey impact the Church (3)

Answer 42

Made papal legate - could deputise on church matters Improved educational standards - visited 60+ religious houses issuing nwe constitutions for Augustinian monks Dissolved 20 small monasteries; used funds for Cardinal college

Question 43

What cause Wolsey's fall from power?

Answer 43

Accused of Praemenire

Question 44

Why did Wolsey fall from power?

Answer 44

Henry VIII Boleyn faction Reputation & personal ambitions

Question 45

Why could Henry VIII be a reason for Wolsey's fall from power?

Answer 45

Angry at Wolsey for failing to get divorce; accused him of working in the church's interests Had always had passing obsessions - Wolsey possibly one of these Cambrai (foreign policy) was embarrasing - downfall happened 10 days later

Question 46

Why could Wolsey's reputation & arrogance be a reason for Wolsey's fall from power?

Answer 46

H8 didn't remove all Wolsey's titles - chance to be reinstated

Question 47

Why could the Boleyn faction be a reason for Wolsey's fall from power?

Answer 47

Group of nobles pressured H8 to get rid of Wolsey (who had made powerful noble enemies via domestic policy) (But why was this group of nobles successful