A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



the county and its duke were sources of anxiety to Henry VII, for 

 Duke Edmund was almost the only remaining Yorkist heir to the throne. 

 The county would have followed him, and in 1504 Henry confiscated all 

 his estates and spent much ingenuity in trying to entrap his person. Finally 

 he was given up by the duke of Burgundy in 1506 and closely guarded 

 in the Tower. The county had suffered much from Henry's ingenious 

 methods of acquiring money. * Those that love me pay,' said he ominously ; 

 and the Yorkist paid. 



The composition of the county was slowly changing. New families were 

 springing up. The late wars had brought forward such as the Drurys and 

 Sulyards, Hoptons, Brandons, and Coltes, while cloth fortunes were founding 

 such as the Spryngs of Lavenham. The court under Edward IV had become 

 a brilliant centre, and under Henry VIII was the source of all honour and 

 service. Within its walls county jealousies could be fought out : the duel 

 settled now what had before involved half the county. The fortunes of 

 Suffolk became more directly dependent on the king's wishes. Henry VIII 

 had European ambitions which meant men and money from the county. 

 Charles Brandon, Lord Lisle, son of Sir Robert Brandon of Henham, had 

 with him at Tournay Sir Richard Cavendish, Sir Richard Wingfield, and 

 Sir Arthur Hopton. 1 Sir Anthony Wingfield and Sir Thomas Tirrel won 

 their spurs there and were made knights in the church after the battle by 

 the king as he stood under his banner. Peace was made and Francis and 

 Henry met and kissed on the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Suffolk men were 

 there to attend on the king and queen : Sir Richard Wentworth, Sir Anthony 

 Wingfield, Sir Robert Drury, Sir Arthur Hopton, Sir Philip Tilney, 

 Sir Robert Wingfield, Sir William Waldegrave. All this magnificence 

 had to be paid for and the county was drained of money. 2 Parliament 

 had voted a tenth and a fifteenth, and the knights of the shire, 

 citizens of cities, and burgesses of boroughs and towns were to name and 

 appoint able persons for the collection. This rate, however, would make but 

 a small sum to meet the great charges of the wars, and the ' loving Commons 

 willing a larger sum to be collected in a shorter time as in a more easy, 

 universal and indifferent manner ' voted a graduated subsidy which gathered 

 pence from every able-bodied man and unmarried woman above the age of fifteen. 

 It began at 5 per cent, on the year's income of all those over fifteen taking 

 wages or profits for wages to the value of 40^., and became less in proportion 

 as the possessions advanced in value, those having lands and rents above 40^. 

 and under 40 only paying 2% per cent. The inequality was glaring. The 

 method of collecting and assessing the tax was of the most businesslike. 

 Sad and discreet persons as well justices of the peace as others were 

 appointed commissioners. The county by hundreds, towns, and parishes was 

 to be canvassed by constables and head-boroughs, and the names and surnames 

 of men and women over fifteen years of age were to be written in a book. 

 Masters might pay for servants and stop it out of their wages. The com- 

 missioners were to return the assessed list to the constables who were to 

 collect the money and distrain if resisted. Thus was the Tournay campaign 

 paid for, and the sixpences of the Suffolk labourers went to help to gild the 

 cloth of gold. 



1 L. and P. Hen. rill, \, faiiim. ' Par/. R. Home of Lords, 4 Hen. VIII. 



178 



