Henry VII Government

. King ruled with a council who supported him when making key decisions
. 6 or 7 members in the working council
. Council had 3 main functions
     - advise the king
     - administer the realm on the king's behalf
     - to make legal judgements

. 3 main types of councellors
     - Nobility: such as Lord Daubeny and Lord Dynham
     - Churchmen: such as John Morton and Richard Fox
     - Laymen: (gentry or lawyers) such as Sir Reginald Bray and Edmund Dudley

. Main offshoot was the Council Learned
. It's function was to maintain the king's revenue and exploit prerogative rights
. developed system of bonds and recognizances
. When Bray died in 1503, Empson and Dudley took it over
. together they created a feared pair who exploted the king's subjects
. the later downfall of Empson and Dudley brought rejoycing to the streets

. 3 different levels to the court
     - The Household Proper: responsible for looking after the king
     - Chamber: private areas of the court with key access to the king
     - Privy Chamber: close personal servants of the monarch

. Not a central system in goverment
. It had 2 main functions:
     - To pass laws
     - To grant taxation to the crown

.Henry only called parliament 7 times in his reign that largely concerned issues of national security and raising revenue:
     - Nov 1485 to Mar 1496
     - Nov 1487 to Dec 1487
     - Jan 1489 to Feb 1490
     - Oct 1491 to Mar 1492
     - Oct 1495 to Dec 1495
     - Jan 1497 to Mar 1497
     - Jan 1504 to Apr 1504

. First 2 parliaments granted numerous acts of attainder, declaring individuals guilty without the inconvenience of a trail

. He placed Earl of Northumberland in charge of the north until his death in 1489 when Surrey took over
. Jasper Tudor was in charge of Wales and the Marches

. Henry relied on JPs at a local level who were elected unlike sherriffs 

. Henry controlled law and order through Bonds and Recognizances
. Some bonds were due to genuine debt to the crown
. Many however were purely political
. Example: Bond placed on Marquis of Dorset in 1485 after he supported Richard III

Church Courts
   - Church Administration
   - Offences committed by Clergy members
   - Proving of wills
   - Issues relating to marriage

Local Courts and Manor Courts
   - Landholding
   - Rights and responsibilites of landholders and tennants
   - drainage and land issus

King's Common Law Court
   - held superior criminal juristiction
   - common pleas
   - Exchequer and royal revenues

Chancery and Equity Courts
   - juristiction based on fairness rather than common law

. Several sources of royal income
   - Crown Lands
   - Fedual dues profit
   - Exercise of royal prerogative
   - Customs revenue
   - Pensions from other powers
   - Profits of Justice
   - Extraordinary revenue

. At start of reign, income was about £12,000 a year
. Henry decided to move from exchquer to chamber
. This improved finances and by the end of his reign, income was about £42,000 per year

. Persuit of feudal rights tightened
. Parliament granted feudal aid in 1504
. Wardship: king gains money from property held by a minor

.Customs revenue
   - tonnage and poundage granted for life by Henry's first parliament
   - over the reign there was a small increase from £34,000 to £38,000

.Pensions from other powers
   - included fines from bonds
   - between 1504 and 1507 £200,000 was promised to the king

.Extraordinary revenue
   - Henry recieved £400,000 from taxation
   - This could however spark rebellion like in 1489 and 1497