Henry VII

• Henry Became King


  1485- after defeating Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth (end of the Wars of the Roses)
• Navigation Acts


  1485 and 1489- illustrate desire to end dependency on foreign ships and goodwill of foreign rulers
• Married Elizabeth of York

  1486- united the houses of Lancaster and York
• Acts of Resumption


  1486- followed previous kings, taking land back, 461 exceptions (those he didn't take)
• Lovell's Rebellion/ Stafford Rising


  1486/7- led an army of Yorkist supporters and foreign troops that landed in England, he was a Yorkist who had fought for Richard III at Bosworth and hadn't taken up Henry's offer of a pardon, believed Simnel was the real Earl of Warwick and led Simnel's Rebellion
• Battle of Stoke


  1487- where Lambert Simnel was defeated- he was problematic due to foreign support, but was easily crushed by HVII due to lack of internal support (they all rallied to Henry)
• Nobility


  Only promotes his family ( Margaret Beaufort= Midlands and West Country, Jasper Tudor= South Wales and Duke of Bedford, Stanleys= Earl of Derby and power in North-West) shows his lack of trust of other nobility- reduced the number of nobles from 55 in 1485 to 32 by the end of his reign
• Financial Control of the Nobility

  Shows his lack of trust:

  Lord Bergavenny fined £70k for illegal retaining, 80% of the nobility were under some kind of bond in a time of no civil war (shows a level of paranoia), 11 magnates (major nobles) under bonds 1485-99
• Yorkshire Rebellion


  1489- minor, caused by Henry's refusal to give the North its usual tax rebates (discount) , easily overcome as lacked noble or gentry support
• Medina Del Campo


  1489- with Spain, mutual promise not to aid rebels, marriage of Arthur to Catherine
• Breton Crisis


  English help defend Brittany from French annexation, send 12k troops, a favour after they helped shelter Henry from the Yorkists, French paid England 745k to go away as were busy with Italy
• Treaty of Etaples


  1492- mutual promise with France not to aid rebels, granted 745k French crowns with 50k p.a
• Centralisation of the Shires

  Loyal gentry were unrewarded after Bosworth- weren't made officers, local offices went to outsiders e.g Sir Edward Belknap, established gentry orderly and opposed rebellions 1487 and 1497- Henry didn't reward

  - King's favoured men were disorderly: Humphrey Stanley murdered Warwickshire gentry and went unpunished, Robert Belingham abducted and married Warwickshire heiress for her wealth and was made Commissioner of the Peace
• Not a Miser


  Built King's College Chapel, spent £20k on Westminster Abbey (only HIII had spent more on it)
• Financial Policy


  1504-7- £200k promised, only £30k paid in cash- suggests more of a political policy to scare people, control through fear

  1487-9- £3k p.a land revenues

  1502-5- £40k p.a land revenues

  
  

  Increased personal control:

  From exchequer to chamber- chamber: £10k in 1487 to £100k in 1502, used Signet rather than Privy seal which shows the king is taking personal control
• Magnus Intercursus


  1496- designed to extend England's foreign trade (with Dutch)/ create more favourable market conditions
• Perkin Warbeck


  1497- not serious, easily put down, attempted invasion July 1495 but went wrong, but involved prominent Household members- Fitzwalter and William Stanley (shows an issue of authority) invasion from Scotland led to tax levy- caused 1497 Cornish rebellion
• Cornish Rebellion


  1497- caused by Warbeck's invasion from Scotland, led to a tax levy but Cornwall felt shouldn't have to pay for a war/invasion from the North, showed a high level of disloyalty- not nobles but 25 gentry took part, Lord Daubigny reluctant to engage rebels until Blackheath, Rebellion reached London- nobles didn't join but also didn't stop it
• Treaty of Ayton


  1497- originally to secureNorth from threat of Pretenders (Warbeck), turned into a full peace treaty
• De La Poles


  1501- plotting, fled to Maximillian's court, suggests Henry doing something wrong, in reality nobles and gentry only rebelled if heavily provoked
• Treaty of Perpetual Peace

  1502- with Scotland, first treaty since 1328, marriage of James to Margaret
• Henry's Death


  1509- was kept secret for 36 hours, rapid arrest of Empson and Dudley- spent making sure no opposition, weren't sure would be smooth succession since dynasty so unpopular
• Feudal Dues


  Gifts for special occasions, also ways of demanding money from relief, marriage, wardship and livery

  - returns from wardship- 1487=£350, 1507=£6k
• Crown Lands


  Henry inherited all lands from the houses of York and Lancaster
• Legal Dues


  Money/fines from the courts
• Clerical Taxes


  Taxes on the church
• Parliamentary Taxes


  Financing of royal policies e.g war, this form of tax caused rebellions
• Loans and Benevolences


  King's right to ask for financial help
• Custom Dues


  Paid on goods leaving and entering the country- tunnage and poundage

  - returns from £33k p.a to c£40k p.a
• Bonds and Recognisances


  Payments made as a guarantee of good behaviour
• Administration


  Henry dealt with the admin of finance from his private rooms at palace- the chamber and privy chamber