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Government Under Cromwell - Coggle Diagram
Government Under Cromwell
Overview
It can be argued that Cromwell modernised the system of government into one that was distinct from the medieval idea of personal monarchy.
The main reason that the government expanded was to cope with the changes brought about by Henry's break with Rome.
Royal Council
The King met regularly with his royal council of advisors.
The council was a large group which included leading noblemen, clergy and members of the King's household staff.
What changed
A more professional Privy council emerged.
It was different because it contained fewer members and was mainly composed of professionally trained lawyers and bureaucrats, rather than nobles from wider ruling class.
However....
This change may how only been carried out by Cromwell -- hard to tell!!
Financial Management
Before
Managing if national finances was done from the Privy Chamber. This gave monarchs significant control over day-to-day decisions about all aspects of income and expenditure.
Changes
Cromwell created new financial institutions alongside the Privy Chamber to manage the new revenues generated by the break with Rome.
New courts
Court of Augmentations
It controlled the land and finances that were formerly under the control of the Catholic Church.
Court of General Surveyors
Initially handled some of the ex-monastic land but soon merged with the court of Augmentations.
Court of First Fruits and Tenths
It collected money previously sent to Rome.
Court of Wards
It was used to collect money from the estate of a minor, under the age of 21, who had inherited. The King had an ancient feudal right to do this.
By 1540, increasing specialism had been introduced to manage royal finances. However, Cromwell recognised that the Privy Chamber was still an important part of the system and continued to work through it.
King's Advisors
As a result of bureaucratic changes, professional administrators rather than untrained members of the nobility and clergy, were needed to maintain the system.
Both Wolsey and Cromwell represented a new type of government official that were hard-working and often from humble origins.
Unlike the nobility, these men depended on the King for their promotion and titles, so tended to be much more loyal.
Role of Parliament
During the 30's Cromwell used Parliament for the legislation that was needed to legalise the break with Rome and strengthen royal authority. Until then Parliament had not been a part of government.
The power of Parliament depended on the state of royal finances. The expenses of Henry VIII's foreign policy led to some friction with Parliament , and Wolsey had chosen not to call unless it was unavoidable,
The workload and stability - consisantly being used due to passing of so many laws - led to MPs have a growing level of experience.
The statute law
It made the King-in-Parliament, represented ultimate authority in England and Wales.
If any monarch wanted to change these laws they would have to do it in co-operation with Parliament.
Cromwell's usage
He chose to use Parliament in a way that his predecessors has not because he needed the status of statute law to strengthen the changes he was making to the church and government.
Layout
Parliament contained representatives of the governing class, who the King relied on to carry out his policies.
The House of Lords and House of Commons consisted of members from many backgrounds.
Any resistance from Parliament, therefore, would indicate earl warnings signs of trouble.
Composition of Parliament
The composition of Parliament changed de to developments in 1530s.
After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbots disappeared and number of bishops slightly increased.
This meant that the clergy were the minority in the House of Lords.
In the Commons, 14 new boroughs were given the rights to elect MPs.
Power of the Crown
In the Act of Restraint of Appeals, Cromwell wrote that everyone owed the king, ruling under God, total obedience.
The purpose of this was that English men should not have the right to appeal to Rome to give them judgements on religious cases because was supreme in his own lands.
This also suggests that England was an independent political body and that it was a sing, unitary state, with all power deriving from the monarch.
The King was suppose to be a subject of the Pope and see his permission when choosing bishops and other high-ranking religious officials. However, this changed when the King became head of the Church of England.
Etc
Parts of England were semi-independent such as Durham. They were neither independent nor formally part of the English system of government.
This meant royal authority was spread unevenly.
The break with Rome was used to extend royal power more firmly across the Kingdom.