To what extent did royal power increase in the years 1536-53?

To what extent did royal power increase in the years 1536-53?

1. Define 'power' --> personal power of the king or the state, did power come from financial security, foreign policy, religious conformation

2. Control over localities

   • Wales
     • Increased control by setting up a government and legal system in 1536
     • Allowed Welsh MPs into Parliament in 1543
     • In 1543 a Second Act of Union divided Wales into counties, and appointed Sherriff’s and JPs to govern each one
     • This can be seen as successful as it was a predominately peaceful campaign and was met without resistance or unrest
       • This was primarily due to the fact that Cromwell gave the Welsh rights and status, rather than using force, to secure respect for the crown
     • John Guy argues: "the ultimate object was control"
       • But by executing this peacefully the crown gained the respect it needed to secure power
   • Cromwell wanted to create a "unitary" state where the King had total control over all people and all areas within his realm
   • An act of parliament allowed the Crown to resume control of Liberties and Franchises (these allowed private laws and law enforcement to operate alongside, or in place of, royal authority)
   • The North
     • The crown needed Lord Percy's lands to gain control over the north. Luckily in 1536, they succeeded by forcing Percy to name the King as his heir
     • However, the "Percy takeover" most likely contributed the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, which caused huge unrest in the North
     • In 1537, the death of Percy and the defeat of the Pilgrimage were used to gain control in the north
     • The Council of the North was set up in 1537
       • It ensured the Crown’s religious policies were implemented, monitored the JPs, and provided a court of equity for the north
       • Efforts were also made to improve social and economic conditions
         • Eg enclosure and rights of tenure which were causes of the Pilgrimage
       • However, resentment remained
         • Eg the Wakefield Plot of 1541, which planned to murder Archbishop Holgate (the President of the Council of the North) and seize Pontefract Castle
     • But overall, there was little support for magnate uprisings and the area stayed quiet and loyal to the king
   • There was also a diminishing role of magnates as JPs replaced them

3. Finance

   • A king could demonstrate his power and superiority by his wealth and status
   • Under Henry VII the Chamber was the main storage of money
   • The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 meant that the Households offices could not cope with the sudden influx of money
   • An Act was passed in 1536 to establish the Court of Augmentations which had its own chancellor and seal
   • By the time of Cromwell's execution the royal finances had been divided into 7 main departments
     • Eg reorganisation of The Court of First Fruits and Tenths established in 1541, which meant clerical money that used to be sent to Rome, was now sent to the crown
   • Pre-Cromwell, Henry's income was around £100,000, after Cromwell had doubled
     • But Henry used too much of his expenditure on expensive wars so much of the income was used up
       • But Henry saw foreign wars as a source of power so the high expense was justified in his opinion
       • Despite receiving loans from Parliament and banks, he still owned £100,000 to Antwerp bankers by 1547
   • During Edward's reign, Somerset then Northumberland controlled finances
     • Somerset built up heavy debt from the garrisoning of Scotland
     • Somerset followed policy of debasement to try and solve financial problems which only lead to high inflation
     • Although Northumberland ended debasement and tried to improve finances, real wages had dropped by up to 60% in this period

4. Privy Council

   • Cromwell reorganised it to cope with the new acquisition of land in Wales and Scotland
   • Cromwell separated the household into a series of different institutions to function efficiently on single tasks
   • The Council shrunk in size between 1535-37 to around 20 members
   • In the last years of Henry's reign, the Privy Council met daily at court with between 12-15 councillors in attendance
   • The Privy Council also gained more popularity from the people as it took on men from lowly backgrounds
     • Eg Cromwell was the son of a brewer but was Henry's close personal adviser and made Earl of Essex in 1540
     • Henry viewed the Privy councillors in terms of service and reward
     • This shows the reversal in the Privy Council from one which required land and money to enter in 1536, to land and money gained from entering the Council
       • Loades: "a reversal of emphasis which was one of the most important developments in Tudor government during the first half of the 16th century
   • But it can be argued the Privy Council changed more to benefit Cromwell
     • John Guy: the Privy Council changed "less because he lived than because he died"
   • Henry's death meant that Somerset became Lord Protector
     • This meant the Privy Council was often bypassed as Somerset used his own servants to carry out government duties
   • Under Northumberland, there is a re-emergence of a collective authority of the Privy Council and it regains its strength
   • The Council's authority changed over time but it was made more efficient during Henry's reign as it reduced in size

5. Parliament

   • There were increases in the number of times Parliament met from 1529 onwards
     • Eg from 1529-1536, the sessions of the Reformation Parliament occurred almost annually
     • Eg from 1536 – 1547, only four of those years did not witness Parliament in session. This compares to only 5 Parliament’s between 1509 and 1529
   • Parliament became involved in areas it had not previously been allowed
     • Eg religious matters
   • The Crown still faced opposition in Parliament, those opposed sometimes asked to absent themselves from the House on the day an Act was passed
     • Eg George Throckmorton in 1534
   • The House of Commons benefitted from a greater number of men, acquired its own Journal (an organised system of records) and increased in size (addition of men from Wales)

6. Crushing of magnate power

   • Henry wanted a reduction/destruction of magnate power in the regions
   • In 1538, Cromwell attacking the Courtenay's - the dominant family in the SW
     • This involved the execution of Henry Courtenay, Marquis of Exeter
   • In 1547, the Howard's of Norfolk were also targeted
     • The Duke of Norfolk was imprisoned until 1553 and his son executed
     • However, this also linked to the fall of the conservative faction
   • Sir Edward Neville and Sir Nicholas Carew of Devon and Cornwall were also executed

7. The Royal Progress

   • The King's progress through his kingdom for several weeks
   • This helped establish ties with the localities as people could see and meet their King
   • This helped create a strong patriarchal society
   • However, it was very expensive as up to 800 men travelled with the monarch
   • Edward was arguably considered a weaker King because he could not go on a Royal Progress because of his age