government

• council:

  • advisors
  • 227 men
  • 6-7 core members
  • nobility, churchmen, gentry/lawyers
  • administered the realm
  • made legal judgements
• council learned:

  • under bray second half of reign
  • ruthless and extorted money
  • caused fear, frustration and anger
  • couldn't appeal
  • maintained revenue and exploited prerogative rights
• court:

  household = courtiers and survants

  • overseen by lord stewart
  • entertained and looked after guests

  chamber = senior household officials

  • overseen by lord chamberlain
  • political access to the king
  • centre of gov. magnificent and generous

  privy chamber 1495 = private

  • influence and status could be obtained
  • personal monarchy = access
• parliament = existed since 13th century

  house of lords - bishops/ abbots/ nobility

  House of Commons - 2mps = country, borough and reps from oxbridge

  • passed laws
  • local Mps raised issues to the king
  • called 7x, 5 in first decade
  • only king could call it

  granted:

  • acts of attainder
  • tonnage and poundage
  • fifteenths and tenths
  • private acts - local demands
• John morton:
• John morton:

  • highly able churchman and lawyer
  • bought Henry to the throne
  • 1486: Archbishop of Canterbury
• Reginald bray:

  • faithful servant - raised funds for BofB
  • chancellor of duchy of lancaster
  • led council learned util 1503
  • 'kings chief executive'
• empson:

  • administrator and member of kings council 1494
  • chaired council learned - extracted taxation
  • increased ruthlessness of reign
  • charged with treason and executed
• dudley:

  • laywer
  • exploited financial opportunities - many enemies
  • vulnerable to counter attacks
  • accountable for kings demands after death
  • executed by H8
• Margaret Beaufort: mother

  • unofficial advisor
  • retained political power throughout
  • limited ability to intervene in political affairs
  • given special commission to administrate justice in the north
• stanley: step uncle and lord chamberlain

  • considerable political trust and power
  • regularly worked closely with henry
  • accused of treason - warbeck

  =privy changer 1495
• justice - equal/ fair treatment

  • reduces chance of rebellion/ uprising
  • relies on nobility and acts of parliament
  • had to be a balance - nobles could become too powerful
• • earl of Surrey - north
  • stanleys - north west
  • earl of Oxford and lord daubeney - closer, didn't have as strong relations to the pop.
  • marquis of Dorset - untrusted

  - bonds and recognizances

  - spy network
• JPs: justices of the peace

  • gentry, worked for influence
  • maintained law and order
  • in all countys
  • mini judges - ran court and heard cases
  • tax collection, alehouse regulation, tax assessment, complaints
• types of court:

  • church court
  • local court
  • kings court (county level)
  • kings common law courts
  • chancery and equity courts
• chruch court:

  • 'moral' offences
  • committed by church clergy
• local court:

  • rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants

  eg. drainage
• kings court (county level):

  • 2x a year
  • major and civil cases
  • quarter session: 4x a year = less important
  • special commission = major - rebellion
• kings common law courts:

  • kings bench
  • common pleas = major civil cases
  • exchequer = relating to revenue
• chancery and equity courts:

  • set loose of rules = avoid harshness
  • jurisdiction over all matter of equity
• how did he improve royal finances?

  • H8 had Dudley and Empson executed - cheap popularity?
  • Edwards system of administration exchequer - chamber
  • involved in day to day administration
  • left 310000 in plate jewels and cash
  • created victims - land owners who were treated poorly by council learned
• historians argue he marked a :

  'new style' of government:

  • taking further Edwards administration
  • policies - responses to problems
  • followed Edward not himself
  • stood aside from business of gov = bureaucrats
  • failed to understand needs of the nation
• how money could be raised:

  • taxes - parliament
  • crown lands
  • council learned
  • feudal obligations
  • customer duties - tax
  • profits if justice - court fines
• why money is needed?

  • defence - army/navy
  • threats
  • royal courts
  • day to day living
  • reward those who are loyal
  • fortifications
• ordinary revenue = regular
• extraordinary reveue = emergencies
• financial policies: success

  • more efficient
  • increased sources of ordinary revenue
  • successfully secured extraordinary revenue
  • bequeathed a solvent crown
• financial policies: less successful

  • less efficient
  • decreased sources of ordinary revenue
  • unsuccessful in securing extraordinary revenue
  • bequeathing a solvent crown
• efficient:

  success

  • 1492 - chamber
  • council learned - exerted money from nobility
• increased ordinary sources of revenue:

  success

  • crown lands - 5x larger, acts of resumption 1486 and attainder (12000 pre 1492, 42000 post 1492)
  • feudal obligations: 1487 = 350 vs 1507 = 6000
• efficient:

  less success

  • political backlash
  • poor relations with landowners
• increased ordinary sources of revenue:

  less success

  • not as rich as European monarchs

  eg. HRE - 1.1 million

  eg. king of France - 800000

  • Edwards swystem - lack of knowledge
• secured extraordinary revenue:

  success

  • parliamentary grant/ subsidies - 400000
  • 8000 in benevolences - war vs france
  • French pension from etaples - 5000 yearly
  • successfully raised loans
• secured extraordinary revenue:

  less success

  • didn't always get requested amount
  • rebellions over taxes - Yorkshire 1489, Cornish 1497
• bequeathed a solvent crown:

  success

  • raised revenue from 104000 - 113000 per annum
  • left 310000 in plate, jewels and cash
  • encouraged trade through treaties
  • limited funds/saved/ spent on wars
• bequeathed a solvent crown:

  less success

  • wealth at the end not as good as edwards
  • trade with other countries didn't increase and sacrificed for security