Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Cromwell's Reforms (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
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
Department name | Impact of the dissolution that it dealt with |
|---|---|
The Court of Augmentations | Property and wealth gained from the dissolution |
The Court of First Fruits and Tenths | Collecting taxes which would have previously gone to the Pope |
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, with access to England and the sea
Exam Tip
There are quite a few reforms that Cromwell made that you need to remember for your Henry VIII and his Ministers exam. A revision technique that could help you is creating an acronym for all of Cromwell's reforms.
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
Worked Example
‘The reform of the Privy Council was the most important change to government made by Cromwell.’ How far do you agree? Explain your answer
16 marks
Partial answer:
One of Cromwell's most important reforms was the change to the Privy Council. Before, the Royal Council had around 100 members who were mostly noblemen. Cromwell made the council smaller (20 members) who were lawyers and administrators. This changed the government because it made it more effective. Men who were professionals and trained for the job gave better advice to King Henry VIII. They were also permanent members, making the Privy Council a more stable government system. Therefore, the Privy Council led to better decisions being made for Tudor England.
Exam Tip
The worked example above is the beginning of a 16-mark answer. This question would require you to write another two paragraphs, showing a mixture of Cromwell's reforms to government. Your paragraphs could follow PEEL:
P - Make a point about the question
E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made
E - Explain why this evidence for a change in government. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this reform positively affected how England was governed
L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how significant this factor is for
Concluding your thoughts with a reflection on key concepts. You should consider short- and long-term consequences, as well as their importance and impact. For example, important reforms also included his financial changes and the Council of the North. You could argue that one of these two had more impact on the day-to-day running of Tudor England.
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