Henry VII: rise to power and rebellions

Henry VII - Ascendency to throne:

• -Tenuous claim to throne - through illegitimate female Beaufort line
• -In position to claim throne during War of the Roses
• -Became focus of Lancastrian support against 'usurper' Richard III
• -22nd August victory at Battle of Bosworth

Henry VII - Threats and Rebellions:

• Lovell 1486-
• Loyalists to Richard III attempted uprising. Never came to battle with Henry's offer of pardon to troops (or death in battle) and leniency shown to Thomas Stafford, though Humphrey executed.
• Simnel 1497-
• Dynastic threat and a genuine one involving the wealthy and powerful Margaret of Burgundy and the Earl of Kildare. Henry reacted swiftly, paraded the real Earl of Warwick, placed Elizabeth Woodville under house arrest. Simnel's army defeated in Battle of Stoke and many Yorkist nobles executed.
• Yorkshire 1489-
• Based on anger at taxes at Breton campaign. Saw the murder of the Earl of Northumberland but put down and the leaders were executed. Clemency shown by Henry not collecting tax. Highlighted the fragility of law and order/authority, especially when linked to other factors and aims.

Henry VII - Threats and Rebellions cont:

• Warbeck 1491-1497/99
• Based on an imposter of Richard, Duke of York. It was never really serious in terms of invasion but went on for many years and involved leaders of other major European powers. Foreign policy actions linked here. Role of Scotland crucial as invasion from there in 1486 triggered demands for funds which led to the Cornish rebellion. Truce of Ayton settled the Scottish threat for the remainder of Henry's reign.
• Cornish 1497
• Revolt of Cornish against the tax for war against Scotland. Very serious as the rebel's reached London without being intercepted by a loyal noble. 15,000 were involved, Henry had to remove troops from Scotland and it suggested that his system of maintaining law and order throughout the country was not as effective as he would have liked. Rebels finally defeated on Battle of Blackheath. Leaders executed but most of the rebels were treated with leniency.

Henry VII - Government:

• Parliament-
• Lords and Commons, held 7 times during Henry's reign (5 in the first decade). Passed laws and raised extraordinary taxes - power came from the monarch.
• Privy Council-
• Central to government with 6 to 8 key advisors. Henry was at the centre of government - personal monarchy - the inner sanctum.
• Justices of the Peace -
• Local gentry and merchants chosen by Henry - increasingly important in ensuring law and order, trials and collecting taxes. Vested interest in ensuring good governance and law order in their areas.
• Council of North/Wales-
• Rebellious regions like Wales, Ireland and the North under control of a council. Those on the councils were loyal and trusted advisors allowing Henry to control these areas while making sure nobles did not become too powerful there and did not have the power to tun those areas.
• Individuals-
• Loyalty and ability mattered more than social class - appointed nobles he could trust, family members and new men with specialist skills who owed their positions to him

Henry VII -Control of the Nobility:

• Acts of Attainder-
• Laws taking land, titles and wealth from the wealthy - 138 in his whole reign 46 of which were reversed.
• Bonds and Recognisances-
• Financial payments/demands to ensure good behaviour - signed to promise loyalty. Enforced by Council Learned in Law.
• Council Learned in Law 1487-
• Established to collect bonds, recognisances and exploit prerogative rights - used ancient and obscure laws, complex methods and entrapment and meticulous paperwork. After 1500, Henry and Council Learned worked together in an increasingly close manner, personal monarchy at its height.
• Feudal Rights-
• Traditional rights of a King - control noble marriages/inheritance.
• Retaining-
• Laws in 1487 and 1504 meant they had to have a licence - also money from fines.
• Patronage-
• Few title and gifts to nobility - honorary titles that wielded no actual power.

Henry VII - Solvency:

• Initially Henry was poor and needed to live independently and not rely on the nobility and display royal authority. In the later stages of his reign, Henry became obsessive about wealth and perhaps lost the balance between wealth/solvency and greed - 'the miser king'. By the end of his reign he was at least X20 wealthier than the leading nobles. However, his annual income of £113,000 was dwarfed by the King of Frances £800,000.
• Exchequer and Treasury -
• Traditional, cumbersome, bureaucratic, slow and inefficient.
• Chamber -
• Smaller and more efficient, directly linked to the Royal Household.
• Crown Lands-
• Great increase in revenue - £42,000 a year by 1509 - efficiently run and managed, amount of land significantly increases due to attainder.
• Customs Duties-
• Taxation on imports and exports. Rose from £33,000 a year to £40,000 a year over reign.
• Others-
• Money from legal dues, parliamentary taxation, clerical taxes and loans or benevolences

Henry VII - Foreign Policy:

• Background and aims-
• Aims linked to domestic issues and change over time - secure dynasty and succession/solvency and trade/security from threats/legitimacy and recognition - change over reign/opportunism/position of England in Europe.
• France and Brittany 1489-1492-
• Fear of french power, loyalty to Breton, desire to demonstrate chivalric honour, balance of power/parliament raised extraordinry taxes for invasion - Yorkshire rebellion and links to domestic policy.