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Tudors: Turmoil and Triumph
Section 1 – the ‘mid-Tudor crisis’
Reigns of Edward VI and Mary
Regency of Somerset
Rule of Northumberland
Reign of Mary Tudor
Was there a mid-Tudor crisis
The beginning of Elizabeth’s reign
Elizabeth’s accession
Elizabeth’s religious settlement
Marriage and the succession: Elizabeth’s dilemma
Social and economic conditions
Section 2 - The triumph of Elizabeth
Elizabethan England: Queen, government and changing religious ideas
Elizabeth and her court
Elizabethan government
Elizabeth and her parliaments
Elizabeth: religion and religious ideas
Church of England by 1603
Conflict and exploration in Elizabeth’s reign
Mary Queen of Scots
Foreign policy in the reign of Elizabeth
Trade, exploration and colonization
Closing years of Elizabeth’s reign
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Reigns of Edward VI and Mary I
Regency of Somerset
The young Edward VI
Edward was born October 1537 to Jane Seymour & Henry VIII. He became King at 9.
“Woe to thee, O land, where the king is a child” – Hugh Latimer
He was very clever at languages and theology and seems to have been very serious – which
could be attributed to his importance from birth. By his early teens, he was beginning to have
a significant impact on the Council’s decisions, especially in terms of religious change.
In 1552, he contracted measles then smallpox but recovered. The following year, he died of
‘tuberculosis’ (chronic infectious disease of the chest). He was not, however, physically
weak. Until spring 1553, there is no evidence that an early death was likely.
Protector Somerset
Edward Seymour’s sister, Jane, had married Henry VIII in 1536. Her subsequent birth of
Edward, guaranteed Edward a place in the household forever. He gained riches and titles –
e.g. Lord High Admiral and Lieutenant-General of the North.
Following Henry’s death, he took charge of the Regency Council and gained the titles Duke
of Somerset and Lord Protector. He had supporters in the council who supported his ideas on
moderate religious reform. Somerset also tried to implement social reforms.
‘The Good Duke’ – Somerset’s title, as he tried to help the poor. More recent assessments
have stressed his weaknesses in making decisions and meaning the country reached a major
crisis by 1549. He was however arrogant, abrasive and insensitive.
Somerset had a large amount of power but his position was, by definition, temporary.
Dilemmas facing him:
Decisions Should decide Should not decide
Should war w Weak succession kept the danger
Scotland be of France active Country already in debt
resumed? £2 million spent, w no final result
Nobles & gentry had raised forces Attacking Scotland may draw
and led troops- anxious to see the France into conflict
war continue to win personal fame
Should Protestant Reform groups dominated the Most people followed traditional
religious reforms council and key govt posts Catholic rituals
be officially Protestant minority in London and Too much change may alarm
encouraged? the South-east surrounding Catholic powers
Should financial Growing discontent over issues Would attack the gentry class
reform be a like enclosure, price rises and the Improving national finances by
priority? breakdown of communities taxes would be unpopular
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Religious reform
Somerset had personal sympathy w protestant reforms. However, he also acknowledged the
sensitivity in making religious changes and so tried to adopt a moderate / cautious response.
Pressures were building up:
Exiled protestants began to come back after the news of the death of Henry
o They settled in towns and villages along the east coast
o Radical demands clashed with the local communities
The reform faction was in control of the government and keen to see reform underway
o English bishops were split evenly on whether to support further changes
Relaxation of press censorship (encouraged by the govt)
o Led to increase in the number of writings against Catholicism
o Free circulations of the writings of Martin Luther and John Calvin
The government attempted to stall. A full-scale enquiry into the church of England was
launched, with commissioners sent out to investigate what was happening in every parish.
Measures were introduced to undo the Six Articles Act and rules that provided for services
and Bibles to be in English were strengthened.
Parliament met in Nov 1547 and it was used to enact religious change, legislation did little
more than underline what was already happening.
Chantries Act abolished chantries, as the main purpose of chantries was the Catholic practice
of praying for the dead, done possibly to raise money for the Scottish war.
Act of Unanimity, 1549 act passed (once the Scottish war had ended) to impose a uniform
standard of worship across England
Among the act’s terms were requirements that English had to be the language of worship and
congregations should be offered bread and wine (Catholic tradition was that wine was only
given to the priesthood). It did not, however, create a full Protestant church.
Alongside the act, Cranmer introduced a new Prayer Book, setting out the form of the
services. It was very vague. It did not entirely deny the Catholic idea that the priest
transformed the bread and wine of the mass into the real presence of Christ but it gave the
impression that the priest was simply commemorating an event. This was typical of Cranmer
– he wanted to find a compromise.
Somerset dismantled the obstacles to religious change that had ben created by the
conservative faction. The Privy Council hoped that moderate reforms would satisfy the
reformers w/o antagonizing the religious conservatives and that most of the uncommitted
laity would accept it.
These were seen to be quite successful, as the Regency government was weak, however they
may have contributed to the courses of rebellion in 1549.
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Foreign policy
Henry’s will required the arrangement of marriage between Edward VI and Mary, Queen of
Scots. This wasn’t wanted in Scotland however and Somerset had to deal with the twin
threats of Scotland and France.
He wanted to isolate Scotland by agreeing to an alliance w France. Francis I died in 1547 and
Henry II (the new king) wanted to assert himself – did this by renewing the Franco-Scottish
alliance and sending a fleet of warships w 4,000 troops to Scotland.
Somerset then intervened:
Joint land and naval invasion used
Used Berwick as a base
Invaded w 16,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry
o Backed at sea by a fleet of 30 warships and 50 supply ships
In the West, an army of 2,000 marched from Carlisle across the border into Scotland
Scottish army was large but poorly equipped
The Scotts were defeated at the Battle of Pinkie (September 1547)
This gave Somerset control of the border region, but success was limited as the English army
wasn’t strong enough to occupy Scotland as a whole.
As French troops continued to arrive in Scotland and Scottish nobles united against the
English threat, Mary (heir to Scottish throne) was moved to France with the intention of her
being married to the heir to the French throne.
Somerset’s FP then (£600,000 – 50% more than Henry VIII’s expenditure in only half the
time) had succeeded in cementing links between France and Scotland.
In Summer 1549, Somerset withdrew troops from Scotland to deal with the rebellions and to
protect the south coast against French invasion.
Although he was a good general, he wasn’t decisive enough – he is not however fully to
blame, he inherited a difficult diplomatic and military situation.
Economic problems
He had an apparent desire to help those who had suffered from the consequences of the
enclosure of land.
A commission was established to investigate the legality of recent enclosures. Government
inspectors toured the country.
At this time, many poor families in the Midlands and the South had lost their lands and their
customary rights when landowners had converted fields from open strips into fenced-off
pastures. There was an expectation that commissioners would order a reversal of enclosure
policy.
Gentry landowners who had made their wealth from sheep farming feared a loss of their
livelihood & were angered by new laws (passed 1548-9), raising taxes on sheep and cloth.
