The Rise of Wolsey:

Rise to High Office:

Personality:

Wealthy, worldly, unusually proud and ostentatious
Impressive array of titles and positions
Alter Rex = the 'other king'
Enemies saw him as arrogant and vindictive
Flattered and manipulated Henry
Used positions to intimidate rivals
- Duke of Buckingham = 1520 investigated by Wolsey for rumours of treason talk, arrested and imprisoned in 1521 = used Buckingham as an example to others
- Capable of revenge = humiliated and financially ruined lord who embarrassed him in his youth

Wolsey and the Church:

Pope's representative in England = made a Cardinal
Supported by Henry = pressured Leo X to make Wolsey Papal Legate
Legatus a latere = Papal Legate with added powers = able to give leadership and reject Church Reform

Church in 1520s:

Majority accepted Christian beliefs
- Enthusiasm for religious devotion
- Instinctively loyal to the Catholic Church
Strand of anti-clericalism = not helped by Wolsey
- Printing increased awareness of taxes for Rome
- Aware of shortcomings = personified by Wolsey, extravagance, 2 illegitimate children and open relationship with mistress
Lollards = supporters of John Wycliffe and his view on scripture
Lutheranism = supporters of Martin Luther, views spread from Germany
- Published beliefs that contradicted some Catholic doctrines
- Gaine support against the Catholic Emperor, Charles V
- 1520: Ideas reached England = South-East exposed to Protestant literature through trade
- Tyndale started to publish the Bible in English
Protestantism became a forum for any criticism against Catholic Church and the Pope

Wolsey and Church Reform:

As Papal Legate = ordered inspections of monasteries, resulting in dozens being dissolved
Wanted to promote religious learning to improved quality of clergy
Strongly opposed the spread of Protestantism
- Encouraged Henry to stand against Luther = led to public burnings of Lutheran texts (1921)
- Henry appointed 'Defender of the Faith' by Pope
- Groups of sympathisers arrested
Majority content with Catholicism and Lutherans were seen as people who were wrongly influenced and needed to reform
Wolsey viewed as everything wrong that needed to change
- Guilty of absenteeism and plurality

Government under Wolsey:

Legal Reforms:

Wanted to reform the slow and unfair justice system
Wanted to promote civil law, the use of natural justice and evidence
Demote common law, which was the use of precedence
Strengthen the Star Chamber = used more frequently, attacking nobles and officials who abused power
- Encouraged commoners to bring issues to the court = known as 'friend to the poor'
Used the Court of Request to hear common cases = popular due to low cost and speed of deliverance
Put his interests above the good of all = angered those who were actual trained lawyers

Financial Reforms:

Could not exploit existing methods of finance anymore
Growing inflation made sums raised less and less significant
1522: organised a national survey of taxes
- Used to gain £200,00 in forced loans (1922-3)
Proposed a flexible tax = based on income rather than property = didn't raise as much as expected
Levied a tax on the church
1525: proposed an 'Amicable Grant' from the Church and taxpayers based on property valuations = provoked a significant rebellion across the country

Economic Policies:

Became in growing problems with enclosures = viewed the move from arable land to sheep farming as the destruction of village life and jobs
1517: national enquiry of the extent of enclosure and its effect
- Resulted in several legal cases against landowners
- Met opposition at 1523 Parliament, forcing him to halt until 1526
HVIII's foreign policy disrupted trade
Wolsey's alliance with Fr against Sp was problematic = trade embargo affected the cloth trade
Widespread unemployment = mixture of loss of trade, poor harvests and price rises
1526: debasement of the coinage = stimulated exports but increased prices
Economic depression and inflation caused significant suffering among poor, leading to many small-scale riots

Wolsey and Parliament:

Only two Parliaments during his time, therefore couldn't be accused of bypassing them
Not called again until Henry needed them for the divorce

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Tudors (HENRY VIII) Notiz am HENRY VIII, erstellt von amy smith am 05/01/2018.