Goverment/Finances

• Council: 227 men, only 6 - 7 regular attendees who advised the king, administered the realm and made legal judgements

  members of nobility (magnates), churchmen (John Morton and Richard Fox) and gentry who were skilled administrators (Sir Reginald Bray)
• The council Learned:

  • function to maintain the kings revenue and exploit his prerogative rights
  • Empson and Dudley were feared bureaucrats, extremely unpopular as they ruthlessly extracted money from the kings subjects
  • extremely feared and unpopular in the last years of H7s reign
  • passed 138 acts of attainder but reversed 46
• Court and household:

  • centre of government demonstrating the Kings wealth and power to the courtiers in attendance
  • household proper was responsible for looking after the king
  • politically important part was the Chamber, presided by the Lord Chamberlain. Considerable blow to H7 when his Lord Chamberlain, Sir William Stanley was involved in the Perkin Warbeck plot 1495
  • This led to H7 remodelling to the Privy Chamber, cutting himself off from traditional contacts at court
• Parliament:

  • functions of passings laws and granting taxations. Local grievances could also be passed to the King by MP's
  • Called a total of 7 times, 5 in first 10 years and 2 times in remaining 14
  • first parliament granted tonnage and poundage (customs revenue) for life
  • others granted extraordinary revenue like taxation through fifteenths and tenths, yielding £ 203,000
  • Final parliament 1504 limited the demand for extraordinary revenue
  • Overall, operated effectively as the King respected its decisions and a number of private acts passed in response to local demand for improvements
• Justice and maintenance of order

  • magnate control was largely confined to the north of England.
  • E.G Earl of Northumberland in Yorkshire, upon his death forced to release Earl of Surrey from the tower, a known Yorkist. A high risk strategy, which worked as Surrey proved his loyalty through ten years of effective service
  • JP's increased greatly to maintain law and order superseding the traditional authority of the Sheriff. Unpaid Gentry carrying out routine administration like tax assessments
• Crown lands:

  • H7 by far the countries greatest landowner. Beginning of his reign dropped to £ 12,000 due to the inefficient Court of Exchequer
  • 1492 reverted to Edwards system of administration through the Chamber. Increased to around £ 42,000 per year

  Feudal dues and royal prerogative:

  • Increased profits from wardship and Parliament granted a feudal aid in 1504
  • Obligations payable on death increased when the Statute of Uses 1489 cut out the loophole for avoidance
• other sources of revenue:

  • Pensions from other powers, Treaty of Etaples 1492 paid H7 a pension of £ 5000 per annum
  • fines and income from bonds
  • H7 received over £ 400,000 from extraordinary taxation, although leading to rebellion

  H7 left plates, jewels and cash worth over £ 310,000
• Modernisation of Bureaucracy:

  • H7 moved business away from the Royal council (200+ advisors) into Privy Council 1495 (after execution of Sir William Stanley)
  • He increased efficiency by splitting into specialised courts

  Regional government

  • Re-established regional councils. Council of Wales 1493 led by Jasper Tudor and Council of the North 1489 led by Northumberland then Surrey
• Government failure in final years of H7:

  • Earl of Suffolk alienated by council Learned fled abroad seeking support. henry sent funds to Maximilian for his return (over £10,000), but efforts failed. 1506 Intercurus Malus when he was finally returned. Shows H7 diplomatic persistence to neutralise Yorkists threats
• Royal Authority: Consolidated power after civil war and established Tudor dynasty

  • Controlled the nobility, used diplomacy to avoid war and united factions

  Overall, strong royal authority by end of reign, built on control and financial independence/success. Limited as not deep rooted popular loyalty