Government under Cromwell

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GOVERNMENT UNDER CROMWELL

ANNE BOLEYN

Henry grew weary of Anne as she failed to give him a a male heir. Her relationship with Cromwell deterioated and he felt threatened by her and her faction. Cromwell and his allies convinced Henry that Anne had commited adultery. Cromwell tortured her musician, Mark Smeaton, who confessed that Anne had commited adultery with him. Several other men, including her brother, were also accused of sleeping with her. Adultery by a Queen was classed as treason and Anne was brought to trial and found guilty. She was sentenced to death and beheaded in May 1536.

CROMWELL'S DOMESTIC POLICIES

  • Chief Minister by 1532
  • Dissolution of the Monastries begun in 1536
  • Financial reforms were need to manage the revenue created by the break with Rome. These included:

The Court of Augmentations - Controlled the land and finances that were previously owned by the Catholic Church.

The Court of General Surveyors -I nitially handled monastic lands but were absorbed by the Court of Augmentations later on.

The Court of First Fruits and Tenths - Collected money that used to be given to the Catholic Church

The Court of Wards - The King had the feudal right to collect money from the estate of anyone under the age of 21

REFORMATION PARLIAMENT

Sat for 7 years which brought stability. It also led to the passing of a bill after 3 readings in the Commons and Lords becoming standard practice. Cromwell needed Statute Law because of the radical changes he and Henry were introducing. The Parliament was diverse. The Lords consisted of the Clergy and the nobility. The Commons was made up of a lesser nobility; merchants and royal administrators. The clergy became a minority in the Lords after the dissolution of the monastries. The Commons was expanded.

THE ELTON THESIS

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