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HENRY VII- ESSAY PLANS
1. By 1509 Henry VII was secure on the throne?/How far did Henry achieve his aims?
INTRO
Upon his accession following Battle of Bosworth 1485 - Henry had a very tenuous claim to the throne
Claim lay through Mother Margaret Beaufort (illegitimate child of John of Gaunt)
Others e.g. de la Pole had stronger claims, so Henry had to build up his security
Aims= secure right to throne, strengthen royal gov, strengthen monarchy restrict the power of
overmighty nobles, improve royal finance which would in turn increase his power + gain authority from
foreign monarchs to rule
Initial clever consolidation of power allowed security through consecutive years- dated reign day
before B of B- opponents= traitors, Act of Attainder passed against Yorkists, rewarded supports- Jasper
Tudor= Earl of Bedford, 11 knighthoods given, Earl of Warwick imprisoned, OCT 1485- Coronation, JAN
1486- married Elizabeth of York (joining 2 houses) + SEP- Arthur born (embodied new Tudor dynasty)
Henry able to have security due to undermining support for opponents, efficient intelligence system,
use of bonds, peaceful foreign policy halting pretenders
Reign brought stability after turbulent War of Roses (1455-1487)
Yes No
GOVERNMENT IMPROVEMENTS GOVERNMENT
Council advised King + heled administer Council Learned in Law under Empson +
country- e.g. Lord Daubeny, Cardinal Morton, Dudley- administered feudal rights + bonds
Bishops Fox + lawyers e.g. Sir Bray Resented- repeatedly abused
Henry relied on professionals Privy Chamber unpopular- private + less
Personally signed off all royal accounts + accessible to court
intervened in lawsuits Dudley- ‘The king’s grace was much set to
1487- Star Chamber Act have many persons in danger at his pleasure’
Used Parliament sparingly- only called 7 times Lord Chamberlain controlled the Chamber
in 24 year reign- mainly for taxation (William Stanley)- involvement in 1495
Henry spent lavishly on appearance of court- Warbeck plot suggests instability in gov
impress nobles + foreign monarchs BUT Henry responded accordingly- Privy
Restored law + order by relying heavy on JP’s Chamber more private= peace of mind BUT
rather than nobles- e.g. 1491 had power to also resented as change to normal conduct
grant bail, 1495 power to vet juries
Unpaid local magistrates + members of
gentry- responsible for tax assessments +
maintenance of law + order
1501- Council in North
Council of Wales under Jasper Tudor-
improving local gov
CONTROL OVER NOBILITY
Nobles with wealth could challenge
monarchy- BUT did rely on them to rule
country + friends with e.g. Earl of Oxford
Henry did not entirely rely on the nobility to CONTROL OVER NOBILITY
rule the country- he was suspicious of them From 1504-1509 51 attainders were passed-
and number declined from 50-35 suggesting paranoia towards the end of his
Nobles kept under bonds + recognizances- reign
46/62 noble families Worries about succession after death of
Attainders used to enforce good behaviour- Prince Arthur + Elizabeth
seized titles + possessions of nobles 138 Nobles found loopholes in avoiding penalty
passed- 46 reversed for retaining- covering up records
Severe fines ensure kept under control- Sir Lord Chamberlain (William Stanley- who
, Thomas Tyrell had to pay £1738 for reversal of helped Henry gain the crown in Battle of
his attainders Bosworth)- supported Warbeck- suggests
Abandoned Edward IV policy of patronage + control over the nobility not efficient +
absorbed any vacant lands into his personal created resentment to his rule
domain- nobles fell by ¼ Henry VIII abolishing Council Learned in 1509-
1485 + 1504- laws passed against retaining shows how much it was hated
men for personal armies- £5 penalty per
illegal retainer
Last decade- 2/5 nobility under bonds=
efficient control
1507- Lord Burgavenny convicted of retaining
471 men- fined £100,000
Council Learned in Law under Empson and
Dudley used to impose fines
IMPROVEMENTS OF FINANCE
Money= power= his aim
1487 onwards- dealt with finance from Privy
Chamber + personally supervised accounts
New Post of Surveyor of King’s Wards
established- investigated money owed from NO- HENRY WAS A MISER- SIMPLY SPARKED
wardships HOSTILITY + FINANCE DID NOT IMPROVE
New Court of Audit – improved income
Inherited lands from houses of York + 1489- Yorkshire tax rebellion- attempts to
Lancaster + Principality of Wales raise money for Brittany campaign
Less inclined to grant lands as patronage Northumberland murdered in rebellion=
1486- Act of Resumption- reclaimed all crown danger posed to Henry
lands granted away since start of War of 1497- Cornish tax rebellion- 15,000 involved-
Roses suggesting a threat to his rule + Warbeck tried
Income from crown land increased from to take advantage to invade + rebels reached
£12,000-£42,000 London
Feudal dues- relief, marriage, wardship, livery Lord Daubeney’s forces had to be withdrawn
Profit from wardship increased from from Scottish border to crush them= real
£300/year in 1487- £6000 a year in 1507 threat of danger
1504- Parliament granted feudal aid imposing English monarchy remained poor by European
tax for knighthood of eldest son/marriage of standard- by 1507- only £9000 cash in
eldest daughter- BUT UNPOPULAR Chamber accounts
Custom duties- from tonnage/poundage of Finance policy sparked hostility
wool, wine, leather Polydore Vergil- ‘people were suffering not on
Introduced certificated for coastal trade + 2x account of their sins but on account of the
upgraded Book of Rates- set out charges on greed of their monarch’
imports/exports Landowners suffered exploitation of feudal
Customs duties rose- £33,000- £40,000 dues= resentment
Exploited legal dues- money from common HENRY NOT MISER- willing to spend to
law courts + attainders enhance status
Parliamentary taxations- collected £282,000
from parliament + £160,000 from clergy
Exploited profits of Justice- e.g.
