Government and the church (patronage/The Counsel)

Government and the Church

Patronage

King clearly did not rule alone- he relied on all his royal servants (Nobels, churchmen, gentry and lawyers) to carry out central and local government to represent him at the European courts.

In return to this they expected Royal patronage- such as land grants, titles, offices, salaries, fee, and commissions.

The Counsel

Counsel=centre of H's gov since he ruled through his counsel by issuing decrees and proclaimations.
Counsel advised H and acted as Court of Law.
Despite this importance, the Counsel was a flexibile body with few procedures or formal rules- when he went on his progress he designated some counsellors to travel with him while others stayed at Westminister to manage the ordinary business of gov.

During reign, 227 men  recorded attending Counsel- although H only consulted only an inner core of six or seven trusted and close…