Strengthening Royal Government Flashcards
(21 cards)
Nobility - Henry VII
They were a threat because Henry was a usurper. Many nobles still owned lots of land, Henry needed their help as he was inexperienced. Some historians argue that they were ‘super nobles’ and other suggest the a Wars of the Roses had killed off many so were not a serious threat. England had 50 peers and 16 major peers when Henry took over as King, he reduced this to 35 and 10 by the end of his reign.
How did Henry VII use the Carrot approach?
He used patronage which was giving positions of power, titles, and land but only because of good and loyal service and not in hope, Henry only created 3 new Earls in comparison to Edward IV’s 9. John De Vere became the Earl of Oxford after supporting Henry at Bosworth. Henry also used the order of the Garter 37 times, Lord Daubeney who led the royal forces to defeat the Cornish rebellion. Henry could also give them a position of the Kings council.
How did Henry VII use the Stick approach?
Acts of Attainder ( These acts were essentially private bills passed by Parliament that declared an individual, often a member of the nobility, guilty of treason ) led to a family losing the right to possess its land. Henry could often use this with special conditions so that they could be reversed for good behavior. Within the period 1504 - 1509 Henry issued 52 Act of Attainder. Bonds were written agreements in which people promised to pay a sum of money if they failed to carry out their promise. Recognisances were a formal acknowledgement of a debt. Between 1485 and 1509, 36 out of 62 noble families were involved in such agreements. Henry also insisted on his feudal rights such as marriage, wardship, relief and livery. Henry also limited retainers (private armies). In 1485 nobles were sworn not to retain illegally and in 1504 proclamations were introduced which ensured nobles needed a license to retain. If not, they were fined, Lord Burgavenny was fined £70,000.
Government - Henry VII
The King was at the Centre of government but was supported by the King’s council who would provide advice. Henry established three courts, the Courts of Requests, Court of General Surveyors and Council Learned in the Law. The Council Learned in the Law was the most hated. Henry ensured the authority of central government was upheld in the regions by using regional councils in the north, Wales and Ireland. Henry had greater control in the North by appointing the Earl of Surrey, in Wales he had the council headed up by his son Arthur and in Ireland, Poynings’ law was passed in 1494 that said that Irish parliaments could only be called and pass laws with the Kings approval. Justices of the Peace were appointed for each county, around 30 - 60 of them. They were responsible for enforcing statutes and royal proclamations. Finally, the King only called Parliament if he needed to pass laws and Henry only did this 7 times during his reign.
Finances - Henry VII
Henry was keen to restore royal finances. The HRE had an annual income of £1.1 million. The King of France £800.000 but by the end of his reign, Henry’s was only £113,000.
- In the first year of his reign, Henry had received only £11,700 from his lands ( Richard had gathered £29,000). Henry had to get loans to pay for his coronation and his marriage.
- The Exchequer system was too slow, so he switched to the chamber system, so he could directly supervise it
What was the most frequent source of Extraordinary revenue?
Parliamentary grants
How did Henry VII use crown lands to his advantage?
(Ordinary revenue) Crown lands - held by the land by inheritance or confiscation. Henry VII maximized his income from crown lands and also increased the amount of the land the crown held, 5 times more land than under Henry VI.
- Due to the 1486 Act of Resumption and seizure of land from attainders. Income rose from £29,000 in 1485 to £42,000 by 1509.
What are custom duties and how did they change under Henry VII?
(Ordinary revenue) They are a tax on trade. Under Edward IV custom duties had brought in about £70,000 per annum. During Henry’s reign it went from £33,000 to £40,000
What are Profits of Justice?
(Ordinary revenue) Henry punished people financially for their crimes rather than imprisonment. As was the case for the Cornish rebels, or the Earl of Northumberland who was fined £10,000 for rape.
How did fuedal dues change in Henry’s reign and what were they?
(Ordinary revenue) Feudal dues were financial obligations owed to the King by those who held land under the feudal system. Income from fuedal dues rose dramatically during Henry’s reign, from under £350 per annum in 1487 to over £6000 in 1507, by fully exploiting his income from wardship and marriage, livery and the fine of ‘relief’.
What are Bonds and recognizances?
(Ordinary revenue) A bond is a “written obligation binding one person to another to perform some specified action or to pay a sum of money”, and a recognizance is a “formal acknowledgement of a debt or some other obligation, with sureties and penalties for enforcement”.
- Essentially, a bond was a written contract compelling a person to behave well (ensuring they didn’t step out of line at all in the event of a rebellion, for example) or to perform a specific task, or else they would lose money specified by their bond. They grew from earning Henry £3,000 a year in 1493 to £35,000 by 1505.
-On the other hand, a recognizance was a recognition that a person owed the crown debt, but did not necessarily force them to pay the sum immediately, or at all. Instead, it was often held against nobility to ensure their compliance.
What is ordinary revenue?
The regular recurring income of the government, primarily derived from taxes and non- tax revenues. It’s a predictable income stream
What is Extraordinary Revenue?
Income that is not part of the regular recurring revenue stream. It was collected on specific occasions for particular needs.
What were parliamentary grants?
This was the most frequent source of extraordinary income. Parliamentary grants to Henry VII were special grants of taxes by Parliament to finance royal policies, particularly military actions like the French war and defending against the Scots. These grants were often unpopular and could trigger rebellions. Henry only asked for money from parliament in exceptional circumstances, such as defeating Simnel or Warbeck.
How much did Loans bring in?
(Extraordinary revenue) Loans brought in £203,000 from wealthy subjects but had to pay it back.
What are Benevolences?
(Extraordinary revenue) Forced loans that he did not pay back, in times of crisis for example when going to war with France in 1491, bringing in £48,500
What are Clerical Taxes?
When parliament granted money, the church would also contribute, like in 1489 when they raised £25,000 for the French War. Henry also sold church offices (simony) , charging £300 for the archdeaconry of Buckingham and towards the end of his reign left bishoprics vacant so that he could claim the revenue, over £6000 per annum.
What is Feudal aid?
(Extraordinary revenue) Feudal aid, in the context of Henry VII’s reign, referred to financial duties owed by feudal tenants to their lord, primarily the king. These dues were triggered by specific events like knighting the lord’s son, or marrying his daughter, and occasionally for ransom if the lord was captured e.g. when Prince Arthur was knighted which brought in £30,000 and on the marriage of his daughter Margaret to James IV of Scotland. Henry VII, as the king, was the ultimate feudal lord, and his tenants-in-chief owed him various feudal dues, including relief (payment on inheriting land) and wardship (control of land when a minor inherited it)
Whats the difference between Fuedal dues and Fuedal aid?
Feudal dues were regular, recurring payments owed by nobles to the king in his role as feudal lord. These included things like relief (paid on inheriting land), wardship (control of land when a minor inherited it), and marriage (when the king could control who married a minor heir). Feudal aid, on the other hand, was a one-time payment or “gift” given to the king in specific circumstances, like when he needed financial assistance for a war or in times of emergency
What was the French Pension?
(Extraordinary revenue) Negotiated as part of the Treaty of Estaples in 1492 after the English agreed to remove their armies from French soil. Henry was promised £159,000 which was paid annually at £5000
How did Henry VII use his spending money?
He spent money on images to promote himself and his dynasty I.e flags, banners, badges and Tudor symbols also go on ceilings, stained glass windows, stonework or important buildings like Westminster abbey chapel.
