Henry VIII: Governance Flashcards
(33 cards)
How many times was parliament called during Henry VIII’s reign and what was its main purpose?
Parliament was called only 9 times during Henry’s reign.
It’s main purpose followed the pattern associated with his father - to provide extraordinary revenue
How long did conciliar government last during Henry’s reign and which prominent political figure brought it to an end?
Conciliar government lasted from 1509-1514
Thomas Wolsey is credited as a key figure in the move towards a governance style centred on strengthening royal authority.
What is conciliar government?
A government in which decisions are made by a council.
Which factors contributed towards a move away from conciliar government?
• Henry became disenchanted with some of his father’s senior councillors as they were reluctant to support a war with France
• As Henry became more attuned to governing, he began valuing his right to control decision making
• Henry began surrounding himself with younger, like-minded courtiers who opposed the authority of the senior councillors
• Henry became particularly impressed by Thomas Wolseys organisational skills and effective management style
What was the Privy Chamber?
The Privy Chamber was a prestigious part of the royal court which operated as the kings private quarters. Courtiers and the kings personal servants would reside here, allowing them to exercise significant influence on the king through physical and emotional proximity alone.
What was the one area of government which Wolsey held little control over pre -1519?
The Privy Chamber
When was Thomas Wolsey appointed as Lord Chancellor and why did this grant him significant power?
1515
This position granted him significant power as it made him responsible for overseeing the legal system.
It also allowed him to function as the King’s Chief Minister.
When did Thomas Wolsey extend the use of the Court of the Star Chamber and was it effective in its purpose?
Wolsey extended the use of the Star Chamber from 1516 in order to encourage cheap and fair justice.
This court was regarded as almost too successful as a series of ‘overflow tribunals’ had to be set up in order to cope with the influx of lawsuits and cases.
How did Wolsey change the way in which subsidies were collected during his prominence?
He set up a national committee ,which he himself headed, in order to provide realistic assessments of the wealth of taxpayers.
This was a change from the previous system which used local commissioners to assess taxpayer’s wealth, a system which often resulted in over-generous assessments of noblemen’s wealth.
When and why did Wolsey introduce the widely unpopular Amicable Grant and what were its consequences?
1525 in order to raise funds for an invasion of France.
Widespread resistance to the tax erupted across England, resulting in protests across Suffolk. The Amicable Grant was dropped and Wolseys reputation was significantly tarnished
When did Wolsey introduce the Eltham Ordinances and what were his true motives behind doing so?
He introduced them in 1526 under the guise that he would ‘reform the finances of the Privy Council’. In reality, Wolsey simply reduced the number of Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber and crucially replaced Henry’s Groom of the Stool, Sir William Compton, with the more compliant Henry Norris. Wolsey made these changes in order to gain more authority over the Privy Council, the one area of government of which he had little power over.
Which complex legal situation ultimately lead to the downfall of Thomas Wolsey?
The ‘King’s Great Matter
What was the ‘King’s Great Matter’ and what did it task Wolsey with securing?
This matter was concerned with the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his desire to marry Anne Boleyn as Catherine could no longer provide Henry with a male heir, whilst Anne Boleyn could.
Wolsey was tasked with securing a papal dispensation which would legitimise the annulment.
What was the Levitican argument against Henry’s marriage to Catherine and how did Wolsey attempt to use it in order to secure an annulment in May 1527?
The Levitican argument, derived from the Book of Leviticus, suggested that Henry’s marriage was illegitimate as it was prohibited for a man to marry his brother’s widow- Catherine was briefly married to Arthur.
Wolsey attempted to take advantage of this by bringing Henry before a fake court and accusing him of living in sin with his supposed wife.
What was the problem with the Levitican argument?
Catherine claimed that her marriage to Prince Arthur had never been consummated, so it was therefore illegitimate. If this is true, then the prohibition stated in the Book of Leviticus doesn’t apply to Henry and Catherine’s marriage and it therefore cannot be annulled under these conditions.
What were the years 1527-29 referred to as during Henry’s reign and why?
‘The years of drift’
This name encapsulated the period as it was marked with fruitless diplomacy regarding the kings annulment.
Who did the Pope send as an envoy to Britain in 1529 and what was his judgment regarding the King’s annulment?
The Pope sent Cardinal Campeggio to finally hear the kings case in 1529 and he adjourned it on the 30th of July, a day after the initial hearing, failing to grant Henry his annulment.
When was Wolsey charged with praemunire and when did he die?
Wolsey was charged with praemunire in October 1529 and was scheduled for execution the following year. He managed to cheat the executioners axe however died shortly after on the 29th November 1530.
Who replaced Wolseys position in Government and when?
Thomas Cromwell replaced Wolsey in 1532 when he was appointed the King’s Chief Minister.
What was Cromwell’s crucial proposal which won him the King’s favour?
Cromwell proposed a ’Break from Rome’ and that Henry place himself as head of the Church in order to secure his annulment.
How was the Catholic Church weakened during the late-1520s to early-1530s and how did this help Cromwell secure a Break from Rome?
• The Catholic Church as an institution was weakened by the humanist criticisms of Colet and Erasmus, as well as as the anticlerical satire of Simon Fish
• Cannon law was challenged in 1528 and statute law was given superiority over the Church’s authority - this paved the way for a parliamentary attack on the Church’s power
• Thomas Cranmer and Edward Foxe supplied Henry with the Collectanea Satis Copiosa, a collection of historical documents which looked to justify the King’s divorce on the basis of legal and historical principles
• Henry also sought and received expert opinions on his marital situation from a number of continental universities, further pressurising the papacy
How did Henry and Cromwell try to pressurise the Pope in 1531?
The clergy were collectively accused of praemunire and fined.
How did Henry and Cromwell attempt to pressurise the Pope in 1532?
• Act in Conditional Restraint of Annates - withholds the first years income from the clergy which the Pope traditionally enjoys
• Supplication against the Ordinaries in the House of Commons - a supplication is a petition, and this was directed against alleged abuses of ordinary jurisdiction, i.e. the jurisdiction exercised in church law by archbishops and bishops
• Formal submission of the clergy to Henry VIII - this prompted the surrender of the church’s independent law-making function and provoked the resignation of Sir Thomas Moore as Lord Chancellor
How did Anne Boleyn resolve the annulment issue?
She finally consented to having sexual relations with Henry, hoping that by becoming pregnant she would force him to take decisive action, which he did.
