One of Henry’s goals during his reign was to restore the authority of the crown, which had been severely eroded during the War of the Roses. One of the major problems faced by Henry was that there were too many nobles. As a result of the system known as bastard feudalism, many English nobles had what amounted to private armies of indentured retainers who were actually mercenaries masquerading as servants.
Domestic Policy During the Reign of Henry VII
Henry was willing to allow the English nobility to exercise regional influence so long as they remained loyal to the crown. For example the Stanley family controlled Lancashire and Cheshire, where they were allowed to keep the peace so long as they stayed within the bounds of the law. However, there were some instances where Henry was forced to bring too-powerful nobles to heel. He did this by issuing royal decrees and passing laws against the wearing of livery and maintenance, or the keeping of large numbers of male servants. Henry used these laws to collect fines from any noble that he perceived to be a threat.
However, Henry’s primary weapon for keeping the English nobility in line was the Court of Star Chamber. The implementation of the Court of Star Chamber revived the practice of using a small and trusted group of royal favourites and members of the Privy Council as a personal or Prerogative Court. The Court of Star Chamber was used to cut through the slow and cumbersome legal system quickly, when it became necessary to deal with abuses of personal power or threats to royal authority.
Henry also used Justices of the Peace on a wide scale. For example a Justice of the Peace could replace a suspect judge, in accordance with a royal decree issued in 1495 preventing the corrupting of juries. Justices of the Peace during the reign of Henry VII were also charged with administrative duties such as checking weights and measures. By 1509, the Justices of the Peace had become critical enforcers of law and order in England. During the reign of Henry VII, Justices of the Peace were unpaid, which made them a cost-effective police force. However, many nobles were will to donate their time to serve as a Justice of the Peace, which they saw as a position of prestige and influence. Overall, the Justices of the Peace were successful in reducing the corruption that was endemic among the nobility in the Middle Ages.
The Late Reign of Henry VII
In 1502, Henry’s heir, and his oldest son, Arthur Tudor, died suddenly at Ludlow Castle. Following his death, his younger brother, Henry Tudor, then the Duke of York and the future Henry VIII, became his father’s heir. At the same time, Henry VII wanted to maintain friendly relations with Spain and arranged a Papal dispensation from Pope Julius II so that his son, Henry, could marry Catherine of Aragon.
In 1503, Elizabeth of York, the wife of Henry VII, died in childbirth and Henry received a second dispensation so that he could marry Catherine of Aragon himself.
After obtaining these dispensations from the Catholic Church, Henry began to have second thoughts concerning the marriage of Catherine of Aragon to Henry Tudor. Catherine’s mother, Queen Isabella of Castile, had died and Catherine’s sister, Juana had become Queen when her husband, Philip I, ascended to the Spanish throne as the ruler of the newly unified Kingdom of Spain. Catherine was now the only daughter of the King of Aragon, and as result she was no longer considered a desirable match for Henry VIII. The marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon did eventually take place, but not while Henry VII was alive.
The Death of Henry VII
Henry VII made further plans to marry, but these plans never came to fruition even though he was sufficiently interested in a marriage to the Dowager Queen of Naples to send an embassy to report on her physical attributes in 1505. Henry VII died as a result of complications of asthma and gout at Richmond Palace on April 21, 1509. Following his death, Henry VII was succeeded by his son, Henry VIII, whose reign would result in the establishment of the Church of England. Henry VII was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Sources
Ashley, Mike. British Kings and Queens. Robinson:London.1998.
Terry Long - I hold degrees in history and journalism. In addition to my contributions to Suite 101, I have also written for the Brampton Bulletin, the ...
Join the Conversation