Sinews of Power Flashcards
(28 cards)
4 sinews of power
-brute force
-wealth
-parliament support
-successful foreign policy
strong finances needed to pay for
-lavish court (propaganda)
-defence of realm (foreign + internal threats)
-ability to offer patronage and reward supporters
-administration of gov. departments (chancery)
weak finances lead to
-debt
-war defeat
-loss of support from nobility
-make concessions with Parliament
crown revenue decrease (Henry IV to Henry VI)
90K annually to 24K annually (late 1450’s)
attainders examples
-Henry IV disinherited by RII
-Henry VI parliament of devils
-EIV given Warwick’s land + Gloucester gains land when Clarence killed
Henry VII attainder examples
-dating reign before Bosworth to hold ability of using attainders
-tempted Thomas Howard (earl of Surrey) with dukedom of Norfolk
management of crown lands under Henry IV
-retained lands as duke of Lancaster through 1399 charter
-Duchy income = 11K a yr
-contributed £1.12K a yr to gov. finances
mismanagement of crown lands (Henry IV)
-black death from 1347 (shortage of agricultural workers and they demanded higher wages)
Henry V management of crown lands
-employed crown officials to supervise administration
-so Duchy increased to income of £13K a yr
-ensured £4.4 K went to gov. finance
Henry VI mismanagement of crown lands
-value of Duchy declined to 5K (half of that went on maintaining it)
-because of little duchy supervision in minority
-after 1422 with Truce of Tours, part of his mum’s income came from Duchy until she dies in 1437
-contributed land to Eton and King’s Cambridge
Edward IV management of crown lands
-Duchy was forfeited to the crown
-restored some efficiency of the estate
Henry VII management of crown lands
-act of resumption (took RIII and Yorkist supporters estates)
-increased revenue from all crown lands from £30->40K
example of Henry VII not giving too much land in patronage
-gave his wife 2/3 land that EIV gave his queen
ineffective custom duties (Henry VI)
-exports of wool more than halved from 1399 to 1509) - trade recession + lost control of territories and French piracy
effective custom duties under Edward IV
-standard rates introduced
-boosted value from 20-30K £
-closer trade links with Burgundy (1460’s) and France (1470’s)
ineffective custom duties under EIV
-didn’t break Hanseatic League privileges in Baltic (exempt them from import duties)
Henry VII effective custom duties
-renewed book of rates and charged higher fees
-increased income from 30-40K
-also didn’t break Hanseatic League privileges
bad feudal dues (Henry VI)
-Cade Rebellion returning army joined peasants as they were humiliated and angry from defeat in France
-1453 roughly 3/4 owing revenue reached the crown (depended on whether nobleman = Suffolk/Somerset faction)
EIV use of Chamber with feudal dues
-sped up the slower system of exchequer with more trusted officials of King collecting feudal dues
-under his own control
Henry VII feudal dues
-triple normal amount from feudal source (used to be 7% of royal income in good year)
-tried to charge nobility for knighting son and daughter’s marriage (1504)
-Parliament declined as son knighted 5 yrs before and Margaret married a yr before
EIV profits of justice
-travelled country frequently and passed judgement on multiple cases
Henry VII profits of Justice
-trusted agents to act on his behalf
-went into Chamber and checked account daily
bonds and recognisances
bonds = fines dependent on behaviour
recognisances = smaller, affordable amounts to pay (nobleman obedience to crown)
Council for the Learned in the Law
-enforced bonds and recognisances where they studied cases and charged people
