Cromwell's Domestic Policies

• How did Cromwell change government?

  • There was a shift from a personal monarchy to the emergence of a professional Privy Council, which contained less than 20 members of lawyers and bureaucrats (more meritocratic) as opposed to nobles. They tended to be more loyal as they relied solely on Henry for their power and titles, in comparison with the established nobility
  • This had began under Wolsey's Eltham Ordinances of 1526
• How did Cromwell change the power of the monarch?

  • He led the Act in Restraint of Appeals in 1533 that stated all power derived from the monarch in a single, united English empire (however, Henry was still subject to the Pope over matters of religious doctrine)
  • Cromwell used the break with Rome to extend royal power more firmly through the nation, with the Act of Union with Wales in 1536 and an act removing liberties and franchises special ruling powers.
• When did Cromwell create the Court of Augmentations?

  1536
• What was the purpose of the Court of Augmentations?

  It controlled land and finances formerly under papal control
• When did Cromwell create the Court of General Surveyors?

  1540
• What was the purpose of the Court of General Surveyors?

  It handled monastic lands confiscated as a result of the treason of their abbots
• When did Cromwell create the Court of First Fruits and Tenths?

  1540
• What was the purpose of the Court of First Fruits and Tenths?


  It collected from clerical benefices certain moneys that had previously been sent to Rome
• When did Cromwell create the Court of Wards?


  1540
• What was the purpose of the Court of Wards?


  To allow the King to collect money from the estates of minors who had inherited wealth
• How did Cromwell use Parliament?

  • To strengthen the changes he was making to the church and government via the parliament's support of statute law;
  • To reinforce the strength and power of the King, such as in the parliament of 1529 (which passed a range of laws) and sat for 7 years;
  • It gained experience in passing laws and established the now common method of passing through the Commons then the Lords;
  • Parliament had never contained such a cross section of high ranking nobility, church officials, and MPs from across the country, increasing the likelihood of laws being implemented effectively
• What happened to Durham in 1536?


  Cromwell arranged for parliament to extinguish its special status and privileges, and to legislate that it should be incorporated into the kingdom on the same basis as other countries
• What did Cromwell do relating to the English counties?

  7 new counties were established, and Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire were considerably extended