England in the late 15th Century

In the late 15th Century, England was relatively prosperous:

• The population was beginning to recover from the Black Death. 
• By 1500, there were 2.25 million people living in England and Wales.
• The vast majority of the people worked on the land. 
• Shortage of labour, meant that English peasants were in a strong position. 

The use of land in the late 15th Century:

• The land was used by arable farming (ploughing and growing crops) or pasturage farming (raising livestock).
• Enclosure (land enclosed with fences or hedges) was a result of the increasing numbers of landlords turning to sheep farming, which was seen as an increasing problem by contemporaries. 
• Wool was the main raw material for the doth industry, which was provided for by sheeps. 
• Increasinging wool and cloth was exported to the continent. 
• London was the greatest city in the kingdom, but there were other important cities, such as Norwich, York and Bristol. 

Classes of men:

• Peasant were at the bottom of the class system, who made up 80% of the population.
• Landowners were above them. 
• Yemoen were farrmers who owned their own land. 
• Then it was Gentlemen who were lords of the manor, and owned largen estates. 
• The nobility were made up of the aristocracy and consisted of Earls and Dukes. They held estates in several shires. 
• The Great Chain of Being

The country was governed by a hereditary monarchy, in theory. Despire the usurpers, Richard III, Edward IV and Henry VII, the monarchy remained strong because:

• Mostly everyone believed that the King was appointed by God to rule and protect his people. 
• The King was meant to promote justice and to rule with other great land owners. 
• As a result of the hierarchy was ordained by God, it was considered a great sin for people to rise up against their rulers. 

However, Kings were not absolute:

• The King shared power with the nobility and the Church, and he ruled within the law. 
• Parliament was called occasionally by the monarch. 
• Parliament's main job was to recognise the existence of a new king, and to raise taxes for warfare, or the country's defence.
• Parliament also became the institution that the monarch could turn to for advice in times of crisis.

The 15th Century was an age of faith:

• The English Church was Catholic and helped to hold the country together in troubled times. 
• Peace was kept due to the Church providing an ideology. 
• The Church was episcopial (run by bishops).
• The most important churchmen were the archbishops of Canterbury and York. 
• All the bishops and archbishops were appointed by the Pope in Rome. 
• The Church in England, technically owed allegiance to the Pope. 

The Church and Society:

• Church was at the centre of social life. 
• There were many saint days and holy days. 
• The Church taught obedience and deference. 
• Most people were taught to know their place in society and to not change it.
• Therefore Rebellion against authority was a great sin.

Society was split into 4 main blocks:

• 1) Gentlemen
• 2) Citizens
• 3) Yeomen
• 4) Cottagers/Labourers

Gentlemen were subdivided into: 'Nobilitas Major' and 'Nobilitas Minor.'

• 'Nobilitas Major'
  • These were made up of parliamentary peerages, landed elite. 
  • They were summoned to attend Parliament and stay at home if climate was not good at court. E.g. during religious change. 
• 'Nobilitas Minor'
  • These were made up of Knights and Esquiries.
  • They acted as local Justices of the Peace. 

Citizens:

• Citizens lived in towns and cities. 
• They gained certain privileges, due to social standing. 

Yeomen:

• Yeomen were farmers who had economic influences. 
• They acted as:
  • Local baliffs
  • Church wardens
  • Constables, assisting in maintaining order.

Cottagers and Labourers:

• Cottagers and labourers were peasants.
• They lived in villages.
• If they wanted to move or get married, they had to ask permission from their local Lord.

Social Structure was maintained by:

• Social and economic factors. 
• Government Authoity factors which were formal and informal. 
• Duty and Deferece. 
• The Great Chain of Being. 

The Great Chain of Beign:

• God was at the top.
• Then it was the Angel. 
• The King was below them.
• Noblemen came next
• Then came Gentlemen.
• Peasants came next. 
• Then a dog and worm. 

The main divide was between the Gentry and Commoners:

• Gentry were rich enough to not work and be able to display standards of living expected of the gentry. 
• Whereas commoners had no political voice. 
• Commoners gained the Government's attention by riot and rebellion. 
• They were viewed as inferior, irrational, stupid and fickle. 
• Authorities could not see the difference between riot and rebellion 
• They also did not realise that not everybody had political representation.