Table Of ContentENGLISH HISTORICAL FACTS
1485-1603
Other titles already published
BRITISH HISTORICAL FACTS 1830-1900 (Chris Cook and Brendan Keith)
EUROPEAN POLITICAL FACTS 1848-1918 (Chris Cook and John Paxton)
EUROPEAN POLITICAL FACTS 1918-1973 (Chris Cook and John Paxton)
in preparation
BRITISH HISTORICAL FACTS 1603-1688 (Chris Cook and John Wroughton)
BRITISH HISTORICAL FACTS 1760-1830 (Chris Cook and John Stevenson)
EUROPEAN POLITICAL FACTS 1789-1848 (Chris Cook and John Paxton)
Other books by Chris Cook
THE AGE OF ALIGNMENT: ELECTORAL POLITICS IN BRITAIN 1922-1929
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE LIBERAL PARTY 1900-1976
By-ELECTIONS IN BRITISH POLITICS (ed. with John Ramsden)
THE POLITICS OF REAPPRAISAL 1918-1939 (ed. with Gillian Peele)
THE DECADE OF DISILLUSION (ed. with David McKie)
THE LONGMAN ATLAS OF MODERN BRITISH HISTORY 1700-1970 (with John
Stevenson)
CRISIS AND CONTROVERSY: ESSAYS IN HONOUR OF A. J. P. TAYLOR (ed. with
Alan Sked)
SOURCES IN BRITISH POLITICAL HISTORY 1900-1951 (with Philip Jones et al.)
THE SLUMP: SOCIETY AND POLITICS DURING THE DEPRESSION (with John
Stevenson)
ENGLISH
HISTORICAL FACTS
1485-1603
Ken Powell and Chris Cook
© Ken Powell and Chris Cook 1977
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1977
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without permission
Firstpublished 1977 by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
London and Basingstoke
Associated companies in Delhi
Dublin Hong Kong Johannesburg Lagos
Melbourne New York Singapore and Tokyo
ISBN 978-1-349-01915-1 ISBN 978-1-349-01913-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-01913-7
This book is sold subject
to the standard conditions
of the Net Book Agreement
CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgements vii
Crown and Central Government
The Monarchy and the Household
The Privy Council 14
The Seals and the Secretary 18
Royal Finance 23
2 Parliament
Introductory Note 27
Composition 27
Parliamentary Sessions 35
Franchise and Qualifications 36
Officers of the House 36
The Growth of Privilege and Procedure 38
3 The Judicature and the Courts
In trod ucti on 41
The Ancient Courts 42
King's Bench
Common Pleas
Chancery
Exchequer
The Conciliar Courts 45
Star Chamber
Requests
Admiralty
High Commission
4 Local Government
Introduction 50
Justices of the Peace 56
Regional Councils 58
Assizes 73
Minor Courts 76
Lords Lieutenant 77
5 The Church
Introduction 83
v
CONTENTS
The English Dioceses 95
Administration
Principal Dioceses and their Bishops
The Religious Orders 101
Chronology 106
The Bible 130
6 Education
Schools 135
Introduction
Major Foundations and Refoundations
Chronology
Universities 140
Introduction
College Foundations
Chancellors of Oxford
Chancellors of Cambridge
Chronology
The Inns of Court 148
Literature and Learning 150
Introduction
Chronology of Books Published
7 War, Rebellion and Diplomacy
The Army 155
Weapons and Armaments 157
The Tudor Navy 158
Internal Rebellions 160
Invasions and Attempted Invasions of England 162
Expeditions 164
English Treaties 168
8 Scotland and Ireland
Chronology of Events in Scotland 172
Chronology of Events in Ireland 176
9 Tudor Economic Legislation
Introduction 179
Agricultural Legislation 179
The Poor Law 181
Gilds, Towns and Industries, Wages 184
Overseas Trade and Commerce 187
Coinage, Prices, Usury and Monopolies 192
10 Population and the Growth of Towns 197
11 Selected Tudor Biographies 206
Bibliographical Note 221
vi
PREFACE AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This volume has attempted to present, within a single medium-sized book, a
reference work on Tudor history that will be of value to teachers, to students
and to research workers in this important period of English history. Within
this book we have attempted to bring together as many of the important
historical facts as can be reasonably assembled. Inevitably, however, no book
of this type can be entirely comprehensive. In some areas (such as royal
finance or estimates of Tudor population) the data is unreliable or indeed
non-existent. Reasons of space also dictate the amount of information that
can be presented.
