Nobility and bastard feudalism under Henry VII

Nobility

• 
• -Made up of 50-60 men
• -Dominated land ownership
• -Succeeded by other's in the King's favour
• -Relied on by Crown to maintain order
• -Henry VII and VIII mistrusted nobility-had to rely on Earl of Northumberland to control northeast England
• -Trusted Lancastrian military commanders (Earl of Oxford and Lord of Daubeney)
• -Controlled in bonds and recognisances
• -Gained power in 'Bastard feudalism'
• -Retaining=recruiting knights and gentlemen for administration, accounting and military services
• -Used retained men against crown
• -Legislation against retaining to control nobility

Bastard Feudalism

• Reciprocal relationship between magnate and retainers
• Retainer received rewards like local offices, grants of lands or direct payment for services
• Invented by Victorian historians: saw as abusive and as having contributed to violence in the War of the Roses
• Kenneth B. McFarlane (late medieval historian)=system was natural responses to changes
• Passed Parliament acts in 1487 and 1504 against retaining
• Henry passed multiple limits on Bastard feudalism in reign:
• -1486: HoL peers and HoC MPs required to take oath against retaining or being retained. (What illegality was defined as is not clear)
• -1487: Law against retaining
• -1504: 1487 law cemented by act, which meant licenses had to be given by the King for retaining-a license only lasted during a King's lifetime
• Example:
• Lord Bergavenny was indicted for illegal retaining in 1507 and fined £100,000 in an Act of Attainder due to this. However, he only had to pay £1000 before he was pardoned when Henry VIII came to the throne.

Gentry

• Greater genry were just below peerage in status
• Most important gentry members wanted knighthoods in recognition of social status (=
• Roles included military obligations and adminsitrations with their localities
• Below the geatry were the esquires and 'mere gentry'-who were in greater number than the greater gentry
• Esquires were the eldest sons of knights, younger sons of barons, men 'invested esquire', magistrates and those of wealth
• Gentlemen=anyone regonised by gentle