AQA A Level History Tudors- Henry VII

• Victory at the Battle of Bosworth was the beginning of Henry VII's quest to be recognized as king at home and abroad, leading him to secure his position as king and that of his heirs
• At the start of his reign, Henry dated his reign from 21st August 1485, punishing anyone who had fought on the Yorkist side as traitors
• John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, named as heir, died in 1487, impacting the succession line
• Henry VII publicly rewarded key supporters, conferring knighthoods to reduce disloyalty and rebellion
• Henry arranged for supporters to detain key threats to his throne, like Elizabeth of York and the Earl of Warwick, who had stronger claims to the throne
• Henry's coronation on 30th October 1485 before the meeting of his first Parliament on 7th November demonstrated his right to the throne based on hereditary right, not just Parliament's sanction, solidifying his divine status and loyalty oath from the nobility
• Releasing key figures from prison, like the Earl of Surrey, to prove loyalty and control regions, helped Henry VII consolidate power
• Parliamentary Acts of Attainder against Yorkists who had fought at Bosworth ensured that their property was forfeited to the Crown, increasing Crown income
• Acts of Attainder declared the landowner guilty of rebelling against a monarch; the attained noble lost his title, lands, and sometimes his head; his heirs were disinherited
• In Henry's case, only land and titles were stripped as he realized that leniency would help him win the loyalty of key families
• Henry's financial position was strengthened when Parliament granted him tonnage and poundage for life, giving him the right to raise revenue for his entire reign from imports and exports
• Henry made key appointments to his Council and household, including Lord Stanley, Sir Thomas Lovell, Bishop Richard Fox, John Morton, Sir Reginald Bray, Sir William Stanley, John de Vere, and others
• Sir William Stanley, who sided with Henry at Bosworth, was made Earl of Derby, providing Henry with a loyal supporter in the north-west
• John de Vere, who had joined Henry in France, was created Earl of Oxford, giving Henry a loyal supporter in the Midlands
• Sir William Stanley was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Treasurer of the Household, and Speaker of the House of Commons in 1485
• Sir William Stanley was later made Earl Daubeney and Lieutenant of Calais in 1486, becoming Chamberlain of the Household in 1495 after Sir William Stanley's execution
• Sir William Stanley was also Keeper of the Privy Seal from 1487 to 1516, often at Council and a frequent ambassador
• Sir William Stanley was appointed Chancellor and Archbishop of Canterbury in 1486
• Sir William Stanley became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Henry's chief financial and property administrator after 1485
• Sir William Stanley was made Lord Chamberlain and created Earl of Oxford, giving Henry a loyal supporter in the Midlands
• Why did Henry VII backdate his reign?

  Effectively accused those who fought on Richard III's side in Bosworth (22 August 1485) of committing treason
• How did Henry VII use incentives to control the nobility?

  - Used Patronage less than his predecessors; Jasper Tudor was made Duke of Bedford

  - Created 37 Knights of the Garter, who were given prestige but not land

  - 5 key Councillors on the King's Council had supported Henry before Bosworth: Bray, Daubeney, Guildford, Lovell and Riselly
• How did Henry VII use punishments to control the nobility?

  - Passed 138 Acts of Attainder and only reversed 46

  - Used Feudal Dues, e.g. Duchess of Buckingham was fined £6,000 in 1507 for marrying without Henry VII's permission

  - 1486 Acts of Resumption withdrew Crown Lands lost during Wars of Roses

  - 1485 and 1504 Acts against Retaining; nobles had to gain a license personally from Henry VII to retain

  - 36 out of 62 noble families under Bonds and Recognisances by the end of Henry VII's reign
• Council Learned in Law

  Dealt with financial debts and affairs, becoming key in maintaining and ensuring obedience. Empson and Dudley's use of extortion meant that Henry VII became unpopular- their execution in 1510 was greeted with rejoicing in the streets.
• Parliament


