Henry VIII & His Government 2

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Thomas Cromwell

By 1532, Thomas Cromwell had emerged as Henry VIII's new chief minister as a replacement for Wolsey.

Cromwell's religious sympathy

In the mid-1530s, Cromwell encouraged preachers to spread Protestant messages.
Cromwell played a main role in the dissolution of monasteries in 1536.
By the end of the 1530s, Cromwell was dissatisfied with the level of reform. He believed more Protestant reforms could be made. This desire contributed to his downfall.

Cromwell and Henry VIII's divorce

In September 1530, Thomas Cranmer and Edward Foxe gave the king their book Collectanea Satis Copiosa (‘The Sufficiently Abundant Collection’). It provided legal grounds for Henry to have an annulment of his marriage.
Cromwell used parliament to attack the Church until, in 1534, the Royal Supremacy confirmed on Henry the power of king and pope.

Cromwell's governance reforms

The Royal Council became the Privy Council. This was smaller and more professional. Cromwell became the Principal Secretary.
Parliament lasted seven years under Cromwell, with a wider scope than ever before.

Cromwell's administrative reforms

Cromwell oversaw bureaucratic change as well religious change.
Cromwell developed the Court of Augmentations, Court of First Fruits and the Court of Wards. This centralised and professionalised Crown finance.

Cromwell's fall

Cromwell was Henry VIII's last chief minister.
Cromwell was part of dangerous court politics. For example, he had orchestrated Anne Boleyn's downfall.
The humiliating failure of Henry VIII's marriage to Anne of Cleves was pinned on Cromwell by the Duke of Norfolk and his niece, Catherine Howard.

Accusation of treason

Cromwell was accused of treason and heresy by the Duke of Norfolk.
An Act of Attainder was passed against him and he was accused of failing to properly enforce the Act of the Six Articles.
Cromwell was executed in July 1540, the day Henry married Catherine Howard.

Henry VIII was not interested in the day-to-day details of government. He increasingly relied on Wolsey, who became his chief minister. The question of who was in charge of policy is a cause of debate.

The law

From 1516 the court of the Star Chamber became more important. Wolsey used it to root out corruption, especially where justice favoured the upper classes.
Wolsey’s Star Chamber investigated and punished abuses of power by the King’s councillors, corrupt JPs and local landowners, including the nobility.
Cases rose tenfold, resulting in a massive backlog of cases.

Finance

The royal coffers were emptying. Henry VIII wanted war, which was expensive and inflation meant rising prices.
Wolsey recognised that he needed to increase the kingdom's income.
Even though he got parliament to increase taxation on wealth and create a new tax on income (called a subsidy), Wolsey could not get enough money to fund Henry VIII's foreign policy.
A key failure to raise tax was the Amicable Grant in 1525.

Enclosure

Enclosure is a process where landowners put small areas of land into one big farm. Using new farming techniques, this made the farms more productive and profitable.
Wolsey established a national inquiry into enclosure in 1517. Over 220 landowners were taken to court for illegal enclosing. All but 34 were cleared.
Wolsey stirred up the resentment of the landowning classes, gentry and nobility.
Wolsey ran into opposition in parliament in 1523, and had to suspend inquiries.
Enclosure and vagrancy continued.

Royal Supremacy

Following Henry VIII's break from Rome and the Catholic Church in 1534, he established himself as the highest authority in the English Church.
To do this, Henry VIII passed the Act of Supremacy in November 1534.
This Act meant three things:
- Henry was made Supreme Head of the Church of England.
- All clergy in England had to take an oath swearing to Henry’s title.
- The Crown had the power to carry out visitations on monasteries.

1Consolidation of the Tudor Dynasty 1485-1547

1.1Henry VII 1485-1509

1.1.1Henry VII's Consolidation of Power

1.1.2Henry VII & Succession

1.1.3Henry VII's Councils & Parliament

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Henry VII Part 1

1.1.5Henry VII & Justice, Finance & Policies

1.1.6Henry VII's Relationship with Foreign Powers

1.1.7Henry VII & Society

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Henry VII Part 2

1.1.9Henry VII & Regional Issues

1.1.10Henry VII & Economic Development

1.1.11Henry VII & Cultural Development

1.1.12End of Topic Test - Henry VII Part 3

1.2Henry VIII 1509-1547

1.2.1Henry VIII's Consolidation of Power

1.2.2Henry VIII & His Government

1.2.3Henry VIII & His Government 2

1.2.4End of Topic Test - Henry VIII Part 1

1.2.5Henry VIII & Succession

1.2.6Henry VIII's Relationship with Foreign Powers

1.2.7Henry VIII & Society

1.2.8End of Topic Test -Henry VIII Part 2

1.2.9Henry VIII & Society 2

1.2.10Henry VIII & Economic Development

1.2.11Henry VIII & Religion

1.2.12End of Topic Test - Henry VIII Part 3

2England: Turmoil & Triumph 1547-1603

2.1Instability & Consolidation 1547-1563

2.1.1Edward VI, Somerset & Northumberland

2.1.2Edward VI & Authority

2.1.3Edward VI & Relations with Foreign Powers

2.1.4End of Topic Test - Edward VI Part 1

2.1.5Edward VI & Rebellions

2.1.6Social Impact of Religious & Economic Changes

2.1.7Edward VI & Cultural Developments

2.1.8End of Topic Test - Edward VI Part 2

2.1.9Mary I & Her Rule

2.1.10Mary I & Relations with Foreign Powers

2.1.11The Social Impact of Religious & Economic Change

2.1.12End of Topic Test - Mary Part 1

2.1.13Elizabeth I & Her Rule

2.1.14Elizabeth I & Relations With Foreign Powers

2.1.15Impact of Economic, Social & Religious Change

2.1.16End of Topic Test - Elizabeth I Part 1

2.2The Triumph of Elizabeth 1563-1603

2.2.1Elizabeth I & Court

2.2.2Elizabeth & Government

2.2.3Elizabeth I & Succession

2.2.4End of Topic Test - Elizabeth I Part 2

2.2.5Mary Queen of Scots

2.2.6Relations with Spain

2.2.7End of Topic Test - Elizabeth I Part 3

2.2.8Elizabeth I & Society

2.2.9Elizabeth I & Rebellion

2.2.10Elizabeth & Economic Development

2.2.11End of Topic Test - Elizabeth I Part 4

2.2.12Elizabeth I & Religious Developments

2.2.13The English Renaissance

2.2.14Elizabeth's Last Years

2.2.15End of Topic Test - Elizabeth I Part 5

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