government

• First Parliament

  1510
• First Parliament 1510

  abolish Council LiL, cancel bonds & recognisances
• Second Parliament

  1512-14
• Second Parliament 1512-14


  extraordinary revenue for French and Scottish conflicts
• Why had early conciliar government broken down?

  wanted to surround himself with likeminded courtiers - disagreements with his councillors over French war
• Domestic Policies under Wolsey: aims

  raising finances and strengthening royal authority
• Domestic Policies under Wolsey: enforcing law & order

  • 1516 Star Chamber now an offshoot of Council therefore centre of legal system
  • royal law enforced by local law officers
• Domestic Policies under Wolsey: raising finance

  • 1525 Amicable Grant - finance war in France
  • 1526 Eltham Ordinances - reduce royal household expenditure
  • reduce influence of Privy Chamber - reforming their finances and reduced the number of members
• Star Chamber 1516


  extended use to increase cheap and fair justice
• Result of Amicable Grant

  resistance, nearly a rebellion therefore called off
• Establishment of royal supremacy

  King's Great Matter = securing annulment from Pope Clement VII
• Acts of Parliament

  by Cromwell to establish royal supremacy
• 1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals


  no appeals to Rome against Church court decisions = Catherin unable to appeal against annulment
• 1534 Acts of...

  • Succession - annulment, bestowed succession in Anne's kids, treason to deny new marriage = Mary illegitimate, male heir down to Anne
  • Supremacy - Supreme Head of Church = Pope authority no longer recognised
  • Treason - Henry as heretic = brought down Thomas More, attacked opponents of royal supremacy
  • Restraint in Annates - annates transferred from Pope to King
• Thomas More executed

  1535
• 1536 & 1541 First and Second Suppression Acts


  dissolved monasteries = confiscate Church land, wealth to the Crown
• 1525 Break from Rome


  Wolsey secure papal dispensation - biblical justification of annulment
• 1527 Break from Rome

  Pope reluctant due to Charles V (CoA nephew) opposing annulment - imprisoned in May by his troops
• 1529 Break from Rome


  Cardinal Campeggio sent by Pope - adjourned case in July without agreeing to annulment.

  Wolsey charged with praemunire (using papal authority against Crown)
• 1530


  Wolsey arrested and died therefore scholars such as Cranmer used for Great Matter
• 1532-36/41


  Cromwell pass acts to release King from papal control and remarry with a clear conscience
• Wolsey as Alter Rex

  'Second King' - significant power at Court, enough to make Henry a puppet
• 1533 Break from Rome

  Anne pregnant - secret marriage by Cranmer

  annulment in May

  7th September Elizabeth born
• Constitutional revolution

  Henry became Head of Church

  • HOWEVER, Crown already had significant influence in monastical issues eg appoint Wolsey as Lord Chancellor
• Political revolution

  Parliament was used never like before

  • HOWEVER, changes were exclusive to Henry VIII's reign and successors followed the original therefore changes not permanent enough to be called revolution
• Bureaucratic revolution

  Specialised government departments eg financial courts

  • HOWEVER, Cromwell's reforms were temporary, government remained personal to monarch and specialisation isn't new
• Fall of Cromwell

  Failed attempt at Protestant alliance with League of Schmalkden German Princess Anne of Cleves - Duke of Norfolk rival had neice Catherine Howard marry Henry 1540, executed on same day of marriage
• Factionalism 1540-7


  Reformist vs Conservatives
• Reformists

  1. Edward Seymour (Jane's brother, Edward's uncle)
  2. Cranmer
  3. Catherine Parr
  4. Paget
• Conservatives

  1. Duke of Norfolk
  2. Stephen Gardiner
  3. Catherine Howard
• Initial success of Conservatives

  • Fall of Cromwell
  • Henry married Catherine Howard
  • 1539 Six Articles - Catholic
• Failures of Conservatives

  • 1542 Catherine Howard's execution heresy
  • 1545 Paget became chief adviser