  Only called Parliament 7 times. Henry VII was coronated on the 30th October 1485 before he called Parliament for the first time (7th November 1485) to assert his authority as a monarch who could rule without Parliament.
• Crown Lands

  1486 Acts of Resumption- Henry VII inherited all the lands held by the Houses of York and Lancaster, the Earldoms of Richmond and Warwick, the Duchy of Lancaster and the Principality of Wales. By the end of Henry VII's reign, the size of Crown Lands was 5 times larger.
• Custom Duties


  Taxes on imported goods. Henry VII was receiving £40,000 per annum.
• Benevolences


  Forced loans with no repayment, e.g. in 1491 this allowed Henry VII to raise £48500 to take an army to France.
• 1486 Lovell and Staffords Rebellion

  Tried to rise up against Henry VII but there was little support for an uprising in the Yorkist heartlands, so the rebellion was easily suppressed. Lovell fled to the Court of Margaret of Burgundy, Humphrey Stafford was executed and Thomas Stafford was pardoned.
• 1486-1487 Lambert Simnel and Earl of Lincoln


  Pretended to be the Earl of Warwick and was crowned King of England in Ireland in 1486. Henry VII exhibited the real Earl of Warwick in London. Simnel's mercenaries (from Margaret of Burgundy) were defeated by Henry VII at the battle of Stoke in 1487. Lincoln was killed whilst Simnel became a kitchen help in Court.
• 1486 and 1489 Navigation Acts


  Aimed to encourage English shipping by trying to ensure that only English ships could carry certain products to and from English ports. Limited as foreign vessels continued to transport a certain proportion of English exports. This endangered future trade with the Hanse merchants.
• 1489 Act against Enclosure


  Act was passed against conversion to pasture and the pulling down of houses out of fear that it would increase vagrancy and reduce grain production, but the Act was not enforced. The terms of the act were motivated by a desire to protect royal interests rather than local populations. Enclosure became more of a problem under Elizabeth I.
• 1489 Treaty of Medina del Campo


  Marriage of Arthur and Catherine agreed (occurs in 1501) with £40,000 dowry- the size of this dowry caused complications. Spain would not support English rebels and easier trading for Spanish and English merchants. Support in war with France
• 1489 Yorkshire Tax Revolt


  Triggered by Parliament's decision to raise £100,000 in taxes for Henry VII's Brittany campaign as Yorkshire had previously been exempt from taxes due to them having to fight off Scotland at the border. Rebellion easily crushed by Henry VII's forces (led by Earl of Surrey). Henry VII issued many pardons but his tax quota for the region was not fulfilled.
• 1491-1499 Perkin Warbeck


  Pretender who sought attracted the help and patronage of many European leaders, especially James IV in 1495. 1496 Scottish invasion with Warbeck easily crushed. 1497 Treaty of Ayton meant James IV handed Warbeck over to Henry VII.
• 1492 Treaty of Etaples


  France would pay Henry VII £159,000 in exchange for the withdrawal of Henry VII's troops from France.
• 1495 John Cabot arrived in England from Italy to seek Henry VII's support for a voyage across the Atlantic.


  Henry VII offered Cabot £50 but would commit more if the voyage was successful. In 1497 Cabot claimed Newfoundland for England while looking for Northwest Passage, but died on the return journey.
• 1496 First use of a blast furnace seen in Sussex and Kent


  Used to melt mined ore
• 1496 Intercursus Magnus


  Removed trade embargo in Burgundy.
• 1497 Cornish Tax Revolt


  Triggered by Parliament's decision to raise taxes for Henry VII's campaign against James IV and Warbeck as Cornwall was too far from Scotland for the Cornish to feel that they should have to pay. 15,000 rebels camped on Blackenheath near London; Henry VII recalled the army he'd sent North and crushed the rebels- 10,000 rebels were killed whilst the leaders (An Gof and Flamank) were executed.