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Management of the State. Elizabeth and Burghley focused on political stability rather than financial security. Royal Revenue…. Elizabeth’s income came from: Crown estates – income increased by 1/3 during her reign She sold land valued at £300,000
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Elizabeth and Burghley focused on political stability rather than financial security
Royal Revenue… • Elizabeth’s income came from: • Crown estates – income increased by 1/3 during her reign • She sold land valued at £300,000 • Customs duties – the yield only increased by 15% over her reign
Feudal dues… • Left over from medieval times • Included: monopolies, death duties (for the rich), selling rights of wardship where the wardship of young heirs was sold and often exploited • Parliamentary taxes
Political stability… • Maintained at the expense of increasing revenues
Consequence of this policy… • Elizabeth and her treasurers were careful with money during peacetime and Burghley did manage to build up a reserve
However… • War used up the reserve and forced Elizabeth to sell lands and take out loans
Monopolies… • She issued monopolies to raise money but the governing classes did not like this
Purveyance… • Supplying foodstuffs to the Court • There was a lot of corruption concerning supplies in and out of the Court
Recoinage… • At the start of her reign the coins were ‘debased’ she quickly had them recalled and reissued with higher rates of gold and silver • This act was remembered as one of her finest achievements after the Settlement and the maintenance of peace
Boosting the economy… • Low leases to coalminers boosted mining • Encouraged immigration of skilled foreign workers to come to England • Established an English arms industry – gunpowder and cannon • Invested in voyages of discovery (pirates too)
Economic policy seemed to be ad hoc – for a particular purpose • Establishing an arms industry gave national security • Protected the cloth industry
Regulated economy… • Elizabeth and her ministers believed that society ( and the economy) needed to be regulated • Elizabeth issued trade monopolies for geographical areas to companies eg the East Indi Company (1600)
Labour was regulated eg the Act of Artificers (1563) • Poor relief (1563,1572, 1576, 1597, 1601) • Wage levels were regulated when there was inflation • Regulation against hoarding food during hard times