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How did Henry VII control the nobility?
- Use of emerging middle classes and clerical classes
- The nobility had been influential under Henry’s predecessors, in guiding policy in exchange for
patronage. Henry changed this by giving key positions to a number of the emerging, educated
middle classes, thus limiting the power and influence the nobles traditionally had in his court and
creating a new generation of royal administrators who owed their position (and loyalty) to him. Eg
lawyers like Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley headed Council Learned, mixing with more
traditional courtier administrators eg Thomas Lovell, (began his career dressing the king and became
head of the Chamber of Finance). He also appointed able clerical administrators to key positions,
men like Warham and Foxe were excellent choices to negotiate commercial treaties – this ensured
the loyalty of the Church and excellent administration. Don’t forget Henry also had nobility in his
government though!
- The nobility had been influential under Henry’s predecessors, in guiding policy in exchange for
patronage. Henry changed this by giving key positions to a number of the emerging, educated
middle classes, thus limiting the power and influence the nobles traditionally had in his court and
creating a new generation of royal administrators who owed their position (and loyalty) to him. Eg
lawyers like Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley headed Council Learned, mixing with more
traditional courtier administrators eg Thomas Lovell, (began his career dressing the king and became
head of the Chamber of Finance). He also appointed able clerical administrators to key positions,
men like Warham and Foxe were excellent choices to negotiate commercial treaties – this ensured
the loyalty of the Church and excellent administration. Don’t forget Henry also had nobility in his
government though!
- Punishment of the nobility
- Henry used Acts of Attainder to punish nobles (ie loss of land and titles if convicted of treason) often
revoking them if the noble proved his loyalty (Eg Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey attained in 1485 and
put in the Tower because his father fought for Richard at Bosworth. However, he was released in
1489 and put in charge of law and order in the north – he proved his loyalty by suppressing the
Yorkshire Rebellion in 1489 but Henry still didn’t give him all his lands back!). In total, Henry issued
138 of these, but 46 were either wholly or partially revoked.
- Henry used fines to punish nobles when he couldn’t prove treason – these were called bonds and
recognisances where those who offended the king were forced to pay a lump sum of money as
security for good behaviour. Eg Lord Dacre was forced into a bond of £2000 for his loyalty in 1506
which Henry could cancel “at his gracious pleasure. Late in his reign, Henry also demanded £40,000
for the candidate to take over the role of Captain of Calais to ensure loyalty towards the end of his
reign. During Henry’s reign, 36 noble families out of 62 were tied to Henry under bonds and
recognisances (according to historian Professor Lander).
- Henry tried to stop the problem of retaining. This was where nobles were allowed to have what
amounted to a private army of their own. Retaining was a problem during the Wars of the Roses
where overpowerful nobles retained their own forces. Henry tried to get rid of this problem by
passing laws to condemn retaining in 1487 and 1506. He couldn’t get rid of it entirely though as he
needed armies to quell rebellions. Eg s include the Earl of Devon who in 1494 had to sign a bond for
illegally retaining troops – he had to pay up when he was found to be breaking this.
- Henry used Acts of Attainder to punish nobles (ie loss of land and titles if convicted of treason) often
revoking them if the noble proved his loyalty (Eg Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey attained in 1485 and
put in the Tower because his father fought for Richard at Bosworth. However, he was released in
1489 and put in charge of law and order in the north – he proved his loyalty by suppressing the
Yorkshire Rebellion in 1489 but Henry still didn’t give him all his lands back!). In total, Henry issued
138 of these, but 46 were either wholly or partially revoked.
- Rewarded the nobility for loyalty
- Given the small number of noble families at his disposal (only 60 remained after the WotR), Henry
had to trust them with key positions, for example releasing the Earl of Northumberland from the
Tower to govern the north in 1489. The Earl of Surrey, a known Yorkist sympathiser took over the
Council of the North after Northumberland was murdered. Surrey proved himself to be a loyal
servant to the Crown and gradually gained Henry’s trust.
- Given the small number of noble families at his disposal (only 60 remained after the WotR), Henry
had to trust them with key positions, for example releasing the Earl of Northumberland from the
Tower to govern the north in 1489. The Earl of Surrey, a known Yorkist sympathiser took over the
Council of the North after Northumberland was murdered. Surrey proved himself to be a loyal
servant to the Crown and gradually gained Henry’s trust.
- Historians' views on Henry and the nobility
- "They (the nobility) needed his (the King's) power, and needed to make it work to protect their own
land, an easily damaged commodity, on which their wealth and their power depended" Carpenter
- "Though the use of bonds and recognisances was well established at all
levels of society during the 15th century, the degree to which Henry
drove the system had been unprecedented since the days of King John.
His combination of fiscal measures...with his measures in terrorem over
a great many people was producing an intense backlash of resentment
by the times of his death." E. Arnold
- "Henry's use of B&R was not unusual. Since the time of King John in the dark
days of the 1200s they had been used to reflect the monarch's hold on power."
Pugh
- "The use of bonds and recognizances was just one part of the King’s relationship
with the nobility. Though quite prepared to give responsibility and reward to
noblemen he trusted, he gave less wholeheartedly than most previous Kings.
Those he trusted from the start, such as Oxford and Derby, never gained
complete regional power. Those he never trusted, such as Edward Stafford (Duke
of Buckingham), he seemed to frustrate at every turn. This last group were also
prominent victims of his financial exactions. Meanwhile great offices which might
have been vehicles for noble ambitions were often kept in the King’s hands." S.
Gunn
- "Henry VII’s whole reign was a prolonged exercise in deliberately stripping away the independence of
the nobility. First he marginalised them, excluding them from offices of the highest importance. The
Stanley family, including the King’s step-father, the Earl of Derby, was required to pay heavy bonds as
a guarantee of good behaviour. Bonds and Recognizances of this sort proved a highly effective
means of weakening mighty subjects and were levied against more than half of England’s nobility.
The few nobles who dared to oppose Henry were simply destroyed. Half-forgotten laws – that the
nobles had found convenient to ignore when the Crown was weak – were dusted off and used to
cripple the great families into absolute submission." Meyer
- "In 1504, Henry required those noblemen that retained
men to apply for a license. However, Henry VII never
attempted to outlaw retaining entirely as, in the absence
of a permanent army, retaining provided him with much
needed men in times of crisis. In fact, the problem of
maintaining authority had no simple solution and Henry
used a variety of moderate methods. The Star Chamber
was set up in 1487, but it was impossible to estimate its
effectiveness. The Council Learned was involved in
drawing up Bonds and Recognizances, in effect keeping a
check on the nobility. These were probably the most
effective of the instruments which Henry employed to
impose order. Yet, these methods were mainly old,
established ones." Lockyer
- "They (the nobility) needed his (the King's) power, and needed to make it work to protect their own
land, an easily damaged commodity, on which their wealth and their power depended" Carpenter
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