Bloody Mary Flashcards
What were the dates of Mary I’s reign?
July 1553 – 17 November 1558
Who was Mary I’s mother?
Catherine of Aragon
What religion did Mary follow?
Roman Catholicism
What religion was England when Mary took power in 1553?
Protestant - Church of England
Who was monarch before Mary I?
Edward VI - Henry VIII’s only son
What religion was Edward VI?
Protestant - more protestant than his father Henry VIII
Was Mary popular on her accession to the throne?
Yes, there was much rejoicing and most people felt it was right that she should become queen.
Was Mary’s accession straightforward?
No, her brother Edward had excluded both her and Elizabeth from the Act of Succession. Also, there was an attempt by the Duke of Northumberland (John Dudley) to replace Mary with his daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey.
How did Mary react to the plot to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne?
She was clever - she retreated to a safe place and then, after amassing a small army, rode into London to claim the throne - amidst much popular support from ordinary people.
What was Mary’s religious policy?
She rejected the break from Rome implemented by her father, Henry VIII. She wanted England to return to the Catholic faith.
What did Mary do according to her religious policy?
She freed Catholics such as Stephen Gardiner, who had been imprisoned under Edward VI.
She imprisoned leading Protestants such as Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley and John Hooper.
She had all the religious laws passed by Henry VIII repealed (cancelled).
What happened by the end of 1554?
The Heresy Acts (laws) had been passed, which allowed Protestants to be punished if they did not recant (refuse) their faith.
How many protestants were punished?
283, mostly by burning alive at the stake.
Were all protestants burned or executed?
No, around 800 wealthy protestants (including John Foxe) chose exile instead.
What was the public reaction to the burnings?
They were seen as excessively harsh. The burnings proved so unpopular that even Alfonso de Castro, a Spanish Catholic, condemned them and another adviser, Simon Renard, warned him that such “cruel enforcement” could “cause a revolt”.
