4. Mary I

Question 1

How many bishops did Mary deprive of their offices? - Mary I

Answer 1

Mary deprived 7 PROTESTANT bishops from their offices.

Question 2

When did Mary repeal the religious laws passed during Edward’s reign? What impact did this have? - Mary I

Answer 2

Mary repealed Edward’s religious reforms in October 1553, reverting the church service to its condition at the time of Henry VIII’s death in 1547.

Question 3

What action did Mary take against married clergy? When? - Mary I

Answer 3

Mary deprived any married clergy of their church offices for breaking the traditions of the Catholic Church, doing so in October 1553.

Question 4

What caused delays to Mary’s attempts to restore the papal supremacy to England? What was the outcome of this? - Mary I

Answer 4

Mary’s attempts to restore the papal supremacy were delayed by a dispute over the ownership of ex-monastic land in England. Eventually, the papacy conceded that it would be politically impossible to restore ex-monastic land to the church and made concessions.

Question 5

When was the Act of Repeal passed? What impacts did this have? - Mary I

Answer 5

The Act of Repeal was passed in 1555, revoking the royal supremacy and returning England to the remit of the Catholic Pope.

Question 6

How did Pope Paul alter Pole’s remit within England? How did Mary respond to this? - Mary I

Answer 6

Pope Paul replaced Pole with William Peto as Papal Legate in England, meaning that he was no longer able to act directly on behalf of the church in England. Mary reacted to this by still entrusting Pole as her closest religious advisor, in a way disregarding the Papal Supremacy as she disrespected Paul’s wishes with regards to Pole.

Question 7

How many people did Mary burn as part of her policy of burning heretics? Who were notable religious figures? - Mary I

Answer 7

Mary burned 289 people as heretics during her reign, with this including Latimer, Hooper, Ridley and Archbishop Cranmer.

Question 8

When was Pole’s legatine synod held? What were the impacts of this? - Mary I

Answer 8

Pole’s Legatine Synod was held between 1555-6, outlining the expectations of the clergy. This determined that bishops should reside in their dioceses, oversee spiritual ceremonies and religious life in their communities, as well as preach.

Question 9

How many Protestants fled to Europe at the start of 1554? - Mary I

Answer 9

800 Protestants fled to Europe at the start of 1554, signalling discontent with Mary’s shift towards Protestantism.

Question 10

When did Parliament reject a bill proposing the seizure of lands of Protestant exiles? - Mary I

Answer 10

Parliament rejected a bill proposing the seizure of the lands of Protestant exiles in 1555.

Question 11

When did Mary reinstate Heresy Laws in England? What was this supposed to permit? - Mary I

Answer 11

Mary reinstated the Heresy Laws in England in 1554, intending to allow increased ease of persecution of Protestants and those who were supposedly heretics.

Question 12

What long/medium term factors impacted inflation during Mary’s reign? - Mary I

Answer 12

Long - rapid population increases had increased demand on food supplies, causing rises in prices.
Medium - the debasement of the coinage from 1544 and in Edward’s reign had caused prolonged inflation.

Question 13

What short term factors had caused social issues during Mary’s reign? - Mary I

Answer 13

Poor harvests in 1555/6 had increased strain on food supplies and generated inflation, while the ‘sweating sickness’ of 1557/8 created a major death toll.

Question 14

What changes were made to the Court of Exchequer by Mary? When? - Mary I

Answer 14

In 1554, the Court of Exchequer took over both the Court of First Fruits and Tenths AND the Court of Augmentations in order to improve financial administration and make it more efficient.

Question 15

What mistake did Mary make with regards to subsidies? How did this benefit/cost her? - Mary I

Answer 15

Mary made the error of remitting the final part of Edward’s last subsidy, meaning that a significant hole emerged in the country’s finances. However, this did greatly increase Mary’s popularity.

Question 16

When did Mary introduce a new Book of Rates? What impact did this have? - Mary I

Answer 16

Mary introduced a new Book of Rates in 1558, which saw her customs revenue dramatically increase.

Question 17

What action did Mary take to alleviate socioeconomic pressures on the poor? - Mary I

Answer 17

Mary attempted to enforce laws against grain hoarders particularly stringently, while encouragement was given to convert pasture land to tillage.

Question 18

How many men participated in Wyatt’s Rebellion? - Mary I

Answer 18

3000 men participated in Wyatt’s Rebellion.

Question 19

What different motives may the rebels have had to participate in Wyatt’s rebellion? - Mary I

Answer 19

Wyatt’s rebellion may have been motivated by religious grievances (although this was a minor factor), xenophobia and a dislike of Mary’s choice to marry Philip of Spain due to the influence Spain may have been able to exert AND the decline of the local cloth industry which may have prompted poorer rebels to revolt to express socioeconomic grievances.

Question 20

When did Wyatt’s Rebellion last from-until? - Mary I

Answer 20

Wyatt’s began on the 25th January 1554, ending on the 7th February 1554.

