Gaining the Cooperation of the Localities
Localities = regions beyond London. The further away from the centre, the harder they were to directly
control. One aim of the Tudor monarchs was to create a successful working relationship with those in
charge of local government (nobility and gentry), while also extending crown control.
HOW EFFECTIVELY WERE THE LOCALITIES GOVERNED?
THE GOVERNMENT OF WALES UNDER HENRY VII AND HENRY VIII
Although the Crown controlled the Principality of Wales, before the 1530s Wales had its own legal
system which depended on the power of local marcher lords. The area had a tendency to lawlessness:
- E.g. the continuation of blood feuds (family of a victim could take vengeance on the perpetrator)
Control of Wales was vital as it was possible for powerful members of the nobility to use these militarised
nations to build up their own power bases and challenge the monarchy - this is how Henry VII was able
to challenge Richard III for the throne (family estates in SW Wales)
Before the 1530s, Henry VII and Henry VIII both attempted to secure control of Wales by using the
Council of Wales and the Marches, introduced by Edward IV in the 1470s:
- Based at Ludlow Castle, it was headed by members of the royal family e.g. Jasper Tudor in 1490
- They experimented ruling Wales through an heir, e.g. Prince Arthur was sent there in 1501 to
attempt to create a permanent presence in the region, but he died at 15.
- When Cromwell rose to prominence in the 1530s, he introduced a more permanent solution: the
Law in Wales Act
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTH, 1485-1537
Equally challenging to control - geographically remote with poor communications, also under the threat
of invasion from Scotland. This zone was split into 3 marches: Western, Middle, and Eastern Marches,
controlled by wardens responsible for their defence.
- Henry VII’s position as a usurper made him particularly vulnerable to invasions from his rivals
who could base themselves in Scotland
- Regions in the North e.g. Yorkshire were loyal to Richard III, who had successfully controlled it
- The North also suffered from economic hardship; in 1489 there was a tax revolt in Yorkshire
which led to the murder of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland - he was in charge of money
collection in the region
- Because his heir was a minor, Henry VII took the opportunity to create Thomas Howard,
Earl of Surrey, as Lieutenant in the North - acted as a representative of the king
- Apart from this, the warden system continued unchanged until the 1530s.
Under Henry VIII the key noble families were the Dacres, the Cliffords, and the Percys - they were
involved in complex feuds with each other and could not always be relied on to keep the peace
- In 1525 Lord Dacre was fined £1000 for tolerating disorder in the North
It was not until the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 that royal intervention in the North became more direct
and permanent.
, THE LAW IN WALES ACT 1535
Thomas Cromwell began a process to lead to permanent changes in the region: he began by appointing
Rowland Lee to act as the Lord President of the Council of Wales. The 1535 Act transformed the
structure of Welsh government
● The Principality of Wales was abolished and replaced with 12 English-style counties
● English-style system of local government was also introduced for each county, including sheriffs
and JPs
● Banned the use of Welsh in courts - only English spoken, so interpreters were widely used.
● Each Welsh county town was allocated 2 MPs who would sit in the English Parliament.
Previously, traditional Welsh regions had not participated in English law making
● The main result was to end the traditional military power of the marcher lords. For the rest of the
Tudor period, Wales remained directly under control of the Crown. Law and order improved, and
the region became less of a threat to political stability.
THE LAW IN WALES ACT 1542
Although Cromwell fell from power and was executed in 1540, his work extending royal control in remote
regions continued. The 1542 act built on the previous one.
It introduced the system of English law into Wales, bringing an end to the traditional system
- E.g. ending the blood feud
- In order to enforce this, a new system of law courts was introduced called the courts of great
sessions, which were held twice a year. They tried criminal cases e.g. theft
- The Council of Wales was recognised, and became a more formal body, with a president
appointed by the monarch. Its powers included the right to hear legal cases and oversee law and
order in Wales.
THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE NORTH, 1537
Henry’s inability to control the North and the threat this posed to his political stability became clear in late
1536 after the rebellions of this year. They caused Cromwell to remodel the council in order to
strengthen its powers and prevent future unrest.
- It could hear and decide cases of treason, murder, and felony, becoming the voice of the
government in London responsible for enforcing all royal proclamations.
- Its authority was extended e.g. to Durham, Northumberland.
- The authority was enhanced because the president was either a bishop or member of the
nobility, often from the South or Midlands - this meant they had no vested interests in the
decisions they were making and could remain impartial.
As a result, the Council of the North developed as a body which could oversee the administration of the
North, control border raids and manage local order through court cases.
The development of the council also signalled a long term decline in the power of the traditional northern
lords. These families had dominated appointments to the wardenships of the Northern Marches since
the Middle Ages, their power was undermined as the power of the monarchy in the council increased.
Later, Elizabeth I attempted to insert more Southerners into the council, causing resentment among
traditional nobility and contributing to rebellion - shows the council was not completely in control of the
North. It was the most openly Catholic region of England, and so a danger that they would not accept an
Elizabethan settlement.
