15. Edward VI and Somerset Flashcards
when was Edward born and who was he the son of?
October 1537 and the son of Jane Seymour
what age did he become King?
at the age of 9
what titles did henry succeed?
Supreme head of the church of England and a defender of faith
what year did he contract measles and small pox?
1552
what year did he die of tuberculosis?
1553
what titles did Henry gift Edward Seymour and what council was he put in charge of?
Lord protector and Duke of Somerset and took control of the regency council
why did the regency council have to have someone to lead it?
nobody really knew what regency council meant so someone had to be leader and could not be more than one
what did the regency council do?
gives titles and lands to the people who are loyal to him and he governed as if he were king
why did somerset become lord protector?
he controlled the situation following Henry’s death taking charge of the regency council
Somerset had supporters within the council who wanted what to continue and blocked who?
important supporters within council who wanted moderate religious reform to continue and they combined to block those who were more conservative in beliefs
what was somerset known as among historians?
he was thought as the ‘Good Duke’ because he tried to help the poor but maybe he was just weak as the country reached a major crisis by 1649
what made the country bankrupt?
Henry’s debasement of the coinage
what was lord protector?
a lot of power (could issue proclamations in the King’s name) but his position was by definition temporary until Edwards came of age
what were the advantages to continuing the war with Scotland?
weak succession kept danger with Scotland alive
£2 million had already been spent on war with no result so a question of national pride
Nobles and Gentry raised forces and led troops in campaigns of 1540s and anxious to see war continue to qin personal fame (could new government afford to alienate power families)
what were the disadvantages to continuing war with Scotland?
Henry already gone into debt \nd brought England close to bankruptcy to pay for the war (could the country afford to continue)
attacking Scotland likely France be drawn in (could government risk invasion in south while dealing with Scots in North)
advantages of introducing protestant reform?
the reform group dominated the council and key government posts so could somerset afford to do nothing
there were protestant minorities in parts of the country and could they afford to be ignored? - especially in London and southeast who were anxious to seek further change
disadvantages of introducing protestant reform
most people followed traditional Catholic rituals and practices (Would government create open rebellion by using the law to change people’s faith?)
too much change might alarm Catholic powers of Europe (especially emperor Charles V) at time when England already at war with France and Scotland
advantages of financial and economic reform?
growing discontent over issues such as enclosure, price rises and breakdown of traditional village communities. action would maybe satisfy people that something was being done
disadvantages of financial and economic reform?
making changes (enclose rights would attack the gentry class on whom government depended on for support)
trying to improve national finances by raising taxes would be unpopular and lose the new regime and what support they could rely on
what were somerset’s attitudes towards religious reform?
personal sympathies with key protestant ideas and as lor protector he recognised the sensitivity in making religious changes and tried to adopt a moderate and cautious approach
cautious approach was not east to maintain in dace of pressure building up
which archbishop supported somerset?
Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury
as soon as news of henrys death reached continent exiles who fled persecution in the 1530s and 1540s began returning from where and settled where?
began returning from the Netherlands and Germany and they settled down in towns and villages along the east coast where financial demands caused frequent clashes wit the local community
who was split fairly evenly on whether further reform should get underway?
English bishops
what did a relaxation in press censorship increase?
increased number of pamphlets and writings against Catholicism and to the free circulation of the writings of Martin Luther and John Calvin
what logical policy helped stall for time?
full-scale enquiry into state of church of England was launched with commissioners sent out to investigate what was happening in every parish
measures that were introduced undid what articles?
measures were introduces which undid the Six Articles Act and rules that provided for services and bibles to be in English were strengthened
when did parliament meet to enact religious change?
November 1547
what did the treason act do?
repealed Six Articles act (restatement of Catholic Orthodoxy) and the heresy and censorship law was stifled
why were the chantries abolished?
logical step after the dissolution of the monasteries a decade earlier because the main function of a chantry was to pray for the souls of the dead - a catholic practice. I was done more to raise money for the Scottish war than for religious reasons
how far did the act of uniformity 1549 make the church of England protestant?
designed to impose a single standard of worship across England in order to end religious confusion and argument that had been growing since 1534.
why did the government feel secure enough to take firm action to sort out confusion over religious policy?
not until the war with Scotland was over did they feel they could pass the act of uniformity
what was among the terms of the act of uniformity? language? wine?
English was to be used as the language of worship and that congregations should be offered both the bread and the wine during communion (clear breach of the catholic tradition reserving the wine for the priesthood)
how did the new prayer book represent compromise?
set out form services should take and it was the masterpiece of vagueness. not entirely denying the central Catholic idea that priest transformed bread and wine of mass into ‘real presence’ of Christ
what battle at the end of henry’s reign did Somerset find himself involved in arrangement of marriage between Edward VI and Mary Queen of Scots?
Battle of Solway
what was the treaty that agreed the marriage and who did not honour it?
Treaty of Edinburgh that agreed that marriage and the scots refused to honour it
what year did the French king de and who was he replaced by?
1547 and new King Henry
how did henry of France try to assert himself?
renew Anglo Scottish alliance and sent fleet of warships with 4,000 troops to Scotland
