Role and Importance of Parliament in the 1530s (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
Role and Importance of Parliament in the 1530s
Parliament before the 1530s
Before the 1530s, Parliament occupied a limited position within English governance. It did not function as a regular element of government. Although statute law (laws enacted by Parliament with royal approval) had been accepted as the supreme form of legislation in England, monarchs retained authority to create law through proclamation (royal decrees on policy matters issued either beyond Parliament's jurisdiction or when Parliament was not sitting).
Key Definitions:
Statute law – Laws made by Parliament with royal consent. By the sixteenth century statute law was generally regarded as the highest form of law in England.
Proclamations – Decrees by the King on policy matters either falling outside the scope of parliamentary authority or made when Parliament was not in session to cope with an unusual circumstance or emergency.
Parliament's influence mainly concerned the management of royal finances. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when the Hundred Years' War placed severe strain on royal revenues, Parliaments met frequently and exercised substantial control over the selection of royal advisers and the measures implemented by them. However, the House of Lords often dominated proceedings, and these Parliaments frequently operated as extensions of aristocratic politics.
Edward IV and Henry VII reversed this pattern. Parliaments met infrequently and worked in partnership with the Crown. Henry VIII's foreign policy under Wolsey generated financial pressures that required some parliamentary cooperation, and Wolsey occasionally chose not to summon Parliament when it proved impossible to avoid. Consequently, nothing suggested that Parliament would assume a major role in the 1530s when summoned following Wolsey's fall.
The Reformation Parliament 1529-1536
The Parliament summoned in 1529 proved exceptional in parliamentary history. It remained in session for seven years, passing more laws than any previous Parliament. This continuity helped Parliament establish standardized procedures and provided MPs with a depth of experience rarely achieved before. For instance, passing a bill through three readings in both Lords and Commons became established practice.
Parliament enacted legislation in areas of Church governance where it had never previously been active. By the close of the 1530s, statute law enacted through the King-in-Parliament gained recognition as representing ultimate authority in England and Wales, applicable to practically every dimension of life and society. Furthermore, if future monarchs intended to modify laws enacted during this period, they would need to secure parliamentary cooperation.
Understanding King-in-Parliament
The term King-in-Parliament needs to be fully understood to avoid confusion. It does not mean the same as King and Parliament, which implies two separate powerful institutions.
King-in-Parliament refers to government by the King, but implies that some of his functions, in particular the making of law, are carried out in Parliament rather than by the King alone.
Parliament, once convened and having received royal approval for laws passed by both houses, granted laws precedence over royal proclamations and customary practices. These parliamentary statutes (Acts of Parliament) could only be altered by subsequent statute.
Cromwell's strategic use of Parliament
Cromwell employed Parliament in ways his predecessors had not, requiring statute law's authority to reinforce the transformations he implemented in Church and government. Parliament included representatives of the 'political nation'—the governing class upon whom the King depended to implement his policies.
Composition of Parliament in the Early 1530s
House of Lords:
- 51 peers (nobility)
- 21 bishops (Church leaders)
- 29 abbots (monastic leaders)
House of Commons:
- 310 members total
- 74 members representing English counties
- 236 members representing towns and boroughs
County members and some borough MPs belonged to the lesser nobility, while other borough members included merchants and royal administrators.
With such a cross-section of the political nation present in Parliament, any legislation it passed would likely be implemented effectively, whilst any opposition from Parliament could serve as an early indication of difficulties in executing the King's intentions.
Changes in Parliament's function and power
During the 1530s, Cromwell utilized Parliament extensively to pass the legislation required to legitimize the break with Rome and to enhance royal authority in peripheral regions. Previously, although statute law had been acknowledged as England's supreme form of law, monarchs could still legislate on numerous matters through proclamation.
The Parliament of 1529 established unprecedented precedents. Its seven-year duration and extensive legislative output helped Parliament develop systematic procedures. Parliament legislated in Church matters where it had never previously intervened. By the 1530s' conclusion, statute law made by King-in-Parliament achieved recognition as ultimate authority in England and Wales, enforceable across virtually all aspects of life and society.
Critical Change in Royal Power
Future monarchs wishing to alter these laws would require parliamentary cooperation. This marked a fundamental shift in the balance of power between Crown and Parliament, establishing a precedent that would shape English governance for centuries to come.
Cromwell selected Parliament as his instrument because he needed statute law's standing to strengthen the changes he introduced in Church and government. Parliament contained representatives of the 'political nation'—the governing class the King relied upon to make his policies operational.
Composition of Parliament
Parliament's composition altered considerably through developments during the 1530s. Following the dissolution of the monasteries, abbots vanished from the House of Lords, whilst bishop numbers increased modestly with the establishment of four new cathedrals. Peer numbers rose to 55 by 1534. These changes meant the clergy now formed a minority in the House of Lords.
In the Commons, 14 new boroughs received the right to elect MPs, whilst the chamber's enhanced status and importance generated a growing inclination for gentleman landowners to pursue election.
Impact of Monastic Dissolution on Parliament
The dissolution of the monasteries had a significant effect on the balance of power within the House of Lords:
- Complete removal of approximately 29 abbots
- Slight increase in bishops (4 new cathedrals)
- Increase in secular peers (to 55)
- Result: Clergy became a minority for the first time
Key Points to Remember:
- Parliament before the 1530s met irregularly and held limited influence, though statute law was already recognized as the highest form of law
- The Reformation Parliament (1529-1536) sat for seven years, developing standardized procedures and passing unprecedented amounts of legislation
- King-in-Parliament became established as the ultimate lawmaking authority in England and Wales, with statute law taking precedence over royal proclamations
- Cromwell deliberately used Parliament to give legal authority to the break with Rome and changes in Church governance
- Parliament represented the 'political nation'—the governing class needed to implement royal policies effectively
- Parliamentary composition changed during the 1530s: abbots disappeared after dissolution of monasteries, bishops increased slightly, peers rose to 55 by 1534, and 14 new boroughs gained representation