English society in Henry reign

• Elites and commoners

  • Significant social changes during Henry VIII reign, result of growth in numbers of those engaged in professional and commercial activities and party due to greater social mobility.
  • Structure of society remained much the same
• Henry relied on the landed elites:

  • Gave property and/or titles to nobles so that they could exert royal authority in particular areas
  • He ensured full support by executing nobles when there was any doubt of loyalty.
  • He conferred knighthoods as a sign of royal favour.
• Elites and commoners

  • Gentry provided Henrys JPS and often undertook unpaid administration for the crown. They are considerably during the course of his reign as more land was available following changes to churches.
  • Increased complexity of gov also gave gentry more opportunities to make mark.
  • Legal training became highly valued and local administration was increasingly performed by lawyers rather than clergymen.
• Elites and commoners

  • Growth in urban elites as towns and cities grew.
  • Numbers of merchants and skilled artisans living by trade increased.
  • the wealthy burgesses had a political voice in parliament to which they could be elected.
  • For the semi skilled and un skilled workers, life was tough as food prices were subject to wild variations.
• Elites and commoners

  • Most Englishmen continued to live in rural communities where they mostly worked as free self sufficient peasant smallholders.
  • Standard of living changed little during the first half of the reign but this varied by area and distress after bad harvests etc was always around.
• Elites and commoners

  • Royal supremacy and greater availability of land= some changes
  • Some peasants acquired copyholds to land.
  • More prosperous peasants bought land outright and increased the size of their holdings.
  • Such entered ranks of Yeomen, farming for profit rather than mere subsistence.
  • Increased movement from rural to urban communities
• Regional issues, Palatinates

  • 1536 3 counties; Lancashire, Cheshire and Durham which were palatinates (separate jurisdictions) were brought back under the English control although the Bishop of Durham was allowed to retain some independence.
• Regional issues, England

  • North posed problems because it was so far from the gov in London.
  • Following Pilgrimage of Grace, Henry and Cromwell re established the Council in the North as a permanent body based in York with professional staff.
  • Both administrative and legal functions.
  • Helped keep north quiet during summer of rebellion in 1549 although northerners resented appointment of Southern councillors.
• Regional issues, Wales

  • Before 1536 Wales, compromising marcher lordships and the Principality of Wales had neither a single unified administration nor formal political link with England.
  • Cromwells Wales Act of 1536: Divided Wales into shire counties op. same as English counties, gave welsh shires direct representation in House of Commons and brought Wales into same legal framework as England.
  • This meant Wales incorporated into England and English culture and language imposed.
  • From 1536 principality of Wales and 4 bordering eng counties came under Council of Wales and the Marches
• Regional issues, Ireland

  • England tried to control Irish through force and kept a standing army there
  • Crown kept tight control of the Irish parliament and in 1541 Henry adopted title of King of Ireland.
• Social impact of religious upheaval:

  • In short term, resentment at the dissolution of monasteries and attacks on traditional catholic practices was exacerbated by fears of an attack in parish churches, this led to P of Grace.
  • A lot of land transferred from church to crown, temporarily increasing crown wealth however by 1547, nearly 2/3 of these lands sold off often cheap to fund Henrys foreign policy. This increased land and wealth of landholding gentry.
• Social impact of Religious upheaval:

  • Education suffered
  • Many monks and nuns unemployed
  • many monasteries had played a key role in their communities such as for offering jobs, welfare services, education and hospitals; this was all lost
  • executions of those who denied royal supremacy such as Thomas more
  • dissolution of monasteries and his 1536 royal injunctions attacked many traditional catholic practices
• Rebellions

  • Taxation to pay for foreign wars caused unrest
  • Complaints in Yorkshire about raising of subsidy for Henrys campaigns.
  • 1525 opposition to the Amicable Grant. The Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk faced around 4000 refusals and the king forced to back down. Wolsey sought pardon for the protesters and the leaders treated leniently.
  • This showed that Henry shouldn't press people too much and for his next invasion of france he supplemented his revenue with the profits from monastic lands.
• The Lincolnshire rising and the P of Grace

  • Together they made the largest single rebellion in Tudor history with around 40,000 people involved.
  • Began in Lincolnshire Oct 1536 and spread first to East Riding of Yorkshire into parts of West riding
  • 2nd more militant rising started in Yorkshire dales and spread west to Cumberland, Westmorland and north Lancashire, north into Durham and south west to Yorkshires W. riding.
  • Rebels more hostile to gentry because of strength of grievances against landlords
  • Further rebellion in Cumberland 1537
• Causes of The Lincolnshire rising and the P of Grace

  • Varied
  • Main factor was resentment at religious changes and particularly the dissolution of the monasteries
• Secular motives for cause of P of Grace

  • Imposition of Duke of Suffolk upon Lincolnshire as a magnate.
  • Economic grievances: Resentment of taxation and tenants' grievances
  • A courtly conspiracy by former supporters of Catherine of Aragon who: wanted to restore Mary as heir and exploited northerners' religious and financial concerns to pressurise the King
• Religious motives for cause of P of Grace

