Section C theme 1: gov and administration

Created by: Kdale
Created on: 15-06-22 14:17

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Government and administration 1485-1603
- changes made to structure and function of royal household
  - Privy chamber grew in political importance
    - Henry VII
      - created yeoman of the guard- personal bodyguards to restrict entrance into private rooms
      - store royal income- monitored personally
        future monarchs didnt have the time to do this
    - Henry VIII
      - political hub
      - staff- gentleman of the privy chamber
        groom of the stool most important- in charge of toilet
        
        Henrys most trusted friends/nobility/gentry
        
        sent on diplomatic missions to France against Scotland
    - acces was a route to power and influence on government
      - control of the dry stamp by 1540s
        sign documents on behalf of the king- great power
        
        1540s faction led by Seymour and Dudley gained control of the dry stamp, making decisions in their favour
    - Edward
      - access to him and dry stamp was controlled by privy chamber
    - Mary
      - female attendants were former servants who had Catholic sympathies and married to male members of household
        some taking advantage of their position to gain patronage and favours
      - dry stamp under lock and key
    - Elizabeth
      - decline in political importance
      - reforms in 1559 meant members of household were also members of council
        political decisions through council
  - role of the royal council became more professional
    - formal body to advise the monarch
    - judicial court for high profile legal cases (nobility)
    - Henry VII
      - large and informal- 200 men attended meetings
      - nobility, churchmen, royal officials and lawyers
        20 men who served Richard III and 22 men who served Edward IV (Yorkists)
      - crucial for security
      - 'Great Councils' used when Henry needed consultation with nobility on war and taxation
        5 between 1487 and 1502
    - Henry VIII
      - Wolsey planning the Eltham Ordinances- reduce number from 40 to 20
      - Thomas Wolsey rose to power
        fell from power in 1529
    - Reform of privy Council 1540
      - need to restructure government after Cromwell
      - members collectively responsible for Cromwell and Wolseys work
        no one had the power that they had
      - membership reduced to 19
        number under Edward grew to 50 because he was a child
      - Mary- large no. of men appointed to stay inclusive
      - av. attendance in 1555 was 12
      - new powers to privy council- did not have to wait for instructions from monarch to issue proclamations
      - new seal- didnt override dry stamp
        body which served england
      - travelled with Elizabeth on progresses
      - by 1590s meetings were every day
- Role of secretary
  - first important in 1530s, dominance of Cromwell
    - secretary by 1534- controlled meetings and knowledge of Henry's day to day business
    - declined after fall
  - part of royal household
  - close access to monarch and privy seal
  - more important under Elizabeth- Cecil- walsingham- cecil (son)
    - permanent importance
    - ensure meetings were well run
- Lord Lieutenant
  - local communities responsible for law and order before
    - capable of manipulating the legal system
    - unpaid
  - developed under Henry VIII
    - control rebellions
  - Mary 1
    - divide country into 10 with each lieutenant being responsible for their region and military recruitment
  - Elizabeth
    - became permanent
    - appointed to each county, with a deputy
    - ensure armies were properly trained, armed and disciplined
    - able to gather information about local conditions

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Section C theme 1: gov and administration

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