Fully detailed notes covering the 'Changes in Governance at the Centre' breadth chapter of the Edexcel A-Level History 'Rebellion & Disorder Under the Tudors ' Course (Option 31). These notes are organised by, and thoroughly cover, each bullet point of the examination specification. The notes in th...
Changes In Governance At The Centre
Henry VII (1485-1509)
● Royal Household = those that serve and maintain the king
● Royal Court = officials who travel with the King, place-holders, higher nobility
● Royal Council = not yet the Privy Council. Meetings of great magnates and key advisors, large
and informal
● Great Councils = meetings of the nobility- usually to be asked for money
● Privy Chamber = Private Office of the King
N.B - parliament called occasionally to pass laws not a formal part of government.
KEY – PERSONAL MONARCHY
● Under Henry VII- access to the king was all important.
● Under Henry VIII Privy Chamber became more and more important
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNDER HENRY VII
Carried out by a network of officials, who were ultimately responsible to the king. Within each country,
the two most important officials were the JP and the sheriff.
The sheriff was in charge of arresting and prosecuting criminals, and was in charge of mustering the
militia during times of need. The JPs (magistrates) were the people who ran the courts and had tended
to be made up of local landowners.
JPs
Edward IV had originally transferred the power to try criminals from the sheriffs to the JPs. He was also
one of the first people to start appointing JPs from the second rank of landowners. Henry however
continued with this policy and used it to a far greater extent than Edward did
The JPs were in effect the local government as they ran the courts (they were therefore in charge of
defending public order, implementing Henry’s laws, and trying criminals). JPs would also meet four times
a year in Quarter sessions to try more serious cases, however more difficult cases would be passed to
the assize courts where they were heard by professional judges.
Henry’s JP Changes
Although Henry continued to select JPs from the landholders, he started to rely on the second tier (e.g.
those who were not nobles). This would reduce the power of the magnates and would hopefully prevent
the corruption of justice.
● They mainly dealt with law and order and enforcing the King’s will, and were chosen by the King,
so were directly accountable to him - also an important link between crown and counties.
JPs were given new powers e.g. they could question poachers or hunters in disguise, could replace
members of the jury, and in certain cases operate without a jury completely. By the end of Henry’s reign
it was they, rather than the sheriffs who held the real power in the counties.
, Their new set of roles included:
➔ Implementing Social and economic statutes
➔ Dispensing justice and trying criminal offences
➔ Upholding public order
➔ Acting in cases of non-capital offences without jury
➔ Arresting poachers
➔ Empowered to grant bail
● The average number of JPs per county was 18.
● The most senior JP in a county was usually a bishop. The other JPs followed in terms of seniority
dependent on their social precedence within their locality.
● JPs relied on knights and squires to enforce decisions that had been made by JPs and once
every three months all JPs in a county met at Quarter Session where serious court cases were
dealt with.
○ The criminal cases that were considered too difficult for JPs to deal with went to the
Assize Courts. An Assize Court was held in each county every six months. These were
controlled by judges under special commission from the Crown.
How did a JP extend his authority over his area?
Each county was divided into hundreds and by law each hundred had to have a High Constable and
every parish a Petty Constable.
- The power of a JP was balanced however. The Court of the King’s Bench could override any
decision made at a Quarter Session
Problems with the System
As the JPs were unpaid, Henry was dependent upon people’s goodwill. Although the system worked
relatively well, it was extremely “mediaeval”. A system of paid local officials would have been far more
efficient.
The JPs themselves could only try people who were brought before them, and as there was no standing
police force, many criminals could easily escape. Henry also had no real authority over the JPs; his only
sanction was to threaten them with removal.
Although in certain cases it was necessary to appoint a Lord Lieutenant to oversee a particular region,
Henry tried to appoint individuals who did not have a power base in that area.
● This would hopefully mean they would be impartial when passing judgements, and would prevent
the growth of magnate power, leading to greater links between local and central government.
Did Henry achieve what he set out to do at a local level?
While paid officials (as in France) would have been more effective, the king’s finances did not allow for
this. However, the system that Henry built on seems to have worked as well as it could for the time,
when communications were poor and slow.
To compliment local government authority, Henry also had to reform central government so that both
functioned in a manner that best served the king.
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