Impact on Society (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes

Impact on Society

📌 What patronage did each of these Nevilles receive under Edward during his first reign?

Richard Neville (Warwick)

• May 1461: Admiral of England, Great Chamberlain, Captaincy of Calais Constable of Dover, Warden of the Clique Ports (five coastal towns in Kent and Sussex)
• April 1462: Captain of Carlisle
• April 1465: Lord of Cockermouth
• Nov 1466: Custodian of Trent forests
• Nov 1467: custodian of Francis Lovell

Richard Neville (Warwick)

John Neville (Montagu)

• May 1463: Warden of the East Marches in Scotland
• May 1464: created Earl of Northumberland
• July 1466: Sheriff of Northumberland

John Neville (Montagu)

George Neville (Bishop of Exeter/Archbishop of York)

• May 1461: Bishop of Exeter

• Sept 1464: Archbishop of York

  

      George Neville
  

William Neville (Lord Faucenberg)

• Feb 1462: Earl of Kent
• July 1462: Admiral of England
• August 1462: manors throughout the West Country and the North

William Neville (Lord Faucenberg)

William, Lord Hastings

• Duchy of Cornwall, 1461
• Earl of Pembroke, Nov 1468

William, Lord Herbert/Earl of Pembroke

Lord Hastings

Humphrey, Lord Stafford/Earl of Devon

May 1469: Earl of Devon

John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester

Earl of Worcester

Queen Elizabeth Woodville

• Lordship, manors, land etc.

Richard, Lord Woodville/Earl Rivers

• Baron, general pardon
• Confirmation of dower assigned to Jaquetta of Luxemburg
• Constable of England 1467

Richard, Lord Woodville/Earl Rivers

John, Lord Wenlock

Lordships, manors, etc

📌 How far did Edward IV allow social mobility?

📌 Could these people achieve social mobility?

An apprentice

• Could become a master craftsman or merchant
• They could inherit a business from their master or by marriage
• They could also just use their own skills and business acumen

A lesser Landlord

• After a population drop of between 30-40% due to the black death, the availability of land increased
• Those with non-landed wealth could buy into the land, raising their social status
• Or they could marry into an inheritance

A woman of the night

• Pretty much impossible
• They were breaking the law and causing problems for the authorities

A merchant

• Could aspire to join the ranks of the landed gentry
• They could take on apprentices and sell supplies and goods, even to the royal court

Background to the Paston family

• Started by a farmer named Clement who took his name from the village of Paston near the northeast Norfolk coast
• Only son, William Paston, born in 1378 managed to acquire an education, rose rapidly through the law and began buying land in the north of the country
• William was able to socially progress through several means:
• The purchase of land – he was able to acquire wealth to set a base for social progression through this
• He married his children well – William married Anne Beaufort, John Paston married Margaret Mautby (a wealthy landowner's daughter), Elizabeth married Sir Richard Poynings (whose mother was Elizabeth Grey)

📌 Through what means were the Paston family primarily able to rise?

• In 1448 Paston's manor of Gresham was seized by Robert Hungerford, Lord Moleyns
• It was afterwards recovered
• Paston had become intimate with the wealthy knight Sir John Fastolf, who was a kinsman of Paston's wife Margaret
• She had employed him on several matters
• After his death in 1459 Fastolf left his affairs in disorder
• He left many of his estates in Norfolk and Suffolk to Sir William Yelverton, John Paston and his brother William
• However two days before his death, according to John Paston, Fastolf had made a spoken will in which he gave all his lands to Paston for a payment of 4000 marks and the duty of founding a college at Caister
• Paston's claims were challenged
• Different noblemen claimed his estates
• Paston fell under the threat of violence
• A feud broke out between John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, and the Pastons under Margaret and her eldest son, John
• Caister Castle was seized by John Mowbray (3rd Duke of Norfolk)
• In 1460 and 1461 Paston returned to parliament as a knight of the shire for Norfolk
• Being in the favour of Edward IV he regained possession of Caister Castle
• He then fell out of favour and was imprisoned on three occasions
• He died in May 1466

John Paston's sons and descendants

• He left five sons

• The eldest, Sir John Paston had been knighted during his father's lifetime

• He was frequently at the court of Edward IV

• Afterwards favoured the Lancastrian Party and with his younger brother (also named John) fought for Henry VI at the Battle of Barnet

• The struggle over Paston's estates continued

• In 1461 the King declared Paston's ancestors were not bondmen and his title to his father's lands was valid

  

   Mediaeval Pastons
  

• In 1474 an arrangement was made with William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester, by which some of the estates were surrendered for charitable purposes

• Paston was secured in the possession of others

• Two years later the death of the Duke of Norfolk made the restoration of Caister Castle possible

• In 1478 a quarrel broke out with John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk

• Sir John Paston, who was a cultured man, was anxious to recover Caister but left the task to his mother and the younger John

• Owing to his carelessness and extravagance the family lands were also diminished by sales

• When he died unmarried in Nov 1479, he still left a substantial inheritance to his younger brother John

• The family continued to flourish

📌 How far did Edward IV create a 'new monarchy'?

John R Green argues:

• New Monarchy – the destruction of the power of the nobility as well as traditional protections against arbitrary taxation, legislation and imprisonment – argued Edward was the start of this

Edward and the Nobility

• Despite problems with Clarence, Edward was well-suited to managing his nobles
• Understood that gov was most effective when based on cooperation between King and nobles
• Nobles respected his military skills
• Shared his enthusiasm for chivalry and appreciated his willingness to involve and trust them in government
• Edward continued using the policy from before 1469
• This meant the use of trusted supporters to control large regions
• Chosen for effectiveness in maintaining royal control, not just loyalty
• Edward's deployment of these noblemen gave control over regions he had not previously possessed
• Edward excluded the local power of high-ranking individuals to increase royal authority
• E.g. Edward set up a council in the name of his eldest son in Wales
• It was headed by Anthony Woodville, and Earl Rivers and based at Ludlow
• Gave Edward more direct control over that region

Justice and Order

• The use of nobles played an important role in delivering justice

• The use of the Gentry network in every county was also important

• Many gentlemen developed links to Edward by becoming members of the Royal Household. This included taking up offices like Knight or Esquire of the King's Body

• These roles meant they were in close contact with the King for a part of every year. This enabled a sense of trust to develop

• The gentry became the eyes and ears of the King in their counties

• They provided information and carried out his commands There were weaknesses, however:

• Edward was predominantly concerned with disorder that threatened political stability and his hold on the throne

• He stamped down on the dispute in the north-west between the Harrington and Stanley families

• This resulted in criticism of his failure to punish those men in power by the Commons in Parliament

• Possible that Edward paid less attention to run-of-the-mill crime or disorder initiated by trusted nobles

Changes in government methods

• Edward used patronage in a way that many members of the nobility owed their position directly to him
• This was done without subverting or destroying the power of the nobility
• Edward's use of parliament was innovative
• He called them infrequently but for longer sessions
• He took control of royal finances
• Edward made key decisions but was not alone
• Decisions were sought by petitions, complaints, parliamentary bills, and close advisors
• Relied on household men who were knights, esquires, yeomen and chaplains and relied upon the administration of his Council
• Worked well with Parliament and avoided serious clashes