Government & Parliament

• 1509-1514


  Conciliar government
• 1514-1529


  Thomas Wolsey was chief minister
• 1529-1532


  Conciliar Governement
• 1532-1540


  Thomas Cromwell as chief minister
• 1540-1547


  Conciliar government in a new form
• 1514, Government breakdown why?


  Disagreements between Henry and his councillors eg over war with France
• Wolsey as chief minister


  Relied on Wolsey to manage government effectively, Wolsey had a close relationship with the king
• Thomas Cromwell As Chief Minister

  Rose to power in 1532 and dominated royal government for the next eight years
• Conciliar government in a new form

  New privy council emerged, Fixed membership
• Domestic Policies Under Wolsey 1515-1529

  Centred on strengthening royal authority and raising finance
• Wolsey- Court of Chancery

  Used to uphold fair justice in problems relating to enclosure, contracts and land left to others in wills
• Wolsey- Court of Star Chamber

  Established as an offshoot of the kings council (under Henry VII), centre of both government and legal system, used to increase cheap and fair justice, heard cases of alleged misconduct and private lawsuits
• Local law officers...

  appointed to enforce royal law
• Authority of the crown...

  Was extended to regional courts
• Wolsey- 1525

  Amicable Grant, in theory a voluntary gift to the king from the subjects, but it was a heavy tax, lead to widespread resistance and had to be abandoned
• Wolsey- 1526


  Eltham Ordinances, aimed to reduce royal household expenditure by reforming the privy chambers finance, Wolsey also succeeded in reducing privy chambers influence
• The 'Kings Great Matter'


  The annulment of Henrys marriage to Catherine but this is something that could only be granted by the pope
• Why did Henry want to divorce Catherine?

  Henry had no male heir, feared for his kingdom if he died, Catherine was past childbearing age, He was in love with Anne Boleyn
• April 1533

  Act in Restraint of Appeals, no appeals could be made to Rome against decisions of Church courts in England
• April 1534

  Act of Succession, annulled Henry's marriage to Catherine, any denial of Henrys new marriage was now treason
• November 1534

  Act of Supremacy, King is declared head of the church of England
• November 1534

  Treason Act, became treasonable to call Henry a heretic
• November 1534

  Act in Restraint of Annates, allowed the annates to be transferred to from Pope to king
• 1536 & 1541

  First & Second Suppression acts, dissolved the monasteries
• Significance of 1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals


  Catherine couldn't appeal to Rome about the marriage annulment
• Significance of 1534 Act of Succession

  Mary became illegitimate, Male heir hope was left to Anne
• Significance of 1534 Act of Supremacy


  Pope's authority was no longer recognised in England
• Significance of 1534 Treason Act

  Brought down Thomas More, used against opponents of royal supremacy
• Significance of 1534 Act of Restraint of Annates

  Strengthened the kings position, special court was set up to administer this
• Significance of 1536&1541 Suppression Acts


  Confiscation of church lands to the crown, vastly increased wealth and power of the crown
• Domestic Policy under Cromwell (1532-1540)

  Developed a more modern form of Government
• Privy Council Under Cromwell

  Reduced it to 20 men, who took responsibility for business of government, increased efficiency, higher value placed on talent
• Marriages Under Cromwell

  Negotiated further marriages for Henry, Cromwell made the case for Annes adultery
• Modern Government Under Cromwell

  Took a more bureaucratic approach, created departments, controlled by rules and procedures,
• Court of Augmentations & Court of First Fruits and Tenths


  Established to look after Henrys income from the Church, subject to scrutiny and careful auditing of all accounts
• Cromwell's Fall


  Followed the failure of Henrys fourth marriage to Anne of Cleves, arranged to suit Cromwell's foreign policy, tried for treason and heresy, executed in July 1540
• Government in Henry VIII's last years (1540-1547)


  Dominated by conservatives, Under a revived system of conciliar government, Rivalries between those with different political and religious views broke out as they tried to control Henrys heir
• Summary


  Henry VIII mainly left day to day running of government to others, need to secure a heir gave a rise to the 'Kings Great Matter', Henry only intervened when it suited him