Question 21

What issue did Wyatt initially have in entering the London area? - Mary I

Answer 21

Wyatt’s rebels reached the London area but were prevented from crossing London Bridge by the Crown’s forces, meaning that the rebels had to attempt to find another route into the area.

Question 22

What was crucial in defusing Wyatt’s rebellion? - Mary I

Answer 22

Wyatt’s rebellion was crucially stopped when they were prevented from entering the City of London by the Crown’s forces at LUDGATE, meaning that the rebellion eventually lost momentum and dispersed.

Question 23

When were Philip and Mary married? - Mary I

Answer 23

Philip and Mary were married in July 1554.

Question 24

When was Pope Paul IV elected as Pope? What issue was there with this? - Mary I

Answer 24

Pope Paul IV was elected as Pope in May 1555, with his anti-Spanish sentiments meaning that Mary’s foreign policy became divided between support for Spain (whom she was diplomatically close to) and the Papacy (whom she was religiously close to).

Question 25

When did Mary declare war on the French? - Mary I

Answer 25

Mary declared war on France in 1557.

Question 26

When was Calais lost by Mary? What were the consequences of this? - Mary I

Answer 26

Calais was lost by Mary in January 1558. This caused much humiliation as the town had been under English control for centuries. There was no attempt to retake the town.

Question 27

When did Mary attempt an attack on Brest? What was the outcome of this? - Mary I

Answer 27

Mary attempted an attack on the port of Brest in 1558, although this failed dismally and no territory was taken.

Question 28

How many ships were built during Mary’s reign? What happened to other ships? What does this suggest? - Mary I

Answer 28

6 ships were built during Mary’s reign, with many other functioning ships being repaired. This suggested that Mary was seeking to provide greater protections and defences for England in peacetime.

Question 29

How much money did Mary grant to the navy in peacetime? - Mary I

Answer 29

Mary budgeted for £14,000 to be allocated to the navy in peacetime.

Question 30

What changes did Mary make to the summoning of troops? - Mary I

Answer 30

Mary passed 2 Acts of Parliament in her reign that would allow her to more efficiently raise troops to improve her defences. This saw JPs made responsible for this.

Question 31

When was the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis signed? What were the impacts of this on England? (Both positive and negative) - Mary I

Answer 31

The Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis was signed in 1559, ending the Spanish and French conflict and ending England’s involvement in this. However, negotiations did not advance English interests and no attempt was made to recover Calais.

Question 32

What were advantages and disadvantages of Mary’s marriage to Philip in 1554 FOR MARY? - Mary I

Answer 32

Advantages - strengthened Anglo-Spanish alliances, increased potential for an heir, Mary very keen on a Spanish alliance due to her close ties to the country.
Disadvantages - created major domestic disapproval, led to alienation from the Pope, created issues with Parliament, little compatibility with Philip.

Question 33

When did Philip return to England following the commencement of Franco-Spanish conflict to call for English support? What action did Mary take? - Mary I

Answer 33

Philip returned to England in 1557 to ask for English military assistance in the Franco-Spanish conflict. Attempted to pressurise Mary but she managed to resist, instead remaining neutral in the conflict for the time being.

Question 34

When did England send troops to the Netherlands? Why? - Mary I

Answer 34

England sent troops to the Netherlands in 1557 to help a trade-sensitive and important region resist French attack.

Question 35

When was Mary proclaimed Queen by the Council? When was she proclaimed Queen by Northumberland? - Mary I

Answer 35

Mary was proclaimed Queen by the Council on the 19th July 1553, with Northumberland proclaiming her as queen a day later on the 20th July 1553.

Question 36

What was the Devyse? Why did it fail? (2) - Mary I

Answer 36

The Devyse was Northumberland’s plan to interfere with the succession and install his daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey, on the throne. This failed due to the unpopularity of the idea to interfere with the correct succession, while any attempt to place his daughter-in-law on the throne was a deeply corrupt and nepotistic move.

Question 37

Who did Mary gather support from in her attempt to take the throne? Where were the majority of these people based? - Mary I

Answer 37

Mary gathered support from common folk, the nobility and the gentry, with much of this support coming from East Anglia, where she had been based.

Question 38

Who was Bishop Gardiner? What were his beliefs? - Mary I

Answer 38

Bishop Gardiner was a churchman who had been Henry VIII’s Secretary and was a staunch religious conservative. He had undergone imprisonment during Edward’s reign and was likely to support the return to Catholicism.

Question 39

Who was Sir William Paget? - Mary I

Answer 39

Paget was a diplomat and administrator under Henry VIII who later served in the governments of Somerset, Northumberland and lastly Mary. He was a conservative and would therefore advocate for a reduction in radicalism that had risen under Edward.

