Cardinal Wolsey

Personality of Wolsey (Tyrant?

• He was often called an alter rex
• His enemies saw him as arrogant and vindictive
• Especially disliked by nobility
• He was in the kings favor and came from a humble background
• Flattered and manipulated Henry
• Used legal powers to intimidate those he saw as a rival/threat
• he knew control over the nobility was key
• first use of authority was to announce a stricter watching over the nobility
• 1516 - said that no one should see themselves above the law
• earl of northumberland summoned to court for contempt of councils jurisdiction
• he was committed to prison
• thomas lucas slandered wolsey and was thrown into the tower
• he was very abusive towards his power
• no evidence to suggest he was any harsher to nobility than the king

Duke of Buckingham

• Edward Stafford was the only man to still hold the title of duke at start of reign
• sympathetic to the yorkists
• 1519 - buckingham allegedly made a threat against henry viii's life
• investigated by wolsey
• 1521 - ordered to london, arrested and imprisoned in the tower
• buckingham was charged with visiting his lordships in wales with 400 armed men
• he refused to plead for his life
• found guilty of treason and beheaded

Wealthy Wolsey? & Concilliar Government

• used his enormous wealth to further serve his own political power
• court was magnificent
• he had hampton court built
• furnishings and cloth rivaled that of any court
• largest disposable income in england
• ten times richer than his nearest political rival
• bishoprics in york, tournai, bath and wells
• abbot of st. albans in 1525 which was the richest monastery in england
• charged fees in his ecclesiastical courts
• building hampton court and cardinal college in oxford allowed for enhancement on position in government
• decisions about how the country should be run made by a council
• henry vii used this approach
• henry viii inherited his fathers councilors in the beginning of his reign
• ended when his fathers advisers didnt want to go to war with france
• although he was impressed by the organistional skills of thomas wolsey
• surrounded himself with like minded young people

Concilliar Government?

• decisions about how the country should be run made by a council
• henry vii used this approach
• henry viii inherited his fathers councilors in the beginning of his reign
• ended when his fathers advisers didnt want to go to war with france
• although he was impressed by the organistional skills of thomas wolsey
• surrounded himself with like minded young people

Financial Policies under Cardinal Wolsey

• Subsidy Act 1512
• parliament had to calculate tax on property of individual tax payers
• everyone paid fair tax (more realistic and flexible)
• wolsey highlighted the neccesity of this
• was paid in fifteenths and tenths (standard form of pay in england)
• placed greater financial burden on the rich
• raised extraordinary revenue for henry (and war with france
• parliament were unhappy about financial demands made by wolsey
• Collecting Subsidy 1513
• levied on the rank of individual noblemen (with tax of the property of commoners)
• 1514 - subsidy taxed wages as well as landed property
• without distinguishing between nobles and commoners
• 1513-1516 the subsidy raised £170,000
• wolsey had to deal with late payments from nobility
• probably as they resented paying tax more

Financial Policies under Cardinal Wolsey

• Eltham Ordinances 1526
• attempt at reducing cost of running royal household
• instructions drawn up to reform kings court (and privy chamber)
• this included the financial system
• gentlemen of bedchamber reduced 12-6
• removed groom of the stool and replaced with his own choice
• all this was done to reduce the number of influences on the king
• to increase control that he could exercise over all aspects of government
• lost interest in administrative process
• gained control over selection of gentlemen
• Amicable Grant 1525
• determined to take france to war but needed huge funds to do this
• demanded that wolsey raised the money
• wolsey sent out commissioners to collect non parliamentary tax
• met with violent displeasure
• many refused to pay and there was a rebellion across suffolk and east angila
• not initiated by nobles
• many tried to restore order

Financial Policies under Cardinal Wolsey

• Failure of the Amicable Grant
• abandoned in 1525
• no further taxation was attempted by wolsey
• marked the beginning of the end for wolsey
• henry denied all knowledge of the grant
• turning point in foreign policy - wolsey sought friendship with france instead of war
• wolsey and henry turned against charles v (holy roman emporer)
• Act of Resumption 1515
• wolsey wanted to increase revenue from crown lands
• many had been granted away
• income decreased to £25,000 per annum
• due to lack of enforcement of bonds by council of learned in law
• act returned some of the land to the crown