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Written by a D1 student who later obtained a first in History from Oxford, these detailed notes can help you save time and obtain a better mark.
The 14 pages of word-processed notes cover the following core topics:...
- Lady Jane Grey, accession and Wyatt’s rebellio
- Marriage and foreign polic
- Religious policy, in uence of Pol
- Parliament and administratio
- A sterile interlude
Question
1) With how much success did Tudor governments in the period 1547-1603 deal with the
problems of poverty and vagabondage? (2010
2) ‘A sterile interlude’. How valid is this judgement on the reign of Mary I? (2010
3) How damaging to the Tudor monarchy was the rule of a minor and a woman in the
period 1547-58? (2011
4) ‘Mary I’s attempt to restore Catholicism was an impossible dream.’ Discuss. (2012
5) How effectively did Tudor governments in the second half of the sixteenth century deal
with the problems of poverty and social distress? (2013
6) Consider the view that religion was the chief cause of instability in the period 1547-58.
(2013
7) How well judged were the domestic and foreign policies of Mary I? (2014
8) Should we accept or reject the idea of a Mid-Tudor Crisis of government in the period
1547 to 1558? (2015
Receptio
Rode into London on 3 August 1553 to cheering - but was this an endorsement of the Tudor
dynasty, Mary, or the restoration of Catholicism
Mary was the rst crowned queen of England
Female rule had been undermined by Henry, who had spent most of his life trying to get a male
heir. Hence Mary had not been trained to rule
Parliament passed an act in the second year of her reign stating that “the Royal power of this realm
is in the Queen’s Majesty as fully and absolutely as ever was in any of her most notable
progenitors, kings of this realm”. The perceived need for this is telling, although it is argued that
because all legislation was binding to “kings”, Mary’s Catholic allies had said that she was bound
by none of it and could do whatever she wanted
Perception by historian
Traditionally, this has been unfavourably owing to comparisons with Elizabeth and Foxe’s Book of
Martyrs. e.g. Elton: “all her good qualities went for nought because she lacked the essentials. Two
things dominated her mind - her religion and her Spanish descent”, Pollard: “Sterility was the
conclusive note of Mary’s reign”
Her religious policy, her marriage to Philip, Wyatt’s rebellion and an unsuccessful policy have all
been seen as signs of a failing regime
However, Mary is still undergoing a process of rehabilitation
It is dif cult to judge her reign due to its brevity and sharp break with her predecessor, which led to
a “larger than usual task of political transition” (R. Titler
Was Mary t to rule
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, She had been out of favour with Henry until 1536, when she nally took the oath of supremacy
In 1543 Henry settled her place in the succession - she was second after Edward
She had outed the introduction of the new prayer book and continued to celebrate Mass publicly
She planned to escape England in 1550 but this came to nothing owing to panic on her part
Mary’s agend
- Convince the old Privy Chamber of her right to be Quee
- Restore Catholicis
- Marr
- Have childre
- Choose Privy counsellor
- Decide how to deal with Northumberland and his supporter
- Defend Calai
- Look after her healt
- Bolster her securit
- Restore her legitimacy (which had been taken away by royal patent in 1553
The three priorities however were
1) Mary saw it as her God-given duty to save the souls of the English people, who had been
hijacked by Protestantism
2) The importance of having an heir was heightened by her desire to consolidate the Catholic
revival
3) War with France
Marriage to Phili
Despite her age Mary was determined to have children, which needed a husband
Why Phillip
- He was a Catholic
- He had more political experience as he had already been regent in the Netherlands
- Spain has money and owns most of Europe and the Americas
- The marriage cemented England's position as the third wheel
- It would counter balance the power of France as Spain ruled Netherlands next to Franc
- Marrying a domestic noble like Courtney would produce terrible factional problem
- Marriage to Philip would enhance her half Spanish inheritance and the fact that Phillip already
had a son from his rst marriage shows that he was a proven breeder. Charles V, Philip’s father,
had been the most supportive gure in her life and she saw herself surrounded at home by
untrustworthy heretics
- Charles V supported the marriage because Philip was taking over Spain and the Netherlands
and thus it would be useful to have a strong bond with England in opposition to France. Philip
was unenthusiastic but dynastic interests superseded his personal ones, especially if he could
get some credit for returning England to Catholicism
- The marriage treaty brought few bene ts to Philip, allowing him to receive the title “King” and
rule as joint sovereign, but he could not possess any sovereign authority in his own right. No
foreigner was to hold English of ce, Philip was deprived of sources of wealth and patronage and
if there were no children, he and his heirs would hold no claim to the English throne
- Philip was the best choice available. The alternative, Courtenay, later turned out to be an
imbecile
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