Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509 - 2 Changes in the sinews…
Full specification wording
Paper 3, Option 30: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509 - 2 Changes in the sinews of power: Royal income, 1399–1509: land, custom duties, feudal rights, profits of justice, taxation; the roles of the Exchequer and the Chamber. The role of parliament, 1399– 1509: prop or curb to royal power? (key development: the Parliament of 1406).
Royal income rested on five streams: land (crown estates), custom duties (tonnage and poundage), feudal rights (wardship, marriage, relief), profits of justice (fines, amercements, forfeitures)…
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 2
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Royal income rested on five streams: land (crown estates), custom duties (tonnage and poundage), feudal rights (wardship, marriage, relief), profits of justice (fines, amercements, forfeitures) and taxation (lay subsidies, clerical grants). The Exchequer handled audit and receipt, but was slow; the Chamber, especially under Edward IV and Henry VII, offered direct, flexible control. Parliament could prop royal power by granting taxation and legitimising policies, or curb it by withholding supply, petitioning and impeaching ministers. The Parliament of 1406 exemplified this tension: it extracted concessions on royal expenditure and appointments while still granting supply, showing parliament as both prop and curb.
What earns the marks
- Explains the roles of the Exchequer and the Chamber, contrasting the Exchequer's formal audit and slower procedures with the Chamber's more direct and flexible financial control, especially under Edward IV and Henry VII.
- Analyses parliament's role as a prop to royal power, for example by granting taxation, approving legislation and legitimising dynastic changes.
- Analyses parliament's role as a curb on royal power, for example by withholding supply, presenting petitions, criticising expenditure or impeaching ministers.
- Uses the Parliament of 1406 as a key development to illustrate the balance between support and restraint, explaining its demands and outcomes.
- Evaluates change and continuity across 1399–1509, comparing Lancastrian, Yorkist and early Tudor approaches to income and parliamentary management.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating all royal income as taxation.
Put it right: Taxation was only one stream, alongside land, custom duties, feudal rights and profits of justice.
Assuming the Exchequer and Chamber were identical or interchangeable.
Put it right: The Exchequer focused on audit and formal receipt, while the Chamber allowed more direct royal control.
Describing parliament as either wholly supportive or wholly obstructive.
Put it right: It could act as both prop and curb, often in the same session, as in 1406.
Ignoring the chronological range and treating 1399–1509 as uniform.
Put it right: Financial and parliamentary arrangements changed under different monarchs and should be compared.
Exam tips
- Plan essays around the five income streams and the two institutions, then use parliament as the evaluative thread.
- Use the Parliament of 1406 as a precise case study, explaining what it demanded and what it granted.
- Compare at least two reigns to show change and continuity across the period.
- Link financial strength to political power: explain how income affected a king's ability to govern, wage war and manage parliament.
Try the lesson
The start of the Paper 3, Option 30: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509 - 2 Changes in the sinews of power: Royal income, 1399–1509: land, custom duties, feudal rights, profits of justice, taxation; the roles of the Exchequer and the Chamber. The role of parliament, 1399– 1509: prop or curb to royal power? (key development: the Parliament of 1406). lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which source of royal income in the period 1399–1509 came from the crown's own estates rather than from grants made by parliament?
Listen
Royal income rested on five streams: land (crown estates), custom duties (tonnage and poundage), feudal rights (wardship, marriage, relief), profits of justice (fines, amercements, forfeitures) and taxation (lay subsidies, clerical grants). The Exchequer handled audit and receipt, but was slow; the Chamber, especially under Edward IV and Henry VII, offered direct, flexible control. Parliament could prop royal power by granting taxation and legitimising policies, or curb it by withholding supply, petitioning and impeaching ministers. The Parliament of 1406 exemplified this tension: it extracted concessions on royal expenditure and appointments while still granting supply, showing parliament as both prop and curb. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identifies and explains the five income streams: land, custom duties, feudal rights, profits of justice and taxation, using specific examples such as crown estates, tonnage and poundage, wardship, fines and lay subsidies. Explains the roles of the Exchequer and the Chamber, contrasting the Exchequer's formal audit and slower procedures with the Chamber's more direct and flexible financial control, especially under Edward IV and Henry VII. Analyses parliament's role as a prop to royal power, for example by granting taxation, approving legislation and legitimising dynastic changes. Analyses parliament's role as a curb on royal power, for example by withholding supply, presenting petitions, criticising expenditure or impeaching ministers. A common slip: Treating all royal income as taxation. Instead, taxation was only one stream, alongside land, custom duties, feudal rights and profits of justice. Exam tip: Plan essays around the five income streams and the two institutions, then use parliament as the evaluative thread.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Royal finance and the sinews of power
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Institutions of government: Exchequer and Chamber
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Parliament as prop and curb
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Change and continuity across the fifteenth century
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See every definition
- Royal finance and the sinews of power
- Royal income rested on five streams: land, custom duties, feudal rights, profits of justice and taxation, managed through the Exchequer and the Chamber.
- Institutions of government: Exchequer and Chamber
- The Exchequer handled audit and receipt but was slow, while the Chamber offered direct, flexible control, especially under Edward IV and Henry VII.
- Parliament as prop and curb
- Parliament could prop royal power by granting taxation and legitimising policies, or curb it by withholding supply, petitioning and impeaching ministers.
- Change and continuity across the fifteenth century
- Financial and parliamentary arrangements changed under different monarchs across 1399–1509 and should be compared rather than treated as uniform.
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Test your understanding of Paper 3, Option 30: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509 - 2 Changes in the sinews of power: Royal income, 1399–1509: land, custom duties, feudal rights, profits of justice, taxation; the roles of the Exchequer and the Chamber. The role of parliament, 1399– 1509: prop or curb to royal power? (key development: the Parliament of 1406).
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