Chapter 13 - Edward VI, Somerset and Northumberland Flashcards
what is a protector?
the term used to describe Edward Seymour, the Duke of Somerset, who was in charge of the kingdom as edward was too young to rule in his own right; somerset’s rule is described as a ‘protectorate’ or ‘protectorship’
why did Edward have a difficult inheritance?
- the country was divided on religous grounds
- crown finances had been ruined by expensive wars against france and scotland
- the coinage had been debased, leading to a considerable rise in the rate of inflation and a substantial decline in real incomes for many.
how many members made up the regency council?
16, supported by a further 12 who were required to assist as required
how were decisions in the regency council to be made?
by a majority
how was the regency council balanced?
between protestants such as Hertford, Cranmer and Sir Anthony Denny and religous conservatives such as Thomas Wriothesley, now the earl of southampton, and Lord St John.
were the great noble families underepresented in the regency council?
yes
what did the regency council do with regards to its power?
it promptly delegated its power to Hertford who was appointed protector.
what was the government fearful for?
good order and security
what did the tone of Cranmer’s homily on obedience, published in 1547, make very clear?
the government was fearful for good order and security
what were the clergy in their pulpits requried to reinforce to their congregations?
that obedience to the authority of the king was in accordance with the will of god; disobedience was, therefore, a mortal sin
what did hertford become?
the duke of somerset
what had somerset done within weeks?
he had awarded himself control, governing largely with members of his own household, only one of whom, Sir Thomas Smith, was appointed a member of the privy council.
how did somerset reinforce his power by controlling the privy chamber?
throught the appointment of one of his supporters, Sir Michael Stanhope, as chief gentleman.
why were there fears about the breakdown of law and order?
increasingly, members of the privy council felt resentment at the protectorate; within a few weeks one of them, the earl of southampton, had been arrested. moreover, there could be no guarantee of wider public acceptance of somerset’s protectorate.
what were factional problems reinforced by?
policy failings under somerset
what factional rivalries were there in the early days of somerset’s regime?
Somerset’s brother, Thomas Seymour, sought to turn edward VI against his brother, the protector, but he also tried to plot with the earl of southampton against somerset.
what lay at the heart of somerset’s policy failings?
- somerset’s approach to foreign policy, especially with regard to scotland.
- he also badly mishandled the rebellions that broke out in 1549
why had misgivings about somerset been growing?
his arrogant and dictatorial manner created enemies, especially southampton who resented his earlier imprisonment.
who was the most important enemy somerset had made?
the earl of warwick
who did warwick work with to remove somerset?
southampton, along with two other conservative noblemen, the earl of arundel and lord st John
what happened in october 1549 when warwick and the other conspirators decided to strike?
- there was a stand-off between the conspirators, based in london, and somerset who was at hampton court but who crucially still had control over the king.
- somerset and edward retreated to windsor where somerset was arrested on the orders of the regency council.
what did warwick do to try and avoid the concentration of power that had brought somerset down?
there was no attempt to re-establish the protectorate
why did warwick (northumberland) do a second coup against the conservatives?
he feared he himself might be ejected by the conservatives
what determined the religious character of Northumberland’s regime?
the purging of the conservatives Southampton and arundel, Cranmer’s support and the king’s own increasingly assertive protestantism.
how did northumberland ensure his control over the court?
he appointed his own hardman, Sir John Gates, as vice-chamberlain of the household to ensure his control over the court
how did Northumberland operate government before somerset’s attempt at a counter-coup?
Northumberland did for a time operate an effective government through the Privy Council
who transformed himself into Northumberland’s key administrator after Paget was increasingly excluded from the decision making process?
William Cecil
what happened to Somerset after his counter-coup failed?
he was executed
how did Northumberland react to Somerset’s attempted coup?
by becoming less conciliar in his approach to government, he basically started to behave in the same way somerset had before he was removed
who had possession of the dry stamp?
northumberland’s henchman, Gates, this meant he could affix the king’s signature to documents
what had Henry VIII laid down in his will about the succession?
that he should be succeeded by his son Edward, but that if Edward was to die without children, then he should be succeeded by Princess Mary
when was Edward taken ill?
February 1553
when did the venetian ambassador report that Edward was dying?
the end of march 1553
why did the decline in Edward’s health create an immediate problem for Northumberland?
if Mary came to the throne then catholicism would be restored and northumberland had supported a more radical form of protestantism
what was the plan to alter the succession known as?
the devyse
who was Northumberland’s preferred choice for the next monarch?
Lady Jane Grey
how did Edward view both of his half-sisters?
in his eyes both were illegitimate and he was prepared to exclude them from the succession
when were Mary and Elizabeth declared illegitimate?
June 1553
why did the parliament that was being prepared to ratify the new succession never happen?
Edward died on the 6th of July before the parliament could meet
when did edward die?
6th July 1553
what did the lack of parliamentary sanction mean about the devyse?
it was illegal
how long did it take for Northumberland to carry out his plans after the king died and declare lady jane grey as queen?
3 days
when was Lady Jane Grey declared queen?
9 July 1553
what was Somerset’s aggressive approach to Scotland determined by?
the strategic objective of reasserting the ancient claim of Edward I to the Scottish throne
what was Somerset’s aim with Scotland?
to enforce the marriage between Edward VI and the infant Mary, Queen of Scots and thereby unite the crowns of England and Scotland
what was the difference between Henry VIII’s and Somerset’s foreign policy?
for Henry scotland was a sideshow to france but scotland was the main priority of somerset
what was Somerset’s chosen strategy for Scotland?
to defeat the scots in battle, build and garrison a number of forts on the borders and south of scotland and force the scots into submission
how did Somerset’s approach to scotland initially begin?
it initially began well, he defeated the scots and the battle of Pinkie in September 1547
why did Somerset’s policy on Scotland begin to unravel?
- the forts proved expensive and difficult to garrison.
- the english could not capture the strategically significant castles at Dunbar and Edinburgh
- Somerset underestimated the amount of cooperation between scotland and france and failed to block the forth of firth properly, thereby enabling the french to relieve edinburgh
what did the french relief of edinburgh mean?
the french were able to control mary, queen of scots who was taken to france to marry the dauphin.
what were somerset’s foreign policy failings?
- he had engaged in a military strategy that proved unaffordable at a time of financial pressure
- he had failed to secure the marriage of edward and mary, queen of scots
- the deteriorating relationship with France led in 1549 to the threat of war and the prospect of french invasion of southern england, at the moment he was most vulnerable because of rebellions
what were Northumberland’s successes with foreign policy?
- he was able to reduce foreign policy expenditure
- he ended the wars against scotland and france
how did northumberland improve the crown’s finances?
- he returned boulogne to the french.
- the french paid £133,333 to recover boulogne
- he abandoned the garrisons in scotland, which had proved expensive to maintain
