Henry VIII - Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

• What was Wolsey's background?

  - Butcher's son

  - He was educated at Oxford University

  -Wolsey then entered the Church before his political career developed
• What was Wolsey's first major role?

  A Royal almoner
• When did Wolsey become Chief Minister?

  1513 - just before the end of the first French war.
• When did Wolsey become Lord Chancellor?

  1515
• When was Wolsey made Cardinal of England by the Pope?

  1516
• When was Wolsey made Papal Legate by the Pope?

  1518
• What other church roles did Wolsey hold?

  He appointed himself Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Winchester
• What was the importance of Chief Minister?

  - In charge of government finances: taxes and spending

  - Day-to-day control of government: decision making and problem solving

  - Control of appointments to jobs in national, regional and local government
• What was the importance of Lord Chancellor?

  - In charge of England's legal system: courts, laws, justice and punishments

  - In charge of the Court of Star Chamber

  - In charge of the Court of Chancery: could interfere with wills, inheritances and properties
• What was the Court of Star Chamber?

  This Created by Henry VII with Sanction of parliament in 1487, and intended to end perversion of English justice by powerful nobles who used intimidation and bribery to win favourable verdicts in court cases.

  King Councillors sat as judges, more equitable & amenable to royal will.
• What is the Court of Chancery?

  - The main court of law in England

  - Wolsey could oversee all cases in this court and he tried to use it to uphold 'fair justice'

  - It dealt with cases such as enclosure, contracts and things left in wills
• What was the main problem with the Court of Chancery?

  It became overloaded with cases. This meant that many cases were not heard or had to be dismissed.
• What was the importance of the title of Cardinal?

  Cardinal was a senior representative to the Pope in Rome. It put him in charge of taxation to the church, appointments to church jobs, and the church laws, courts and punishments
• What was the importance of the title of Papal Legate?


  Papal Legate allowed the bearer to be the Pope in their country, giving Wolsey powers simulacra to the Pope in England which he would later attempt to use to his advantage. It was a rare title.
• What groups/who was opposed to Wolsey?

  - Parliament

  - the nobility

  - the Boleyn faction

  - Duke of Buckingham

  - Earl of Surrey
• Why did parliament oppose Wolsey?

  - His 'excessive' taxation angered the gentry of England - the nation was financially unable to sustain the war.

  - Wolsey had passed measures that took away benefit to landowners - actions against engrossing and enclosure.

  - The case of Richard Hunne also angered representatives.
• Why did the Boleyn faction oppose Wolsey?

  - Religious differences - Wolsey was a Catholic and the Boleyn faction were staunch protestants.

  - Wolsey's ideas conflicted with that of Boleyn's (Abbess of Wilton) leading to a battle for influence.
• Why did the nobility dislike Wolsey?

  - He was a butcher's son - "promoted beyond his station". New men were generally despised by the nobility.

  - Wolsey's power and influence were far greater than theirs, making him a career threat.

  - He passed measures which disadvantaged the nobility. Promoting new men, measures against engrossing, improving and encouraging the use of the court of star chamber, etc.
• When was a conciliar form of government in place?

  1509 - 1514
• What factors were important in ending the conciliar form of government?

  1 - Henry wasn't impressed by some of his Father's senior councillors not supporting a war in France

  2 - Henry became more attuned to governing, asserting his right to control decision-making

  3 - Henry surrounded himself with like-minded people who all believed in the 'old-guard'

  4 - He became particularly impressed by Wolsey and his effective management of the French campaign
• Who were Henry VIII's 'minions'

  A group of young courtiers who enjoyed Henry's personal favour
• What was Wolsey's method of dealing with 'the minions'?

  - Eltham ordinances

  - Moved nobles who did not like him away as diplomats or war officials.

  - Took actions to weaken the influence of the nobility - Duke of Buckingham and Earl of Surrey.
• When were the Eltham Ordinances? What did they do?

  January 1526, Wolsey wanted to reduce household expenditure and so reduced the number of Gentlemen in the Privy chamber - an area that he could not control
• What is the Groom of the Stool and what did Wolsey do to this role?


