Society

• What was Tudor society like?

  • based on a class system, hierarchal
  • the social pyramid was strictly observed
• What was the order of the societal pyramid?

  • the king
  • the nobility, gentry and higher clergy
  • the merchants, burgesses, artisans, lower clergy and yeomen
  • majority of the population, the commoners (servants, labouring poor, the unemployed, the paupers and vagrants)
• What was the Great Chain of Being?

  • the natural order of society
  • each class had a duty to serve those above
  • the higher classes were obliged to look after the interests of those below
• What was the Roman Catholic church?

  A large and powerful organisation consisting of regular clergy (around 10,000) and secular clergy (around 35,000). Formed a state within a state with its own system of law courts and privileges.
• What did the Church courts deal with?

  Religious crimes such as adultery and heresy and crimes committed by churchmen
• Who was there a large social and economic gap between?

  The senior clergy -> bishops and abbots -> the lower clergy -> parish priests and chaplains
• What did Bishops and Abbots do?

  Had a political voice and were entitled to sit in the House of Lords
• What did Archbishops do?

  Served a royal councillors and advised the king on matters of justice and administration
• Who were some examples of Archbishops?

  John Morton and Richard Fox
• What did the nobility and gentry form?

  The most privileged class
• How many nobility and gentry were there?

  1500

  • 55 nobles
  • 500 knights
  • 800 esquires
  • 5000 gentlemen
• What did the nobility and gentry's wealth and power derive from?

  Landowning and office holding
• Why did the crown rely on the nobility and the gentry?

  Govern the kingdom, keep the peace and pay the majority of the kingdom's taxes
• What was parliament used for?

  Gauge the attitudes and opinions of the most privileged class
• Who was entitled a seat in the house of lords?

  All of the nobles and of these, the gentry elected them to represent them in the house of commons
• What did Henry's policies on Bonds and Recognisances and retaining do?


  Kept the privileged in check
• How many commoners were there in 1500?

  2 million and 50% of these lived at or below the poverty line
• What were a minority of commoners able to do?

  Rent or buy land- these were the husbandmen and yeomen