These notes cover the entire period of the Mid Tudor crisis and a range of topics that cover each monarch.
The reigns of Edward VI and Mary I are explored, explaining the tumultuous reigns and its causation under the key topics of Religion, Economy, Society, Government and Foreign Policy
EDWARD VI 1547-52
Government Somerset 1547-49:
- January 31st Seymour was made Lord Protector and overthrew the Regency
Council, giving himself more control (autocratic)
- Somerset rewarded supporters with promotions and grants of crown land
(awarded himself peerage Duke of Somerset)
- Somerset was weak in decision making and failed to deal with the rebellions
- Head of the Enclosure Commission in 1548 and tried to appease the poor by
acting on enclosure and bringing down inflation (failed in sheep tax and tax for
Scotland)
- Somerset was arrogant and had a dictatorial way of ruling and created
enemies
Earl of Southampton lost his seat on the Privy Council
Thomas Seymour conspired with Southampton to turn Edward against
Somerset and Thomas was charged with treason,
Earl of Arundel and William Paulet were against Somerset’s dominance and
plotted to unseat him.
- Governed with his supporters and controlled the Privy Chamber by appointing
Sir Micheal Stanhope (brother in law) as Groom of the Stool and Chief
Gentleman of the Privy Chamber.
- Instability in government as Carnmer publishes a homily ‘On Obedience’ in
1547 which emphasised that disobedience to the king was a mortal sin
- Created 77 proclamations which meant he was creating laws without
Parliament and had custody of the dry stamp
- Rarely used the Privy Council but had his ‘new council’ of household servants.
- Reform faction controlled the gov but the bishops were divided on whether to
support more radical changes.
Foreign Policy Somerset:
Henry wanted to unite the crowns of E and S through a marriage between Mary,
Queen of Scots and Edward (dynastic alliance) but the Scottish regency heavily
opposed this.
Battle of Pinkie 1547 - Somerset aimed to defeat Scotland for the marriage but the
garrison border forts were too expensive and couldn’t capture the castles of
Edinburgh and Dunbar. England won control of the border but the army wasn’t
strong enough to occupy Scotland. The Auld Alliance; Henry VII sent warships and
4000 troops to Scotland to relieve Edinburgh even though Somerset wanted to
isolate Scotland by creating an alliance with France
Consequences:
, Somerset debased the coinage to raise £537,000 for the war which exacerbated
inflation
By 1549 England was threatened with a French invasion - see Northumberland
He was victorious but the war was costly (£600,000) and unpopular
Withdrew troops from Scotland to protect England, removing all threats to Scotland.
Religion Somerset:
Treason Act 1547 - allowed religious issues to be discussed and removed
censorship, repealing the Six Articles Act (protestant material legally allowed in
England) = large increase in the number of pamphlets and writings against
Catholicism and the circulation of Martin Luther writings
Radicals such as Bishop Ridley condemned images of saints before it had become
official policy- iconoclasm and more rapid changes. Radicals had started using
English services before the publication of the prayer book, and had removed altars
before this became official policy.
1547 - Royal Injunctions, orders given for clergy to preach in English, English bible
and Protestant literature in every parish church.
against pilgrimage and Catholic practices were reissued
1547- Chantries act abolished chantries stopping masses for the souls of the dead (a
catholic practice)
1549 - Act of Uniformity imposed a single way of worship to end religious discord -
English used as language of worship and congregation should be offered bread and
wine during communion.
1549- Protestant Book of Common Prayer informed how services should be and was
reinforced by an Act of Uniformity. The act translated latin into english and was
ambiguous in relation to the Eucharist which still allowed the Catholic belief of
transubstantiation.
➢ Measures introduced which undid the Six Articles Act and rules that supported
English Bibles and services
➢ Somerset dismantled obstacles to religious change that the conservative
faction imposed, whilst avoiding religious chaos.
Social economic Somerset:
● Vagrancy Act of 1547 ordered local officials to provide housing and collections
for vagabonds and disabled
● Somerset’s social programmes (sheep tax and investigations of enclosure in
the midlands) had poor political consequences - created fears of unrest in the
landed classes and raised hopes of effective government action for ordinary
people.
● Debasement of the coinage continued
● New laws in 1548-49 which raised tax on sheep and cloth
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