  Groom of the Stool - the most intimate of the English Monarch's courtiers ( a lot of confidence was placed in this role)

  Wolsey replaced Sir William Compton with a more compliant Henry Norris.
• Why did Wolsey remain in Henry's favour?

  - By holding the posts of Cardinal/Papal Legate and Chief Minister, he was the means through which Henry could control the Church

  - His multiple power bases = could effectively and quickly carry out what Henry wanted with little opposition, and also meant he had more opportunities, means and methods to act flexibly

  - It was in the interest of both Wolsey's masters that they support his power bases as long as their interests, aims and policies remained aligned.
• In what ways were Henry and the Pope aligned?

  Through the defeat of heresy (especially Protestantism) and pro-Spanish, anti-French alliance
• What were Wolsey's methods in dealing with over powerful nobles? (4)

  - Duke of Buckingham - Ordered him to London where he was arrested for treason and later executed.

  - Earl of Surrey - Forced onto the jury presiding over Buckingham's case, was forced to sign his friend's death warrant.

  - Minions - Eltham Ordinances moved them out of the ear of the king (privy chamber) and were replaced by pro-Wolsey nobles or not at all.

  - Some of the nobility were sent away as ambassadors to foreign courts or put in charge of elements of the military in times of war.
• Why could Wolsey not overcome the Boleyn faction?

  Henry was "in love" with Boleyn. This infatuation and her manipulative denial to become Henry's mistress put Henry into her control, Wolsey being rather unable to do the same.
• Who was the Earl of Surrey?

  Nobleman with wealth, lands and power. Was the nobilities favourite replacement for Wolsey - was respected and intellectual.

  Was forced to sign his friend's (the Duke of Buckingham) death warrant.
• What were Wolsey's legal reforms?

  - Court of Star Chamber encouraged to use. The poor were given a voice to prosecute powerful nobles. This ensured an increased case-load from 12 cases a year to over 120. The result was the establishment of overflow courts.
• What did Wolsey do to the tax system?

  Reformed it so it was now based on personal income known as the parliamentary subsidy. Before it was a fixed rate which didn't account for inflation.
• What were Wolsey's religious reforms?

  - Wolsey reformed religious houses, closing those with fewer than 6 monks.

  - He reinstated benefit of the clergy where you only had to recite a psalm to prove you were a member of the church. This allowed you to be tried by church courts which were more lenient.

  - Wolsey actively moved against the protestant faction, encouraging book burning and the isolation of sympathisers. Executions were, however, not commonplace.
• What were Wolsey's reforms to government (vaguely proposed or completed)?

  - Henry was in agreement with Wolsey to reform the state of government away from privy chamber amongst other measures. He did only change the privy chamber through the Eltham Ordinances.
• Who was Richard Hunne?

  A London merchant who, when he registered his dead baby son for burial, was asked by the priest to pay for it not in money but by giving the insistent priest his baby's christening robes, which Hunne refused - causing the priest to sue Hunne in a church court. Hunne counter-sued, accusing the priest of Praemunire. Hunne was also caught sheltering a heretic and then was found dead in his cell (murdered)
• What is praemunire?


  Allegiance to someone other than your king - in Wolsey's case it was serving the Pope instead of the King.
• What was Wolsey's involvement in the second French war?

  Military treaties and peace settlements.
• How successful was Wolsey at raising tax for the second French war?

  Unsuccessful.

  Initially he managed to raise a parliamentary subsidy of £230000 but upon request for a further £800000 he was rejected, leading to the amicable grant.
• What was the Amicable Grant?

  Wolsey trying to avoid using parliament to collect a tax. It was an incredibly unpopular answer that sparked a revolt.
• How did Wolsey fail Henry in the second French war?

  Failed to provide land or any spoils of war. He could not raise the money to invade France in its time of weakness and so no empire was gained.

  Henry's partition plan was also rejected.
• What was the result of the second French war?

  Spain conquered northern Italy and gained extortionate amounts of money from the French monarchy.

  England gained nothing.