Charlie Fenton’s Reviews > Daring Dynasty: Custom, Conflict and Control in Early-Tudor England > Status Update

‘some historians have suggested that Henry’s cloistering of Edward was done to avoid the growth of factions at court, it was most likely for the same reason his father had protected him: a precaution to keep the sole male heir from harm while the king began seeking a new fertile queen and another son. In fact, that is what his father did after the death of Elizabeth of York, combing the Continent for a new bride.‘

‘The king’s annual gross revenue from all traditional sources near the end of his reign (including £40,000 in “ordinary” revenue) has been calculated at £104,863 - an amount extremely close to the estimate, mentioned above, by the Milanese envoy in 1499. If that is the case, Dudley was potentially responsible on average for an additional 50 per cent per annum over and above the king’s expected income‘

‘With increasing intensity during Henry VII’s reign, searches were carried out to scrutinise records involving local jurisdictions, including court proceedings and bonds taken for judicial purposes such as appearance and keeping the peace. In the mind of the king and his councillors, all courts were the king’s courts. Indeed, a statute in his last parliament affirmed this for the city of London.’

‘At the death of Bray in August 1503, Empson was an accomplished councillor of the king and a leading minister in the duchy of Lancaster. He was already sitting in the courts of requests and star chamber, and in February 1504 he became a knight of the Bath when the future Henry VIII was created prince of Wales.’

‘Although Dudley acted as his personal bond minister, with Empson in a similar position overseeing the working councillors for day-to-day activities, the king directed the overall policy. He accomplished this through his councillors, who like Dudley worked from books and lists of obligations due to the crown, usually in specific areas of prerogative rights or judicial fines owed to the king.‘

It turns out I have actually already read some of these chapters already, they were published in a few journals and I read them for my university essay on Henry VII last year. Still great essays and very well researched, good to have them in print as you need a subscription to access the journals.

‘One significant image of the shape-shifting first Tudor, supported by mounting evidence, is that of the hands-on ruler who, working directly through trusted and competent ministers, officials and servants, actively prosecuted the laws of the realm to secure not only a more orderly, law-abiding society but also a potentially enormous source of royal revenue previously untapped with any regularity’

‘during Buckingham’s futile rebellion against Richard, Henry signed a debt of 10,000 crowns owed to Duke Francis of Brittany to provision an invasion force. Henry signed his name “henry of Richemont”, and though there are suggestions that he also signed documents “H R” for Henricus Rex while abroad, this debt should therefore not be construed as vacillating between reality and wishful thinking.‘