  • Fears about dissolving the monasteries: Loss of charitable/ educational functions and the facilities and services monasteries offered. Loss of parish churches which were monastic properties and fear that the north would be impoverished if monastic lands transferred to southerners.
  • Fears for parish churches and traditional religious practices caused by: Cromwell 1536 injunctions, Discouragement of celebration of local saints and pilgrimage, rumours that church plates, jewels bequeathed by parishioners may be confiscated and parishes amalgamated
• anglo-welsh border

  • lands governed as part of principality of Wales and 4 bordering England counties
  • came under the jurisdiction of the council of Wales and the marches in ludlow
  • offered cheap and local access to law
• anglo-sottish border

  • problematic area
  • much of it inhospitable in winter and was very remote
  • cattle and sheep rustling common and violence too
  • in order to deal , the Scottish border was separated into 3 marches under the jurisdiction of a warden
• Suppression of the pilgrimage of grace

  • most popular in terms of participation
  • northern rebels occupied York and all and captured pontefract castle which alarmed Henry
  • king sent an army north under the duke of Norfolk who was largely outnumbered- resorted to diffusing the situation by issue of pardons and promise of restoration of dissolved monasteries which the king did not intend to honour
  • rebellion renewed in Cumberland and the east riding in February 1537
  • Norfolk suppressed and hanged 74 rebels
  • number of rebel leaders, gentry and heads of monastic houses were brought to London and tried and executed
  • the rebellion was poor dealt with and Henry had ignored warnings of increasing resentment
• the church

  • executions of some who denied royal supremacy such as Thomas more
  • dissolution of the monasteries and the injunctions attacking holy days, pilgrimages and the veneration of relics caused major fear and resulted in the Lincolnshire rising and p. of grace
  • Huge amount of land was removed from the church and given to the crown
  • widespread sale of church and monastic lands often at Lower prices which increased the wealth of the landholding gentry
  • educational provision, employment and business opportunities offered by monasteries were lost
  • monks and nuns became unemployed
• Nobility

  • Size of peerage increased by 9
  • most of the new peers achieved their rank through successful royal service as courtiers or soldiers
  • Henry only promoted two non-royal ducal titles, Norfolk and Suffolk
  • Henry gave Suffolk property in Lincolnshire to give him power there
  • nobles expected to have grand households and offer hospitality t neighbours
• gentry

  • 5,000 gentry families in England in 1540
  • a gentlemen who was entitled to bear a coat of arms was deemed an esquire
  • 1530 the herald's were unwilling to grant or confirm the title of anyone with lands worth less than £10 p/a or goods worth under £3900
  • numbers of gentry increased
  • many were keen to see there sons take on legal training which would make them able to take on roles for local advancement
• commoners

  • little change in standard of living
  • inflation led to a drop in real incomes
  • few possessions and little chance of regular and secure employment
• citizens

  • lived in towns and were merchants or artisans
  • merchants made money by trading with ship owners
  • artisans were skilled craftsmen
  • often belonged to guilds representing different trades
• yeomen farmers and labourers

  • yeomen were fairly wealthy and lived in the country and farmed off land
  • generally rich enough to be able to afford labourers to do the heavy farming jobs
  • 1520s agricultural prices rose and increase win incomes
  • debasement of coinage led to a short term, artificial boom in 1544-46
  • farm labourers were often paid a bonus after harvest
  • a rise in population meany there was more cheap labour and real wages Began to decline was food process rose due to debasement and bad harvests
• Why was the pilgrimage of grace significant ?

  • largest rebellion of 16th century
  • 50,000 rebels and took control of the north
  • rebellion failed and persuaded to disperse by duke of Norfolk so didn't achieve their aims - significant as shows the difficulties rebels faced and dissuaded others from rebelling
  • Henry began to dissolve monasteries faster
  • leaders were hung as a warning to others allowing Henry to reassert his authority
  • signing of the 'pilgrims oath' showed religion could be alternative to royal authority
• why wasn't there more opposition?

  • Cromwell had masterminded a machinery of enforcement that terrified people
  • many thought the changes wouldn't last
  • many expected Henry to remain catholic and only became protestant because of his divorce
  • many motivated by self interest and the reformation gave them better career prospects such as buying land
  • some put own welfare before beliefs
  • others welcomed protestantism
  • some didn't notice changes as went to same church on Sunday and heard mass
• how did the government deal with rebellions?

  • Cromwell made himself responsible for internal security, worked writing letters and investigating treason
  • government used printing press to undertake propaganda campaign defending the kings actions
  • Cromwell introduced scheme of licensed preachers and ordered bishops to take action against rebellious clergy
  • public announcements of new laws made in localities
  • oaths used as test of individuals religious and political commitment
  • injunctions were used to enforce governments doctrinal and anti-papal position
  • law of treason 1534 made it treasonable to call the king a heretic or criticise the kings marriage