Controlling nobility was important to Henry and arguably posed to be one of the biggest challenges he faced. He relied on them for a number of reasons but he also knew the importance of keeping them under control, since they had been responsible in part for overthrowing the last three kings at one time or another.
As well as financial policies, he also passed a number of non-financial policies, which contributed to the change in relations between the nobles and the crown during his reign. Henrys complex financial policies were important in his control of the nobility.For example, he used bonds and recognaisances, which were raised for political and financial purposes, to restrain the power of his nobility. Between 1504 and 1508, ? 50,000 per annum was collected from the bonds, which shows that they obviously contained power in controlling nobles.
Another device that Henry used were feudal dues. Wardships were the feudal due which most irked the nobility since it gave the king control of a nobles’ land and it also gave the king control over the marriage of there children, which if the heir was a female could mean that the family lost control of its land entirely.His careful management of crown lands is another example of how Henry’s power over his nobility rested on his successful financial policies. Henry had more crown land than previous monarchs, some lands were confiscated under the acts of attainder and others were reclaimed after the acts of resumption. This secured control and authority over England, and by 1508 his annual income from royal estates had rose from ? 12,000 in 1486 to ? 42,000. Finally, Henry used attainders and fines to avoid wars caused by nobles, which had caused problems to previous monarchs.
Henry used Acts of Attainders to declare a nobleman guilty of a crime against the crown. The noble might be imprisoned and the attainted family lost titles and the right to inherit land. In 1485 and 1504, he used this policy to declare 56 noblemen guilty of crimes against the crown. From these acts Henry was able to gain huge amounts of income which increased his fragile control over the nobility.
In addition, Henry also used fines, from Profits of Justice, to avoid war.These came from the enforcement of law and order and were paid directly to the crown, became another way for Henry to make money and improve his finances whilst also controlling nobility. Although Henry’s financial policies were a big factor in his control of nobility, he also used many non-financial policies to control nobility. Firstly, his laws against retaining (the practice by which a noble kept a large number of staff, supposedly as servants but really for use as a private army) were important in controlling nobles.
In both 1486 and 1504, Parliament passed acts of livery and maintenance that outlawed this illegal retaining.The second act forced nobles to pay a liscence fee from the king before they could retain large numbers of servants and then fined them if they failed to comply. This meant that although this wasn’t a financial policy, Henry did make money from the liscence fee paid by nobles to retain and from fines that were paid if they failed to comply. These acts gave the King, rather than his nobles, the power to decide whether retaining was illegal, which decreased the importance or power of the nobility.Secondly, the promotion of ‘new men’ due to the significant change in relationship between the crown and nobles during Henry’s reign, was another way that he controlled the nobility. As the system of government became more active and centralized under Henry, the gentry became more important than the nobles, who became skilled administrators due to their legal training.
Henry adopted the policy of promoting men of ability, rather than of noble birth – he needed men who could administrate effectively.The kings reliance on service and Counsel from such socially low-born ministers, rather than the noble class, meant that the nobility lost a lot of its importance and therefore allowed Henry to gain more control over them. In conclusion, I think Henry’s financial policies were the main way that he controlled the nobility between 1485 and 1509 because they tended to be harsher than his other methods of control. The policies frightened the nobility, so that they wouldn’t dare to be disloyal by using harsh measures, such as fines and laws against them, such as retaining, which strengthened Henry’s position over them and weakened there authority.
