6. The Structure of Government in Tudor England, 1509-88

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we consider the question ‘To what extent did the structure of government change in the years 1509-88?’, focusing in particular on: (i) the important ways in which the structure of government didn’t change in this period; (ii) the decline of regional magnates in the north of England, Wales and Ireland, and the increasing use of councils (e.g. Council of the North) and crown servants (e.g. Lord Deputies in Ireland); (iii) the incorporation of Wales into the realm of England in the Acts of Union in 1536 and 1543; (iv) Henry’s policy of ‘surrender and regrant’ in Ireland; (v) the more aggressive approaches to the ‘Protestantisation’ of Ireland taken by Henry’s successors, including the confiscation of land and the establishment of plantations; (vi) the creation of the Privy Council, and to extent to which this was (as historian Geoffrey Elton described it) a “revolution in government”; and (vii) the reorganisation of the military to bring it more directly under the control of the monarch, first with muster commissions and then with the development of Lord Lieutenancies.

Course

In this course, Dr Natalie Mears (Durham University) explores political culture and religion in Tudor England through six key questions: (1) How significant was the gender of the monarch during the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth?; (2) How far do you agree that the main turning point in the fortunes of Protestantism in England in the years 1529–88 was the Elizabethan compromise?; (3) To what extent did the role of parliament change in the years 1558-88, during the reign of Elizabeth I?; (4) Was the influence of Henry VIII’s ministers the main reason the English Church was reformed in the years 1529-40?; (5) Wolsey and Cromwell were Henry VIII’s chief ministers in the years 1514-40. To what extent did royal power grow in the years 1514-40?; and (6) To what extent did the structure of government change in the years 1509-88?

Lecturer

Dr Natalie Mears is Associate Professor in Early Modern British History at Durham University. She is primarily a historian of Tudor and early Stuart politics and religion, including the posthumous reputation of Elizabeth I. She also has an interest in the representation of the Tudors and Stuarts in modern media, especially opera. Her publications include Queenship and Political Discourse in the Elizabethan Realms (2005) and (as co-editor with Alec Ryrie) Worship and the Parish Church in Early Modern Britain (2012).