In any book of this sort, the compilers owe a deep debt both to existing
published works and to individual scholars who have offered help and advice.
The chapter on war, rebellion and diplomacy was compiled by Stephen
Brooks. David Starkey and Lira Winston offered much informed advice.
Dr. Anita Travers offered much valuable advice based on her expert know
ledge of Tudor economic policy. A very special debt is owed to Professor
A. G. Dickens, who gave very valuable advice at the outset. Professor Joel
Hurstfield also offered advice on specialist points.
Finally, we would like to appeal to scholars and others working in this
field to point out any omissions or errors in this book, so that the volume
may be expanded or enlarged in future editions.
Ken Powell
Chris Cook
April 1977
vii
1 CROWN AND CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT
THE MONARCHY AND THE HOUSEHOLD
THE MONARCHY
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF THE TUDOR MONARCHS
Henry VII (1485-1509)
Born at Pembroke Castle, 28 January 1457, the son of Edmund Tudor (Earl
of Richmond) and of Margaret Beaufort (great-granddaughter of John of
Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the third son of King Edward III). Henry VII
was proclaimed King on Bosworth Field by Sir William Stanley (22 August
1485). Subsequently crowned (30 October 1485) by the Archbishop of
Canterbury (Cardinal Bourchier). On 18 January 1486, Henry married
Elizabeth Plantagenet (born 11 February 1466), the eldest daughter of King
Edward IV. Henry VII died on 21 April 1509 at Richmond.
The marriage produced the following children:
(1) Arthur: Prince Arthur was born on 20 September 1486. To his
original title of Duke of Cornwall were added the style of
Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester (29 November 1489).
On 14 November 1501 he married the Infanta, Katherine
of Aragon (daughter of Ferdinand V of Spain). Arthur
died, without issue, on 2 April 1502.
(2) Margaret: Princess Margaret was born on 29 November 1489. She
married King James IV of Scotland (8 August 1503). Her
first child (James V, King of Scotland) was born on 15
April 1512. Her husband, James IV, died at Flodden Field
(9 September 1513). Princess Margaret died on 18 October
1541.
(3) Henry: Prince Henry (Henry VIII after 1509) was born on 28 June
1491 at Greenwich. On the death of his brother (Prince
Arthur) he assumed the title of Duke of Cornwall. Created
Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, 18 February 1504.
For biographical details when King, see below.
I
ENGLISH HISTORICAL FACTS 1485-1603
(4) Mary: Born in March 1496. She married King Louis XII of France
on 9 October 1514. Louis XII died only a short time later
(on 1 January 1515) and there were no children of the
marriage. Mary was married a second time (on 13 May
1515) to Sir Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Mary died
on 25 June 1533; Suffolk on 22 February 1545.
(5) Edmund: Born 21/22 February 1499. Created Duke of Somerset, the
young Prince died on 19 June 1500.
The other children of Henry VII also died in infancy.
Henry VIII (1509-47)
Born at Greenwich, 28 June 1491, the son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of
York. Succeeded to the throne, 22 April 1509. Crowned on 24 June, 1509.
Died, 28 January 1547. In all, Henry made six marriages. These were
(1) 11 June 1509, Katherine of Aragon
Henry's marriage to Katherine, the widow of his deceased brother,
Arthur, produced four children, who died almost at once, and Mary,
who was born on 18 February 1516, and was crowned Queen of Eng
land on 30 November 1553. The marriage to Katherine was declared
null and void on 23 May 1533. The marriage was subsequently 'utterly
dissolved' in March 1534 by Act of Parliament (25 Hen. VIII c.22).
Katherine herself died on 8 January 1536
(2) 25 January 1533, Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, subsequently
created Earl of Wiltshire and Ormonde. The marriage to Henry was
declared valid on 28 May 1533. There were two children of the marriage.
(i) a son, the Duke of Cornwall, was born in November 1534, but
died in infancy.
(ii) Elizabeth, who acceded to the throne on 17 November 1558.
The marriage was declared invalid (17 May 1536) and Anne Boleyn
was executed on 19 May 1536.
(3) 30 May 1536, Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was the daughter of Sir John Seymour. The Queen died
on 24 October 1537, having given birth to a son, Edward VI (q.v.).
(4) 6 January 1540, Anne of Cleves
Anne was the daughter of John, Duke of Cleves. Henry annulled the
marriage on 9 July 1540. Anne died in Chelsea on 17 July 1557.
(5) 28 July 1540, Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and
niece of the Duke of Norfolk. She was beheaded on 13 February 1542.
(6) 12 July 1543, Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal. She
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