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Localities, HUGE! :cry: - Coggle Diagram
Localities
Education of the Yeomen
introduction of grammar schools that were accessible to all classes, and the increased access to university education
half of Oxford students were of the yeoman class
the yeomen had previously been most likely to incite and lead rebellions, yet due to their new literacy they were more likely to be indoctrinated into the governmental system, instead of fighting against it
thus many potential rebellions started by the yeomen were prevented
however, there was literacy inequality between regions amongst the yeomen
illiteracy just 30% in Norwich, but 73% in Durham
shows how the north is neglected, and the north in the locality most likely to rebel, such as the northern rebellion 1569
Poverty
why would mass poverty be a threat?
enrages and unifies the lower classes, leading to more coordinated rebellions
rebels have nothing to lose, so are encouraged to rebel
vagrants didn't align with the Great Chain of Being as they were masterless, so threatened hierarchy
poverty more likely to be in the localities, far away from London and control
Statute of Artificers 1563
the first attempt at a holistic, national, and long-term solution to poverty
unmarried people under 30 had to work/accept any job, which would lower unemployment but increase discontent due to working jobs they didn't want
all wages were assessed by the JPs, hours were fixed to ensure more stable employment. But JPs were rich themselves, so could be unsympathetic and corrupt
could not deal with the crisis of the 1590s, with poor harvests, weather, famine etc
Elizabeth's Poor Laws 1598
an overseer of the poor was appointed to collect and distribute relief
Vagabond Act banished the most dangerous vagrants to the queens' galleys
More Houses of Correction were introduced
the act remained from 1598 to 1834 and was nationwide
pre 1563
in 1547 the Vagrancy Act was passed which dictated that vagrants were to be branded with a 'V' on their chest, and made to work as a slave
it was so harsh that local authorities struggled to enforce it, and thus was repealed in 1550
clearly a comprehensive system was needed:
Patronage
Why were the nobility a threat?
have more land/money than the monarch, more local influence
Henry VII
Henry's attitude was one of distrust, so he was reluctant to use patronage
he preferred a small group of trusted nobility, but this meant he missed opportunities to create a new nobility, and it caused resentment
Henry VIII
loved using patronage, viewed his noblemen as close companions
the privy chamber transformed into a 'political hub', eg Sir William Compton was made gentleman of the Stool and increased his income from £10 to £1700 a year
there was jealousy amongst the unrewarded nobles towards the new nobility, caused factions like the one that ruined Cromwell
Elizabeth
took advantage of her gender and virginity to flirt with courtiers
promoted southerners to key northern positions, slowly undermining the north's power
by the 1590s her patronage system began to crumble as Cecil, Dudley, and Walsingham died, and replaced by the likes of the Earl of Essex, who later launched a failed coup in 1601
Wales
Why were they a threat?
feel uniquely different from England, with own culture, identity, language, and legal system (Blood Feuds)
led by very powerful Marcher lords such as the Duke of Buckingham who had already militarised regions and large potential armies
there was a lack of religious change in Wales, as the bible had not been published in Welsh like it had been with English
Law in Wales Act 1535 and 1542
Marcher lords were abolished and replaced with a powerful Council of Wales led by a key central government figure named Bishop Lee
this increased centralisation and eradicated traditional systems. Bishop Lee spoke for London, and the King
Banned the Welsh language in court and also ended Blood Feuds, ushering in the English legal system. This stripped them of their language and forced them to assimilate
Introduced sheriffs, coroners, and JPs to enforce law, along with establishing 12 English style counties, reducing lawlessness and rebellious attitudes
in exchange, as appeasement, Wales got to elect MPs, giving them representation over laws, religion, and taxes. It appeased the lords specifically, who were the only ones to get the vote, the lower classes did not have power to enact change
only in one locality, probable that they would have been loyal anyway as they had initially supported the Tudor regime with Henry VII at Bosworth
Royal Progresses
Henry VII
focused on the midlands and the North where the Yorkists had support
militarised and often with the aim of suppressing a rebellion
Henry VIII
mainly stayed close to London as over 1000 members of the royal household travelled
the north was ignored and therefore rebelled in 1536 as they felt excluded and had never physically seen the threat of their king
when he did eventually go north after the rebellion, they did not clean the streets for him, which was a sign of disrespect
Elizabeth
went on progresses every summer, as the localities would pay for her stay, so it was a good economic decision
she did progress to the north and the west as well as the south
used progresses as a form of patronage, visiting Cecil 20 times
The North
why were they a threat?
history of rebellion, such as Pilgrimage of Grace
far distance from London and the monarch, harder to control
old nobility like the Percy family wanted their independence, and the Yorkists were traditional enemies of the Tudors
religious divide as many northerners remained Catholic, 75% of nobility were Catholic under Elizabeth
Reforms of the Council of the North
in 1537 Cromwell gave the Northern Council the power to hear cases of treason, murder, and other felonies
the council president was either appointed from the South or was a bishop, yet the rest of the councillors were usually from the North
the council of the North operated as another mouthpiece of the southern Royal council
in 1569, the northern rebellion against Elizabeth showed the council still retained some power and was not completely under control
in 1572, puritan leader Henry Hastings was made leader of the Council, with no further rebellion
Justices of the Peace
Why was crime and disorder a threat?
lawlessness, anarchy, and chaos could encourage rebellious attitudes
JPs were needed to ensure people received the correct, standardised punsihments
Changing Roles of JPs
Under
Henry VII
, JPs were appointed loyal members of the court, selected from the new nobility to limit power of the old nobles
This promotion was a form of patronage
JPs could arrest suspects
Under
Henry VIII,
JPs were appointed for life, offering a new prestige to the position
they were crucial for enforcing the reformation yet many still took part in the PoG
Under
Elizabeth,
the number of JPs more than doubled
it was a desirable role for its political advancement opportunities, but this made it corrupt, meaning Cecil did not listen to reports from JPs
had a crucial role in reinforcing the Poor Laws
Taxation
how was a weak economy a threat?
the poorest had less to lose and live for, increasing desperation and inciting rebellion
the tudors always needed more money for expensive foreign policy and to put down rebellions, and just for optics
taxation reforms
the old method of 'fifteenths and tenths' proved an inadequate source of income
for example, the Tudor government spent £1 million on war under Henry VIII, but only received £25,000 from its ordinary tax revenue
there needed to be changes, like the 1513 subsidy:
there was a separate 'super-tax' for nobility 'meaning it was the rich who were more heavily taxed' (Scarisbrook)
JPs were appointed under oath to collect the tax, centralised
however, Cromwell and Elizabeth took it too far
By Elizabeth's reign, peacetime subsidies had become expected, but were met with parliamentary and local resistance
the country still faced severe financial difficulties in the 1590s
Boroughs
What?
boroughs were able to elect 2 MPs and have access to Parliament
Borough MPs were not considered threatening to the monarch's power, as they mainly desired local changes and didn't care much about actual large issues
however, the monarch was able to manipulate this role, as a form of patronage
Successes and Failures
under Elizabeth, just 14% of MPs were actually from the local borough, as the monarch would create loyal MPs to support monarch decisions through parliament
the monarch could create new boroughs and ensure the election of loyal gentry who would support the monarch's policy
however, the awarding of boroughs became so corrupt that some new ones were nicknamed rotten boroughs, with small amounts of people voting for 2 MPs (Newtown, Isle of Wight)
Yet, even these Rotten Boroughs did not harm anyone, and they gave an illusion of democracy as a form of very cheap patronage
HUGE! :cry: