Chapter 12 - The State of the Church and Belief by 1547

Question 1

Disagreements over doctrine and practice

Answer 1

• Conservative faction
  * Disliked influence of Catherine Parr and Thomas Cranmer
  * Determined to resist reform
  * Disliked Cranmer’s opinions on salvation by faith
• Attempts to link Cranmer and Parr to people accused of heresy
  * e.g. Anne Askew
  * Cranmer associated with the Prebendaries’ Plot
  * The Prebend’s plot was significant because it showed that Henry still trusted Cranmer and it demonstrated the potential for Henry’s views to become more protestant as he didn’t badly criticise Cranmer for openly criticising masses for the dead and other catholic beliefs.
• Henry showed his support for Cranmer by giving him a ring and asking that he lead the investigation into himself
• Why did Cranmer survive?
  * Because he was liked and trusted by many and allowed henry to keep control of the more powerful reformists

Question 2

France and Scotland Situation

Answer 2

France and Scotland
* The money gained by the dissolution of the monasteries allowed Henry to take a more active approach to foreign policy
* Henry wanted to make sure the Scots accepted his territorial and military superiority
* Maintained his claim to France
* Hoped to encourage James V to break from Rome
* Forced to defeat Scots before France due to the Auld Alliance
* Henry and James V
* Interesting relationship, James was Henry’s nephew
* Henry did not feel like James treated him with the respect he deserved as the senior monarch
* Provided sanctuary for pilgrimage of grace members and then missed a subsequent meeting in York

Scotland
* October 1542, Henry attacked Scotland
* Not carefully planned, intended to prove English superiority
* English won and James V died shortly after
* James’ heir was a 2 week old baby, Mary
* Edward and Mary promised to be married but this ended quickly as the Auld Alliance was reinstated

France
* Henry launched an attack on France in 1544, to try and get more territory
* Joined Charles V in attack on Paris
* Ambitious plans begin to unravel, Henry’s army, despite its size, moved slowly
* Successfully occupied Boulogne but at a cost
* France launched a counter attack on England
* Led to Invasion of the Isle of Wight
* Finally signed the treaty of Camp, reducing their occupation to 8 years and making the whole ordeal costly and unfruitful

Question 3

Boulogne

Answer 3

• Earl of Surrey, heir to Duke of Norfolk made Captain of Boulogne
• Led a foolishly bold attack on a French fortress when his army deserted him and he was forced to save himself
• News reached William Paget and Thomas Cranmer and they took this as an opportunity to replace Surrey with Edward Seymour

Question 4

Final political upheaval

Answer 4

• Earl of Surrey produced a coat of arms with reference to Edward the Confessor
• Considered sufficient for the enemies of the Howards to attack
• Father and son taken to the Tower of London and the Earl of Surrey was executed for treason
• Only Henry’s death the next day prevented the Duke of Norfolk’s execution
• The downfall of the Howards suggested that factional conflict dominated Henry’s last few years
• The disputes were more focused on Henry’s successor and therefore this did not undermine Henry’s power at the time
• Access to Henry and his signature in the form of the ‘dry stamp’ was increasingly available to those who favoured change in religion

Question 5

The importance of the succession

Answer 5

• Edward would succeed the throne as a minor and inherit the supremacy with Henry’s death
• Henry did not name a regent and this further showed his paranoia that if he did they would create a separate court which would be difficult for Edward to deal with
• Edward Seymour, Edward’s Uncle and a member of the reforming faction would act on behalf of Edward until he was of age, this would be when he turned 16 as he was considered very advanced
• By 1547 Henry had established his Church of England, reflecting both his Catholic and Humanist views on religion, with a centre around the Eucharist
• In his mind, Henry had:
  * secured the Tudor Dynasty
  * established himself and his family with all the power of his counterpart European Kings
  * re-established the doctrinally true religion in Englan
  * And prevented people from challenging it

First succession act, 1534
- Made Mary illegitimate
Second succession act, 1536
- Made Elizabeth illegitimate
Third succession act