Lisa L. Ford Phd Thesis
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CONCILIAR POLITICS AND ADMINISTRATION IN THE REIGN OF HENRY VII Lisa L. Ford A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2001 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/7121 This item is protected by original copyright Conciliar Politics and Administration in the Reign of Henry VII Lisa L. Ford A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of St. Andrews April 2001 DECLARATIONS (i) I, Lisa Lynn Ford, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 100,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. Signature of candidate' (ii) I was admitted as a reseach student in January 1996 and as a candidate for the degree of Ph.D. in January 1997; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St. Andrews between 1996 and 2001. / 1 Date: ') -:::S;{:}'(j. )fJ1;;/ Signature of candidate: 1/ - / i (iii) I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Ph.D. in the University of St. Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date \ (If (Ls-> 1 Signature of supervisor: (iv) In submitting this thesis to the University of St. Andrew I I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker. / I Date: ? J2 'i) L/ <£CI/ Signature of candidate: / II © Lisa L. Ford 2001 3 ABSTRACT Since Elton's commentary on the absence of critical study of the early Tudor council in 1964, some progress has been made towards a wider, fuller, more detailed understanding of Henry VII's council and where it fits-or does not-into the development of council under the Tudors. However, the early Tudor council remains something of an enigma. Added to that is recent interest by late medieval historians in just how much power Henry VII exercised in the operation of his councils. Was Henry ruling, or were his bureaucratic counsellors ruling him? A reexamination of the various Elizabethan/Jacobean council extracts, as well as the examination of data contained in a wide variety of primary documents, such as the chamber account books, petitions, privy seal warrants and view books, provides evidence with which to suggest a more precisely defined and better organized council than that previously established for the first Tudor monarch, and also to demonstrate that Henry VII was actively involved in the business ofthe protean forms of that council, at Westminster or away. This thesis hopefully advances the picture ofthe conciliar and administrative matrix which was governing under Henry VII, its component parts, including an embryonic privy council, the personnel of that council, the systems through which conciliar business was developed, and the king's position at the head of that council in the most literal sense. Contents Acknowledgments 11 Abbreviations v Quotations and References V11 Introduction IX Chapter 1 Henry VII and 'Privy' Council 1 Chapter 2 King and Plenary Council: the 'unreformed' council 59 Chapter 3 Council Learned: The 'privatised' council? 98 Chapter 4 Conciliar adaptations and expansion, c. 1497-1509 151 Conclusion 197 Appendix 1: Itinerary for Henry VII/Privy Seal 205 Bibliography 284 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have been extremely supportive in the production of this thesis, through moral support, technical assistance, advice or critique. Certainly I am most profoundly grateful to Professor John Guy, who managed to balance a relentlessness towards getting me to produce the best possible work, with constructive criticism and encouragement, always tempered by humour, and for all his help in every aspect of shaping my academic future. Professor Hamish Scott has been ever-supportive, concerned and actively helpful in the process ofthesis completion, and quick to offer valuable assistance which has often saved my sanity. I am also very grateful to Professor David Cressy for getting me started on this road in the first place, and for offering support and some critically needed encouragement at the end. Not the least of my helpers in providing encouragement, coffee, sympathy, psychological help, humour and much, much more are the secretaries of the Modem History Department; Lorna, Norma, Elsie and Marjorie. This thesis would have been a harder task without the assistance of the many archivists and employees of the various treasure houses of public archive. The men and women who cheerfully produced the documents at the Public Record Office for me, and occasionally sidestepped protocol in order to help a struggling student with time constraints have my eternal gratitude. My thanks also to the friendly and helpful archivists of the British Library and the Westminster Munirnents, particularly Dr. Richard Mortimer of this last for carrying a grant of Edward IV's across the Thames on a drizzling day in order to get it to a place with a UV light, and for letting me in even after I had forgotten the appropriate letters. The Canterbury archivists were 11 also an incredibly helpful and eager lot, and I am grateful for their special suggestions on potential sources. To my officemates, Alan Bryson, Natalie Mears, Andrew Johnston, and Heather Huntley, my sincere gratitude for dealing patiently with my nervous energy, and enthusiastically in discussions of Tudor politics, counsel, council and all other matters historical. To Steve Alford, my thanks for reading essays, giving advice, and generally cheering on the effort. I also am grateful for discussions with Margaret Condon and Dr. Stephen Gunn, both of whom helped me refine my views or discover valuable avenues to explore. My 'patrons' in the pursuit ofhigher education, Candace Cronwall and Jeff Perry in Long Beach, and Marc and Lisa Jason in London, who have clothed, fed, housed, and generally encouraged a sometimes weary and debilitated student also deserve a large share in the credit for my arrival at this goal without having succumbed to madness, and for rescuing the starving student. I am also grateful to Grant and Janet Lewison, whose comfortable, relaxing home has been a haven to return to after long, weary days at the PRO. My family has always been there in the background, often not sure of what exactly is going on, but ever ready to support the outcome. I am grateful to my grandfather, Bruce Johnsey, and his wife, Alice for the phone calls, love, support, and quiet periods of recuperation provided me in my visits home. I credit my grandfather as a source of my love of enquiry, as his profound natural curiosity is matched by an unstinting will to seek out the answers to his questions. To Mom, many thanks for your pride in me, your support and encouragement, and your certainty that I would get this done. To Dad and Judy, thanks for the beliefthat I was doing what was right for me, your efforts to connect with Henry, including that long discussion of Tudor III genealogy while driving to Los Angeles to get me to my plane, and the sympathy and support that helped me get back on my feet and over that last hurdle. To all my sisters, many thanks: Kim, for your desire to understand, including your attendance at that hilarious presentation in which an X-men figure loomed large, and offers to beat up my critics, Denise, for your wonderful emails which made a good day out of many a bad one, and Christine, for time out from academics to wander in San Francisco, Paris and London and just enjoy your company. I am grateful to all my family for their efforts to participate in this endeavor, particularly that memorable conference in Pacific Grove in which your smiling or puzzled faces in that audience of eager Early Modem historians made the day so much more worthwhile, and showed me that, despite my eccentricity, you genuinely wished to understand and support my passions. iv Abbreviations Add. MS Additional Manuscripts, British Museum BL British Library, London. CIPM Calendar ofInquisitions Post Mortem and other analagous documents: Henry VII (3 Vols; London, 1898-1955). CCR Calendar of Close Rolls: Henry VII (2 Vols; London, 1955-63). CPR Calendar ofPatent Rolls, Henry VII (2 Vols; London, 1914-16). CSP Milan Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts existing in the archives ofMilan, ed. A. B. Hinds, (London, 1912). CSP Spanish and Calendar ofLetters, Despatches, and State Papers, CSP Spanish, Supp relating to the negotiations between England and Spain, ed. G.A. Bergenroth (13 Vols.; London, 1862-1954) CSP Venetian Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts, relating to English affairs, existing in the archives and collections of Venice, ed. R. Brown, (38 Vols.; London, 1864-1947). DNB Dictonary ofNational Biography, ed. Leslie Stephen and Stanley Lee (63 vols; London,1885-1900). DL Duchy of Lancaster EETS Early English Text Society f(f) folio(s) v HLEL Ellesmere MSS Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California MS(S) Manuscript( s) PRO Public Record Office, London. RP Rotuli Parliamentorum (6 Vols.; London, 1767-77). REQ Requests SP State Papers STC A short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and ofEnglish books printed abroad 1475-1640 eds.