Tim Hinckley 08-12-19

‘Henry VII’s reforms in government were limited both in scope and success’ ATVOTV

Plan:

Intro:

 ‘The main reforms of Henry VII’s government were…’

 Include context/ reasons for reforms!

P1:

 One reform was the Star Chamber Act…

 They were limited in scope and success because…

P2:

 Another reform was the Council Learned in Law…

 They were limited in scope and success because…

P3:

 Another reform was to the use of JPs…

 They were limited in scope and success because…
‘Henry VII’s reforms in government were limited both in scope and success’ ATVOTV

Throughout his reign, Henry VII introduced various reforms to government to strengthen royal
government and to increase his authority. These included the Council Learned in Law, the Star
Chamber Act and the use of Justice’s of the Peace. In many ways these were effective, however,
to some extent, Henry’s governmental reforms were limited in both scope and success.
One governmental reform was the Star Chamber Act. Set up in 1487, the Star Chamber Act was
responsible for prosecuting anyone who behaved in a rebellious or lawless manner. Those
suspected of unruly behaviour would be taken to court to be judged by members of the Royal
Council: made up of the King’s closest advisers. With nobles holding such power, Henry’s
intention was for the Star Chamber to be used as a method of controlling his leading subjects.
Despite it appearing as an efficient court, the Star Chamber was significantly limited in both
scope and success. The Star Chamber was hardly used to deal with Nobles as the benefits of
other methods greatly outweighed those of the Star Chamber. Therefore, Henry opted to
neglect the Star Chamber by dealing with Nobles through financial restrictions, including
Attainders and Financial controls. These would successfully weaken the nobles while
simultaneously generating an income to the crown, making it a favourable choice compared to
the Star Chamber: offering no more than just the elimination of nobles. The limited use of the
Star Chamber is highlighted through the shortage of records, making it unclear whether a single
noble was tried. However, the Star Chamber saw lots of use under Henry VIII, suggesting that,
although ineffective in achieving Henry VII’s aims, it’s structure could make for a highly effective
court. Therefore, the Star Chamber Act was limited in scope and success.
Another governmental reform was the Council Learned in Law. The Council Learned in Law was
introduced in 1495 to defend Henry’s position as a feudal landlord and maintain the King’s
revenue. Members of the council had legal training, acting as investigators and judges in cases
where there was suspicion of a nobleman not paying his debts to the king. The leading figures
of the Council Learned in Law: Sir Reginald Bray, Edmund Dudley and Richard Empson were
hated and feared across the country due to their ruthlessness. This was demonstrated
especially towards the end of Henry VII’s reign as Empson and Dudley created a system of spies,
looking for signs of violation among wealthy people. To some extent, the Council Learned in
Law was successful as, due to the aggressive nature of the enforcers, the nobles were
encouraged to act within the law and pay their debts. Therefore, this significantly increased
Henry’s royal authority as well as reducing the power of the wealthy. However, its success was
limited as, due to the hatred surrounding it, the Council Learned in Law was abolished
immediately after Henry VII’s death, in 1509. Epson and Dudley were both imprisoned and
executed having been convicted of treason. Evidently, this faced more limitations than the Star
Chamber Act, as, although successful at combating nobles, it caused unrest – resulting in its
immediate abolition. Therefore, the Council Learned in Law was limited both in scope and
success.
Furthermore, another governmental reform was changes to the roles of Justices of the Peace
(JP’s). As a replacement for Sheriff’s, Henry VII increased the powers of JP’s, making them chief
local government officers. They were responsible for maintaining order in their areas as well as
executing legislation. Selected JP’s were chosen directly by the king: a safety measure that
Henry would take to ensure their trust. Throughout his reign, Henry introduced further powers
to the JP’s role. In 1487, JP’s were given the power to grant bail to those awaiting trial.
Furthermore, in 1495, JP’s were given the authority to deal with juries that were considered to
be corrupted. To some extent, the changes of power to JP’s were successful as it gave Henry a
tighter grip on areas of the country outside London. Therefore, this increased Henry’s royal
authority, showing success in his governmental reforms. However, the scope and success of the
reforms to JP’s were limited as, in the 1497 Cornish Rebellion, JP’s were ineffective as they
were unable to identify and suppress the large-scale uprising. This allowed the rebellion to
attract support, amounting to 15,000 men in total, and march as far as London. This
demonstrated a significant weakness in Henry’s reforms to JP’s in local government as, with the
rebellion being so close to London, it could have potentially challenged the crown. Therefore,
Henry’s changes to the roles of JP’s were limited in both scope and success.
Overall, although having some success, Henry’s reforms to government were limited in both
scope and success. The Star Chamber Act, introduced to tackle Nobles, was limited in scope and
success as Henry neglected it in order to take forward other, more favourable options.
Furthermore, the Council Learned in Law was limited in scope and success as, although
effective at forcing payments from nobles, it was wildly unpopular – resulting in its abolition
immediately after Henry’s death. The changes to the roles of JP’s were limited in scope and
success as, despite increasing Henry’s royal authority around the country, they were massively
ineffective when it came to maintaining order in the countryside, demonstrated in the Cornish
Rebellion. Therefore, Henry’s governmental reforms were limited in both scope and success.