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GOVERNMENT - How successful was Wolsey as the king’s chief minister in the…
GOVERNMENT - How successful was Wolsey as the king’s chief minister in the years 1515 to 1529?
PARA TWO: Financial reforms
In 1523 Wolsey asked Parliament for extraordinary revenue, but was ignored.
As a result, he brought in the 1525 Amicable Grant which was massively unsuccessful and unpopular
The Eltham ordinances of 1526 streamlined the royal household so as to reduce expenditure.
He reduced the gentleman of the privy chamber
He dismissed sick of inefficient workers and he banned dogs which were all seen as an unnecessary expense
These were overall quite successful
Wolsey replaced the traditional fixed "fifteenths and tenths" tax with the "Subsidy," which was based on a person's income, making it more fair and progressive.
PARA THREE: Reforms to the chambers and councils
In 1519, he desperately tried to neutralise the influence of the Gentleman of Privy Chamber
These gentleman managed to recover their positions in the end
CAVEAT: He tried to make court more efficient with the Eltham Ordinances
These were not very successful
PARA ONE: Legal reforms
The Chancery Court was the main court of equity at the time and put emphasis on dealing with cases on the basis of reason rather than being compliant with common law
Wolsey encouraged the use of the Star Chamber from 1516 so as to ensure cheap and fair justice
He also encouraged its use for private lawsuits
Wolsey set up the national committee which assessed taxypayers and raise revenues for Henry VIII's wars
This system replaced local commissioners, who were often lenient towards the nobility, ensuring more accurate and realistic assessments of taxable wealth in 1519
Wolsey was very successful in this sense
Wolsey was made Papal Legate in 1518, and thus the most powerful man in England, aside from Henry of course
Wolsey served the King from 1512 to 1529