HVIII - English Society

The Nobility

There was the creation of new peers in which HVIII sometimes bestowed property on nobles, enable them to exert royal authority (Duke of Suffolk after the Lincolnshire Rebellion in 1536)

Bastard Feudalism did not die completely but the nobility were still controlled under the monarch

The nobility played an important part within English society as they remained critical to local influence and recruitment of armies (Lord Shrewsbury raised over 4000 men for the invasion of France)

Regional Issues

Gentry - There were around 5000 gentry families in England in 1540 and the number of gentry increased during Henry's reign
There was also an increase in JPs

Commoners - There was a decline in economic and political power of great landowners which brought about the disappearance of serfdom and labour services

Peasants took advantage of the availability of land and amassed holdings and many acquired skills and moved up the ranks
HOWEVER
The rise in the rate of inflation did lead to a drop in incomes which contributed to the ill feelings towards the Amicable Grant
Social structure remained the same

Wales - Before 1536, Wales had been a separate territory to England but due to the Laws in Wales Act (1536) This divided Wales into shire counties as well as giving Welsh shires direct representation in HoC. - Wales became incorporated with England and control over Wales was exercised (Earls of Pembroke)

English Palatinates - 3 (Lancashire, Cheshire and Durham) were separate jurisdictions from the rest of the kingdom
The Act Resuming Liberties to the Crown (1536) reduced the level of independence enjoyed by the bishop but did not fully remove it

Anglo-Scottish border - Was a problem for HVIII as the border was difficult to police and both sides of the border had a reputation for lawlessness.

Henry appointed local officers who came from the gentry class or complete outsiders as they were more likely to to owe complete loyalty to the King and had limited ability to influence the local people

The Council in the North was re-established by Cromwell and Henry after the Pilgrimage of Grace and it held both administrative and legal functions.

It was useful as it ensured the north did not rise alongside the rebellions of 1549

Rebellions

The Amicable Grant (1525)

Wolsey needed to raise money to pay for the war on France. He did not want to ask Parliament for a subsidy so he instructed his commissioners to raise a non-parliamentary tax to appeal to patriotic sentiments and tax payers rebelled and when Wolsey requested benevolences this caused rebellions

There were complaints due to economic struggles and this imposition of tax brought about instability and disorder

10,000 men took part in an uprising in Lavenham (suppressed by Dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk) and there were many small uprisings in the country (Earl of Essex reported 1000 people had gathered to resist payments)

As a result, Wolsey offered pardons to those involved and paid the rebels prison expenses. This showed a breakdown in order

The Lincolnshire Rising and the Pilgrimage of Grace (1536)

This began as a rising in Lincolnshire and continued into the East Riding of Yorkshire. Rebels became more radicalised and more hostile as a second and more militant uprising started in the dales between Ripon and Richmond.

Opposition generally stemmed from the religious change and the dissolution of the monasteries and there was a fear for parishes and traditional religious practices

Motives

Religious

Secular motives

Dissolution of the monasteries meant a loss of the charitable and educational functions that some monasteries provided and there was a great fear that Parish churches would be lost

  • There was fears of an impoverished North and there was anger as the monasteries provided for local communities

Ordinary rebels were driven by economic grievances as well as the fact that the Crown's decision to impose the Duke of Suffolk as great magnate may have sparked this

The main motive may have been to restore Princess Mary as heir and the extension to the Pennines highlights tenants' grievances

Suppression of the rebellion

Though the Lincolnshire rebellion collapsed, the Northern rebels occupied York, Hull and captured Pontefract Castle. The King sent an army with the Duke of Norfolk who diffused the rebellion through the issue of pardon and promise and thus, the rebels dispersed

In February 1537, the rebellion is renewed in Cumberland and East Riding and as a result 74 rebels were hung and a number of leaders including Darcy and Aske