Subject:
History
Topic: Henry VII
Year Group: 12
1. Character & Aims
1
Henry’s
Early life
and
Character
1457 - Born at Pembroke Castle to Margaret Beaufort and
the late Edmund Tudor.
1462 -Removed from his mother’s care and made a ward
of the Yorkist, William Lord Herbert.
1470-71 - In the care of his uncle Jasper Tudor at Pembroke
Castle. They are besieged by Yorkist forces in 1471.
1471 - Leaves for Brittany with Jasper Tudor to seek asylum
with Duke Francis.
1476 - Duke Francis agrees to surrender Henry to Yorkist
forces, but confusion led to Henry seeking sanctuary and
not returning to England.
1482 -Margaret Beaufort making plans for Henry’s return
to England
1483 -Series of revolts followed by Henry being proclaimed
king at Bodmin. Henry sets sail for England but is forced to
turn back. Meets Yorkist exiles and promises to marry
Elizabeth of York. Begins to make plans for a second
attempt to invade England
Character: Shrewd, calculating, ruthless, diplomatic,
impartial, loyal, inexperienced, devoted, pious
2
Establish a
Dynasty
Curb the power of the nobles - Duke of Norfolk attainted
after Bosworth. Released & restored to Earldom of Surrey in
1489 to suppress uprising in Yorkshire. Figures on attaining:
1485-6 = 28 people,1487 = 28 people, 1495= 24 people.
Retaining Laws:Laws against the unlawful keeping of private
armies. H7 was ruthlessly impartial with this. Lord
Burgavenny fined £100,000 for illegally retaining although
he probably paid no more than £1,000 and was pardoned.
3
Foreign
recognition
Diplomacy: HV7fol lowed a diplomatic foreign policy,
although could be aggressive when required, as seen in the
invasion of France in 1492. Henry agreed a series of
diplomatic agreements with countries across Europe (see
Foreign Policy section), and married his children (Arthur,
Margaret, Henry & Mary) into European foreign royalty.
4
Solvency Administration:Henry moved royal finances from the Court
of Exchequer to the Chamber. From 1493 the Exchequer lost
its role in accounting for revenue from crown lands.
Financial income: Forordinary and extra-ordinary revenue
methods see key words. Henry improved the efficiency of
methods and collection for Ordinary revenue and only used
Extra-ordinary revenue during times of crisis. The Council
Learned squeezed money from the nobles.
Key
Dates
Events
1478 Printing press established
1485 Battle of Bosworth
, H7 coronation and
first parliament
1486 Marriage to Eliz. of York, Lovell
rebellion, birth of Arthur
1487 Simnel plot, Battle of Stoke, Trade
embargo
1489 Yorkshire rebellion, Treaty of Redon
and MDC
1491 Arthur born, Warbeck plot starts
1492 Treaty of Etaples
1494 Poyning’s Law
1495 Stanley executed, Council Learned
and Privy Chamber established
1496 Magnus Intercursus signed
1497 Cornish rebellion, Warbeck captured
1499 Warwick & Warbeck executed
1501 Arthur & C.of Aragon married
1502 Death of Arthur, H7 approved the
Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey.
1503 Death of Bray, Margaret married JIV
1506 Treaty of Windsor, Malus Intercusus
1509 H7 death
2. Government
1
Central
Gov. &
Councils
Chamber: Politically important, presided by the Lord
Chamberlain. Lord Chamberlain was both powerful &
trusted. Betrayal by Sir William Stanley (1495) through
involvement in the Perkin Warbeck plot was a big blow.
Privy Council: Created due to Stanley’s betrayal. It
changed the character of the court through making it
more difficult for those who were out of favour to regain
the king’s support. H7 cut himself off from much of the
king’s traditional contacts at court.
Royal Council: 227 attended parliament 1485-1509,
although only 6 or 7 members on the working Council.
Role: advise the king, administer the realm and make legal
judgements.
2
Court Royal Court The centre of government wherever the king
was. Court central to H7 personal monarchy and a place
for royal ceremony. Courtiers received rewards and status
along with paid positions (patronage). The levels of court
were: the household proper, chamber and privy chamber.
Council Learned in Law: Replaced use of the Star Chamber
(1487) to control the nobility. A ‘specialist board’. Its
function was to maintain the king’s revenue and exploit his
prerogative rights. Led by Bray until he died in 1503, then
Empson & Dudley. Historians have often seen their work
as ‘shady’ due to not being recognised as a court of law
and those who were summoned had no appeal.
3
Parliament Main functions were to pass laws and grant taxation. Also
passed on local issues and grievances to the king’s
officials. It was made up by the Lords Spiritual and Lords
Temporal. Only the king could call parliament, called seven
times during Henry’s reign. Henry’s parliaments were
usually concerned with national issues of security and
raising of revenue along with multiple Acts of Attainder.
Parliament forbade Henry from collecting any further
extra-ordinary revenue in a law passes in 1504.
4
Local Gov. Justices of the Peace –Henry relied on these at a local
level to maintain law and order in the countryside. They
were appointed on a country-by-country basis and met
four times a year to administer justice. They superseded
the county sheriff.1495:Parlia ment extends the role of JPs
enabling them to decide on all offences except murder.
Other –Council of the North and Wales –had limited
power as H7 was keen to centralize power. Also local
trade groups (charters) has some sway, as did Stannaries'
in Cornwall.
