Cromwell's Reforms (Edexcel GCSE History)

What was the Impact of Thomas Cromwell's Reforms on Tudor England? - Summary

Thomas Cromwell made major changes in Tudor England that affected how the country was run. One significant change was the structure of the Privy Council, which advised the king. Cromwell made it smaller with better-qualified members. This helped the king make more well-informed and faster decisions for Tudor England.

Cromwell also made the Council of the North, a permanent government organisation to look after the northern part of England. This was important because the North had problems with law enforcement. By making this council permanent. Cromwell made it easier for the king in the South to know that the North was law-abiding and under his control.

Cromwell also changed how money was handled in England. He made new departments for the government and the king's finances. This helped the government deal with financial matters in an organised, efficient and less corrupt way. Cromwell's changes made England stronger and more organised.

Another big change Cromwell made was in Wales. He created new laws that made Wales more like the rest of England. This helped the king have more control over Wales and made it easier to run the country. Cromwell's changes helped make Tudor England more united and powerful.

The Royal Council

What was the Royal Council?

• The Royal Council was an important part of the Tudor government

• Cromwell thought that the Royal Council was too big

  • Before his reforms, there were 100 members

Cromwell's reforms to the Royal Council

• Cromwell replaced the Royal Council with the Privy Council

• The Privy Council was:

  • Smaller

    • It only had 20 members

    • All members were permanent advisers

  • More professional

    • A clerk would record the decisions that the Privy Council made

    • Lawyers and administrators made up the majority of the council, rather than noblemen

    • Cromwell hoped that everyone's equal skillset would stop one person from dominating the Privy Council

The Council of the North

What was the Council of the North?

• The Council of the North was a government institution which helped to govern Northern England

  • The North had a history of rebelling against the monarch

  • The council was created in 1472

  • Clergymen and the nobility were members of the council

• The Council of the North did not frequently meet

  • Previous kings opened the council when needed

• Cromwell needed a more permanent system of government in the North

  • The Pilgrimage of Grace had challenged Henry's authority

Cromwell's reforms to the Council of the North

• Cromwell made the Council of the North a permanent institution

• It gained more responsibilities

  • From 1537, the council was in charge of maintaining law and order in the North

Cromwell's Financial Reforms

Why was there a need for financial reform in Tudor England?

• The King's Chamber dealt with all of the income and expenditure of the government

• The dissolution of the monasteries caused a significant increase in income

  • Cromwell believed that the King's Chamber could not keep track of this income

What did Cromwell do to improve England's finances?

• Cromwell created six departments for the government's finances

  • Each department:

    • Possessed its own budget

    • Settled financial disputes from within the department

    • Had a well-trained official who was supervised

• Two of the departments focused solely on the financial impacts of the dissolution of the monasteries

Government departments for the dissolution of the monasteries

Reform of Wales, 1536

Why did Cromwell want to reform Wales?

• In Tudor times, Wales saw itself as a separate country with different:

  • Traditions

  • Culture

  • Language

• Cromwell wanted Wales to become more integrated into England

  • Wales had issues with law and order which could be resolved if they were under more English control

  • Welsh nobility wanted equal power and influence as the English nobility

How did Cromwell reform Wales?

• Cromwell's reforms included:

  • Making Wales officially a part of England

  • Replacing Welsh laws with English laws

  • English is the official language of Wales

  • Allocating 26 MPs to represent Wales in parliament

The Welsh March

• The March is an old-fashioned word for 'border'

• Cromwell improved law and order by creating new counties on the border between England and Wales

  • Each county was controlled by a Justice of the Peace (JP)

  • The new counties surrounded Wales access to England and the sea

How Important were Cromwell's Reforms?

• Cromwell's reforms fundamentally changed the government of Tudor England

  • Government organisations like the Privy Council and the King's Chamber were:

    • More professional

    • Possessed the expertise needed in each organisation

    • Less controlled by the Church and the nobility

  • The government's power increased

    • The reforms to Wales and the Council of the North kept more rebellious areas under English control

  • England's finances were under the government, rather than the King's, control

    • This gave more power to Cromwell as Chancellor of the Exchequer