Westmoreland had to pay £10,000 after B of B
Method of control- 1504-07- £200,000 bonds
imposed BUT only £30,000 collected
Exploited loans + benevolences- 1491-
£48,000 raised for Brittany War
Exploited extraordinary feudal dues- 1504-
received £30,000 from Parliament for
kinghood of Prince Arthur
, Exploited clerical taxes- taxes could levy on
Church- Raised £300 for post of Archdeacon
of Buckingham
Crown income grew from £65,000-£113,000
Henry left £300,000 in plate and jewels
Costly foreign war avoided
Henry 20x wealthier than wealthiest noble- no FOREIGN POLICY/PRETENDERS
one could successfully challenge him= secure 1486- Lovell’s Rebellion by Lovell, Humphrey,
Stafford= immediate threat- BUT quickly
collapse= no danger
1487- threat of Simnel- threat as there was
FOREIGN POLICY/PRETENDERS foreign involvement- Margaret of Burgundy
AIMS= national + dynastic security + halt was prepared to supply 2000 soldiers to join
pretenders rebels
1489- Medina del Campo with Spain- England BUT- May invasion raised little support +
+ Spain deciding to work together to defend rebels easily defeated at the Battle of Stoke +
lands several Yorkists + John de la Pole killed
Not make agreements with France without limiting the threat
consulting each other first BUT- efficient intelligence service uncovered
Equal trading rights- favoured English plots before gathered much support
MARRIAGE ALLIANCE- Prince Arthur to 1491-1499- Threat of Warbeck (lasted for a
Catherine of Aragon- deepened relations number of years)- serious threat as was
Significance- showed that new Tudor dynasty foreign support from Charles VIII, James IV +
was accepted by foreign monarchs + Margaret of Burgundy
enhanced status BUT- 1496 invasion easily defeated + Henry
Scotland= hostile of England + ally of France negotiated alliance with James to end support
(Auld alliance) for Warbeck
1486- Truce with James III but died 2 years 1497 invasion- easily defeated
later- hostile James IV came to throne 1499- Warbeck + Warwick executed for
1495-97- James IV offered support to attempting to escape Tower
Warbeck + helped invade in 1496 BRETON CRISIS- English armies did not win
1497- Treaty of Ayton- 1502 Treaty of any major engagements, Brittany little more
Perpetual Peace with Scotland- improved than satellite- absorbed in 1532, failed to
relations restore English glories in France
MARRIAGE ALLIANCE- 1503 Henry eldest 1489- Though Henry made clear he had no
daughter Margaret married to James IV- intention of re-opening longstanding English
settled ill feelings claims to French land- not enough to satisfy
Henry only controlled Pale in Ireland- Earl of French- received Warbeck + poured more
Kildare exercised real control- had Yorkist troops into Brittany
sympathies + 1480 supported Simnel + 1491 1506- Ferdinand declared himself as King of
Warbeck Castile= well placed in international diplomacy
Henry tried to impose direct royal control by + threat- Henry feared France may take part
appointing son Henry as Lieutenant- partially of Netherlands- importance for trade
successful but expensive 1508- League of Cambrai isolated England
1496- Kildare agreed to stop supporting
Yorkist cause + restored to power
BRETON CRISIS SUCCESS- pursued difficult
diplomatic path with skill, basic friendship
with France remained in tact, military
intervention brief + did not damage English
reputation, France persuaded to stop
supporting pretended
1488-1492- France moved to absorb Brittany-
Henry felt obliged to help
Henry clever- did not rush to war- did not
want to annoy France when pretenders
, active- opened negotiations with France
whilst secretly allowing English troops into
Brittany
Parliament made grant of £100,000- APR
1498- army crossed channel
Henry lucky- gambled France did not want
long conflict as had interest in Italian
peninsula= successful
1492- Treaty of Etaples- payment of 745,000
(£5000/year) crowns to cover expedition costs
+ France agreed to stop supporting Warbeck
1502 Prince Arthur death/1503- Elizabeth
death- Henry worried about succession
1504- Death of Isabella of Castille no
guarantee Spain would stay united-
Ferdinand= regent on behalf of Isabella’s
daughter Joana
Henry needed good relations with Spain +
Burgundy- actions reacted to changing
European situation
1506- Henry moved to friendly relations with
Phillip of Burgundy- discussions of Burgundian
bride for Henry
BUT WORSENED relations with Spain +
Ferdinand turned to France- 1505 Ferdinand
married Germaine de Foix (Louis XIII niece)
OCT 1506- Phillip died- Burgundy weakened-
Joana deemed unfit to rule- Ferdinand
declared himself King of Castille
POST 1502- Henry believed best hope was
agreements with Netherlands + France- plans
for marriage alliances
1508= League of Cambrai- Louis XII +
Ferdinand + Archduke Charles + Pope in
alliance against Venice- moved focus of
attention away from England onto Italy
ENGLAND MAY HAVE SEEMED ISOLATE- BUT
still had security
1496- Magnus Intercursus- restored trade
links with Burgundy
1506- Malus Intercursus- favourable to English
merchants + Philip handed over Edmund de la
Pole= removal of potential rival
Enhanced English trade + dynastic security
2. How successful was Henry VII in achieving his foreign policy objectives?
Intro
Henry had ascended to the throne in 1485 through battle so his claim was very precarious
Others had stronger claims than him- e.g. de la Pole
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