In "Ten Tudor Statesmen" by Arthur D. Innes, readers are treated to a comprehensive exploration of ten influential Tudor statesmen. Innes' meticulous research and insightful storytelling breathe life into these historical figures, shedding light on their roles and impact during the Tudor era. Through a combination of biographical narratives and historical context, the book offers a multifaceted perspective on the political landscape of the time. History enthusiasts will appreciate the depth of knowledge and engaging prose, making it an essential read for those intrigued by the intricate web of politics and power during this pivotal period in English history.
This investigation thus seeks to examine the theory of the Tudor revolution in government advanced by the late Sir Geoffrey Elton and in so doing helps to highlight the human and personal dimensions of institutional history. An outcome of this changed perspective is that the privy chamber acquires a higher profile (following David Starkey's path-breaking revisionist research) than the privy council (as postulated by Elton) in the remarkable "revolutionary" decades of the sixteenth century.".
The Cecils: The Dynasty and Legacy of Lord Burghley looks at the lives of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, Elizabeth Iâs Chief Minister and Secretary of State and that of his son, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury. Lord Burghley served three Tudor Monarchs in an unparalleled rise to power during the reign of Elizabeth I and his political influence on state matters, his remarkable close bond to the queen, and the self-sacrifice in his service to the state and crown, are closely examined in this unprecedented work. The life and career of Williamâs youngest son Robert, Earl of Salisbury, who also became Elizabethâs Chief Minister as heir to his fatherâs political mantle, will also be discussed. Robert served his queen equally to, if not more ruthlessly than his father. His powerful position remained intact during the transition of the crown from the House of Tudor to the House of Stuart upon Elizabethâs death in 1603. Robertâs loyalties and his relationship with his father remain a topic of discussion and debate. This book will also explore the transition of power from one Cecil to another, and how both men created a powerful dynasty and legacy that continues to fascinate readers today. The book is based on a close examination of William and Robert Cecilâs correspondence, personal papers, state papers, legal documents, and memoranda. By closely examining these sources, the author has gained a clearer insight into the lives and careers of the Cecilâs, the true powerhouse behind the throne.
Sheriffs were among the most important local office-holders in early modern England. They were generalist officers of the king responsible for executing legal process, holding local courts, empanelling juries, making arrests, executing criminals, collecting royal revenue, holding parliamentary elections, and many other vital duties. Although sheriffs have a cameo role in virtually every book about early modern England, the precise nature of their work has remained something of a mystery. The Tudor Sheriff offers the first comprehensive analysis of the shrieval system between 1485 and 1603. It demonstrates that this system was not abandoned to decay in the Tudor period, but was effectively reformed to ensure its continued relevance. Jonathan McGovern shows that sheriffs were not in competition with other branches of local government, such as the Lords Lieutenant and justices of the peace, but rather cooperated effectively with them. Since the office of sheriff was closely related to every other branch of government, a study of the sheriff is also a study of English government at work.
Many early modern poets and playwrights were also members of the legal societies the Inns of Court and these authors shaped the development of key genres of the English Renaissance, especially lyric poetry, dramatic tragedy, satire, and masque. But how did the Inns come to be literary centers in the first place, and why were they especially vibrant at particular times? Early modernists have long understood that urban setting and institutional environment were central to this phenomenon: in the vibrant world of London, educated men with time on their hands turned to literary pastimes for something to do. Lawyers at Play proposes an additional, more essential dynamic: the literary culture of the Inns intensified in decades of profound transformation in the legal profession. Focusing on the first decade of Elizabeth's reign, the period when a large literary network first developed around the societies, this study demonstrates that the literary surge at this time developed out of and responded to a period of rapid expansion in the legal profession and in the career prospects of members. Poetry, translation, and performance were recreational pastimes; however, these activities also defined and elevated the status of inns-of-court men as qualified, learned, and ethical participants in England's "legal magistracy": those lawyers, judges, justices of the peace, civic office holders, town recorders, and gentleman landholders who managed and administered local and national governance of England. Lawyers at Play maps the literary terrain of a formative but understudied period in the English Renaissance, but it also provides the foundation for an argument that goes beyond the 1560s to provide a framework for understanding the connections between the literary and legal cultures of the Inns over the whole of the early modern period.
