Summary and evaluation notes on Henry VII's government
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1C The Tudors: England, 1485-1603
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AQA
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AQA A-level History
Detailed notes on all aspects of Henry VII's governance, e.g. the council, court, parliament, nobility, JPs... Includes information on royal finances and the threats (rebellions) faced by Henry VII's government. Each aspect of his government is evaluated and supported by opinions from historians wh...
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Henry VII (1485-1509): Government
Henry’s aims in government:
To establish and secure his right to rule.
To strengthen royal government and control the nobility.
To strengthen the future of the monarchy by ensuring a strong financial foundation.
The council, court and Parliament
- Fifteenth century government was, in effect, personal government by the King and
his advisers at court.
- Parliament existed but had a minor role in political life- mainly to pass laws that the
King wanted and to vote him additional taxes.
- Parliament met infrequently and usually not for more than a few weeks or months at
a time; Parliament was called 7 times, 5 of which in the first 10 years of Henry’s
reign, mainly for money and natural security.
- Parliaments were called to serve interests of the monarch and keep his subjects
under control, often by Acts of Attainder.
- For most of the time, the King ruled by decrees and proclamations. Henry kept things
this way, using Parliament sparingly, usually during his first decade as King to
support him in controversial policies such as limitations on the traditional privileges
of the nobility or new financial demands on his subjects, but he usually ignored it.
- Parliament pre-dated his reign to the day before the Battle of Bosworth (21 st
August). This allowed him to treat Richard’s supporters as traitors,
- Parliament encouraged Henry to marry Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV; their
union symbolised the reconciliation between the families of Lancaster and York and
produced a son, Prince Arthur, in September 1486. This helped to establish a future
for the new Tudor dynasty, creating a greater sense of permanence about the
change that had taken place in 1485.
- To cement his power further, Henry summoned Parliament in November 1485 and
embarked on a royal progress to the north in April 1486- allowed him to
demonstrate his royal power and presence to his subjects.
- The Royal Council met when the King needed it and there were no written rules
governing its procedure. During Henry’s reign, the key development was the
emergence of committees of the council to deal with specific matters of policy.
- Evaluation: Henry took interest in matters of the state and governed effectively,
taking decisive action when needed. He was adept at keeping those he distrusted
under his control, and equally as anal about rewarding those who proved their
loyalty to him. Historian Glanmor Williams described how Henry “applied himself to
the profession of being a king with complete dedication. He ruled with firmness and
resolution; in the face of danger, he was wise and cool, but was quick to take
decisions where needed”.
Justices of the Peace (JPs)
, - JPs were appointed annually from among the local landowners, several per county.
- They were responsible for public order, making sure that laws were implemented
and dispensing justice to criminals brought before them.
- Four times a year they met all the Quarter Sessions so that they could try those
accused of more serious crimes- all except treason, which was left to the Crown.
- In England, local government was conducted through JPs. By the reign of Henry VII’s
reign, JPs had superseded the local power of the Sheriffs and were the chief local
government officers.
- JPs did not receive an income for their work as it was felt that part of the
responsibility of being a landowner was to maintain law and order.
- Henry VII preferred to select his JPs from the second tier of the country’s
landowners. This was part of his campaign to restrict the power of the great
magnates as the JPs were answerable to the King and would therefore be a useful
source of information with regards to any magnate that was becoming too powerful.
- Probably the greatest hold Henry had over a JP was the simple fact that they served
for a year. He would then put them up for reappointment and any JP who fell from
grace would also experience a social fall from grace in his region as his failure to be
reappointed would be perceived as a sign of his incompetence. On the other hand, a
successful and loyal JP could expect to advance up the social ladder.
- Henry continued the policy of Edward IV of extending the power of the JPs. During
Henry’s reign, their powers and responsibilities grew significantly:
- 1485- Powers of arrest extended to cover poachers and hunters.
- 1491- Powers to grant bail.
- 1495- Powers to vet juries.
- Evaluation: While paid officials (as in France) would have likely been more effective
as they would have been more entrenched in central government, Henry’s finances
did not allow for this. Despite this, the system of local governance that Henry
established seems to have worked as well as it could for the time when
communications were slow. Law and order were generally maintained with the
exception of the Simnel and Warbeck rebellions, which were dynastic based, and the
Yorkist and Cornish risings that were caused by taxation.
The nobility
Particular parts of the country, especially those most distant from London, were
notoriously difficult to control except by relying on the presence of the local nobility.
The nobles were therefore an imperative part of the nation’s governance as their
support was crucial in maintaining law and order in the areas in which they owned
land.
In the fifteenth century, the nobility had become excessively powerful and Henry
was forced to introduce a number of different policies to reduce his reliance on them
and restrict their power to a degree that wouldn’t push them into rebellion.
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