The Government of Henry VII

 Acts of Parliament – statue laws – best laws
 Agreement of lords spiritual, temporal and key
commoners
 Established part of government
 But not necessary for King to govern
 Called intermittently, as needed




Primarily to raise extra-ordinary taxation
Also granted customs duties for life
Pass Acts of Attainder
Pass important laws – consent of political classes

 Consultative body
 All nobles, councillors and
burgesses
 Representatives of political
classes of whole country
 Called five times by
Henry VII
 Between 1487 and 1502

 Advised King on matters of state, administration
of law and order
 Varied in number and who was present
 Whoever was available when necessary
 Henry rarely present himself
 Loyalty most important attribute for members
 Divided into specific councils, or committees as
necessary

 Established 1495
 After treason involving high ranking member of Henry VII’s
Household
 Sir William Stanley etc
 At heart of Household
 Saw king at most private, intimate
 Massive potential for influence his decisions
 Chamber servants low status
 Not members of nobility
 Henry VII increasingly withdrew into Privy Chamber

 Various established to tackle
specific issues
 Most (in)famous: Council Learned
 Established 1495
 Ensure king received all feudal
dues and entitlements
 Supervised collection of bonds
and recognisances
 Operated without jury/ chance
of appeal

 Established as necessary to investigate and deal with
specific issues
 Oyer and Terminer was permanent
 Power to hear certain judicial cases
 As thought necessary by King
 Commission of the Peace
 Supplement other courts as necessary
 No legal training necessary to be named as part of
commission
 Though usually had one or two lawyers

 Henry II’s circuits now twice yearly
 Meantime JPs dealt with law and order and enforcing
King’s will
 Important local link between Crown and counties
 Chosen by the King
 Directly accountable to him
 Chosen from second tier of landowners
 First Tier: Nobles
dukes, earls, lords
 Second Tier: Gentry
Sir ….
 Third Tier: Yeomen
Master (Mr)

 1487: Star Chamber Act
 Established tribunal to hear cases against nobility
 Especially who broke law against Livery & Maintenance
and Retaining
 Also complaints against abuses of privilege
 In practice met rarely
 Died out
 But Council Learned in Law lasted
 And oversaw punitive measures against leading subjects
 Bonds and recognisances

 Council of the North
 Governed the north of England
 Although most of north governed
by council established in midlands
 Run by Margaret Beaufort
 Council of the Western Marches
 Oversaw Welsh borderlands
 Western Marches nominally run by Prince Arthur
 But Lord Stanley exercised a lot of control there

Chancery
 Court at Westminster
 Feudal land disputes
 Petitions of right
 Although King couldn’t be
sued, mistakes were
acknowledged
 Chancery dealt with them
and king would make
voluntary restitution
Equity
 Equity: king’s right to
dispense justice when
common law deficient
 E.g. when defendant
very powerful locally
 E.g. in grey areas
between canon and
common law