Question 40

How many councillors did Mary appoint during her reign? What allegations could be made about her government on account of this? - Mary I

Answer 40

Mary appointed 50 councillors during her reign, which could lead to allegations that her government was faction-ridden and inefficient on account of its bloated size.

Question 41

How did Mary’s Council operate in reality compared to its supposed oversized and inefficient nature? - Mary I

Answer 41

Mary’s Council actually operated rather better than its oversized nature would suggest, with it believed that Mary regarded the term ‘Councillor’ as an honorary title and as such operated with a far smaller and tighter circle of ministers than initially suggested.

Question 42

Why did Mary frequently lose confidence in Paget and Gardiner respectively? - Mary I

Answer 42

Mary lost confidence in Paget due to his opposition to her religious programme, whereas she never fully trusted Gardiner due to the lack of support extended to her mother, Catharine of Aragon, by him.

Question 43

How many MPs consistently opposed Mary’s religious legislation? What was the significance of this? - Mary I

Answer 43

80 MPs showed consistent opposition to Mary’s attempts at religious reform, and although this was a minority and not enough to block her reforms, it was a substantial minority, indicating widespread discontent with her policy.

Question 44

What issues did Mary struggle to pass legislation on as a result of Parliamentary opposition? - Mary I

Answer 44

Mary struggled to pass legislation on the property rights of Protestant exiles, the status of ex-monastic land (and its potential restoration to the church) and the succession.

Question 45

Who were Mary’s 2 candidates to marry? What were the issues with each of them? - Mary I

Answer 45

Mary was lined up to marry both Edward Courtenay and Philip of Spain. Courtenay was English and any marriage to him would strengthen internal factional rivalry in England and potentially grant excessive influence to his family. Philip was Spanish, and hence any marriage there created fear that Spain would exercise control over England, with the country eventually becoming a Spanish satellite.

Question 46

What terms were agreed as part of Mary and Philip’s marriage treaty? - Mary I

Answer 46

Mary and Philip’s marriage treaty confirmed that Philip would be made King but have no right to exercise the powers associated with the title, that any child resulting from the marriage would inherit England and the Low Countries, that no foreigners could hold English offices and that Philip would have no claim to the throne if he outlived Mary.

Question 47

When did Mary and Philip marry? - Mary I

Answer 47

Mary and Philip were married in 1554.

Question 48

When did Parliament prevent Philip’s coronation as king? - Mary I

Answer 48

Parliament prevented Philip’s coronation as king in 1555.

Question 49

What issue was created by the 1543 Act of Succession for Mary? - Mary I

Answer 49

Under the terms of the 1543 Act of Succession, if Mary should die childless, then Elizabeth would succeed her as Queen. This would likely result in a shift back towards Protestantism, unravelling Mary’s work to create a Catholic country again.

Question 50

What action did Mary take towards Elizabeth both immediately after Wyatt’s Rebellion and more long-term? - Mary I

Answer 50

Immediately after Wyatt’s Rebellion, Mary had Elizabeth imprisoned in the Tower of London, suspecting that she was likely to be implicated in the revolt. She was later released but kept under house arrest.

Question 51

When did Mary pass the New Act for the Taking of Musters? What did this achieve? - Mary I

Answer 51

Mary passed the New Act for the Taking of Musters in 1557, meaning that every section of society was required to gather men, horses and equipment for military service. Penalties for absence also became harsher.

Question 52

Which areas saw increases in ordinations during Mary’s reign? In which areas did ordinations remain stagnant? - Mary I

Answer 52

Catholic areas such as Lancashire, Durham and Yorkshire saw a sharp increase in ordinations under Mary’s reign, although in the South East and East Anglia ordinations saw little increase.

Question 53

What % of the clergy were deprived of offices for being married? - Mary I

Answer 53

10-25% of the clergy were eventually deprived of their offices for having married.

Question 54

What was the proportion of works critical of Mary’s religious policies to those supportive of her work? - Mary I

Answer 54

There were 2 critical pieces of literature on Mary’s religious policy for every one piece that supported it.

Question 55

How many copies of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer remained in circulation during Mary’s reign? - Mary I

Answer 55

19,000 copies of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer remained in circulation during Mary’s reign.

Question 56

When did poor harvests occur in the reign of Mary? When did the sweating sickness occur? - Mary I

Answer 56

Poor harvests occurred in 1555 and 1556. The sweating sickness struck in 1557 and 1558.

Question 57

What was the value of Mary’s inherited debts? What was the value of the debts that she left? - Mary I

Answer 57

Mary inherited debts of £150,000, leaving behind debts of £300,000.

Question 58

By what % had agricultural wages fallen by 1559 in the previous 50 years? - Mary I

Answer 58

By 1559, agricultural wages had fallen by 60% in the previous 50 years.

Question 59

When did the worst harvest of the 16th Century occur? - Mary I

Answer 59

The worst harvest of the 16th Century occurred in 1556.