Abstract
This thesis investigates the men who served the Tudor monarchs as their privy councillors by exploring their interpersonal relations and biographical characteristics. It uses the methodology of prosopography to analyse this collection of state servants as a group. This is an innovative approach to sixteenth-century English politics and government which has revealed that cultural similarity and social cooperation were prevalent among Tudor privy councillors. By tracking biographical factors for all councillors across the whole period it has been possible to detect trends and patterns in the data. These patterns have then been analysed and contextualised in order to reveal previously invisible groupings in the Tudor polity. These networks lacked the overtly political nature of previously described ‘factions’. Instead, they were collections of men bound together by background, experience and culture who operated as networks of mutual support. The primary function of these groupings was as a source of companionship, preferment and patronage for councillors. The discovery of these networks further advances the prevailing historiographical view that ‘factional’ explanations of Tudor politics are inadequate, and that a new multi-faceted framework that considers the full range of social, cultural and interpersonal factors is needed if we are to fully understand the Tudor polity.The second major contribution of the thesis is the identification and delineation of a particularly prevalent archetype of councillor. As the sixteenth century progressed, the type of men appointed to the council became strikingly uniform. The main features of this archetype were an increasing propensity to have received formal academic training at a university or an Inn of Court, and the expectation that a councillor was also an officeholder and would exercise responsibility over a department of state. These characteristics formed part of a changing conception of service that was inspired by humanist writers and that stressed the importance of certain qualities in the men who served the commonwealth. By understanding these shifts in identity and outlook it is possible to gain a greater appreciation of the intellectual and cultural world in which the Tudor elite operated. This provides an essential context to political events and helps explain the broader developments in English government and society in the sixteenth century.
Such an approach would not have been possible without the use of digital tools and relational database software. The creation of a digital relational database of all Tudor councillors and their biographical details facilitated the analysis. This type of enquiry has never been undertaken for members of the Tudor political elite and has demonstrated the ability of digital prosopography to reveal new features in well-trodden historical fields. Also, the argument and information presented here are but a fraction of the potential queries it would be possible to undertake with the data stored in my database. It is hoped that this thesis will serve as a model for future investigations into similar fields.
| Date of Award | 9 May 2023 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Sponsors | SWW Doctoral Training Partnership Panel |
| Supervisor | Kenneth R G Austin (Supervisor) & George Bernard (Supervisor) |