Henry Viii Influences On British Society

In The Sixteenth Century Essay, Research Paper

Henry VIII: Influence on British Society in the Sixteenth Century

Final Outline

Henry VIII: British Society in the Sixteenth Century

I. Influence on royal court

A. Titles

B. Serfdoms

C. Taxes

II. Influence on nobles

A. Castles

B. Garrisons

III. Influence on peasants

A. Serfs

B. Taxes

C. Welfare of common people

1. Farmers

2. Workers

IV. Influence on diplomacy

A. France

B. Scotland

C. Ireland

Fifty-six years, six wives, eight children, and a horrible disease that consumed his life. Sound like a horrible ruler to you. Henry VIII was one of the most influential and greatest rulers ever known in Britain, or the world alike. His royal court was the center of attention for all Renaissance culture, and his kingdom prospered and grew, in ways never dreamed of before. He introduced the Protestant religion into Britain, and even forced it with the act of supremacy, which declared the crown as head of church and state. He was educated to become a clergyman, but when all other qualified rulers died in his family, the crown was passed to him. His father, Henry VII, and mother, Elizabeth of York, never intended Henry to be King. Henry reigned from 1509, to his death in 1547.

One of his major accomplishments was his alteration of the royal court. Before Henry VIII, titles were divided on basis of family. Henry changed that to make it so anyone, with enough money, could hold a title in Britain. Titles before Henry VIII were few, and many people were simply commoners, even the rich. Henry first divided the high powered titles of Duke, Prince, and Earl, into a new system, providing more titles and splitting up more land. At the bottom of the list came the Lord title. The title of Lord was more a form of address for a marquis, earl, viscount, baron, or a younger son of a duke, marquis, or bishop. Next was the Baronet. This was a special hereditary rank, above Knight, and below Baron. Baronets were required to pay 1,080 pounds for their privilege. Then came the Baron/Baroness. This was the lowest form of the peerage. This was usually applied to tenants-in-chief, the holders of land granted to them directly by the King. Then the Viscount/Viscountess. This was the rank below earl, and above baron. Originally a viscount was a sheriff of a shire and the Earl’s deputy. The Earl (Count/Countess) was the chief royal representative in the shires. The Marquis/Marchioness was the rank above an earl, and below a duke. It was the Marquis’s job to oversee the shires, and assure the King of the Earl’s work. The highest rank, below the King himself, was the Duke/Duchess. The Duke was the grand overseer of a group of shires. He employed the ranks below him to control the shires. All ranks below reported directly to the Duke/Duchess who reported to the King. The title of King changed with Henry VIII as well. Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was denied an annulment by the pope. When this was denied, Henry made all loyal subjects swear to the Act of Supremacy. This act declared the King’s crown head of church and state. Henry’s sole purpose in this was to obtain a new wife who might bear him the son he yearned for. Those who chose not to swear to the act were executed.

Another area Henry did away with was Serfdoms. Before Henry VIII, Serfdoms were large and wide spread, and controlled by one Lord. The serfs were horribly oppressed, and no laws were set that would affect those who committed crimes against serfs. Henry created the Manorial Lordship, doing away with the Serfdoms for the most part. A Manorial Lordship was purchased, not given. The title allowed the purchaser, typically a Knight, to a small part of a shire. The people living inside it, were meant only to pay a small tax, and not forced into labor. The Lord then would build a castle, hire tenants-in-chiefs, and run his Manor. Manorial Lordships quickly spread throughout the country, and people became more free, and happier.

Another topic that Henry addressed was taxes. Taxes in Britain at the time were only from those who controlled shires, for they received their taxes from the people under control of them. With the abolition of serfdoms, and the input of Manorial Lordships, the Manorial Lord, and the King took taxes from the serf. Though this may seem to be more taxes, the actual fee given to the Manorial Lord was quite low, and the King less, so as to lessen taxes from the serfdom days. The King also collected tax from the Manorial Lord, and other titled nobles. This fee was dependent on the privileges and land of the title.

With the creation of new titles, mainly those being purchased, rather than being hereditarily transferred, Nobles sprouted out of Britain, at a rate never seen before. Unlike Scotland in this time, the Nobles were relatively peaceful, and got along rather well. One guess as to why this was was that Henry could not stand his own Nobleman acting like savages and fighting with each other. With the implementation of Manorial Lordships, and the abolition of Serfdoms, Nobles were faced with a new problem, who to build their castles. Castle building before Henry was left to serfs, and not paid for at all by the Baron himself. It was expected of the serfs t

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