Chapter 15 - Mary I and her ministers Flashcards
what did Mary do when she learnt of the plan to proclaim Lady Jane Grey as queen?
- mary gathered catholic supporters in Norfolk
- Northumberland immediately summoned troops and sent a naval squadron to wait off the coast by great yarmouth.
- the ships he sent proved disloyal and pledged allegiance to Mary
- other members of the council proclaimed Mary as queen
why did Northumberland’s plan with the devyse fail?
- he had attempted to interfere with the legitimate succession
- he had promoted the claim of his son’s wife, leading many to conclude that this was an attempt to hold on to power
- his behaviour was illegal and upset even some of his committed supporters on the council.
- Mary had acted bravely, decisively and quickly, gathering support from nobility, gentry and ordinary folk
how was mary received by ordinary people?
her accession to the throne was generally quite popular
what problems did Mary face?
- she inherited a kingdom that had fundamental religious divisions
- she was a catholic in a kingdom with a substantial protestant minority
- she had not been brought up to rule, so lacked some of the political instinct required
- her loyal and trusted supporters had no serious experience in government
- mary would have to rely on those who had served edward and were therefore implicated in the religious reforms.
who were some members of Mary’s new council?
- Bishop Stephen Gardiner, who had been her father’s secretary and had been a steadfast upholder of religious conservatism during Edward’s reign.
- other churchmen, who had been excluded from influence during Edward’s reign
- some of the more conservative councillors who had at various times served Edward, importantly Lord Paget.
how many councillors did Mary appoint during her reign?
50, although in reality the working council was much smaller
why was mary never quite at ease with her key councillors?
she lost confidence in Paget because of his opposition to her religious programme and she never fully trusted Gardiner, who had failed to support her mother at the time of the break from Rome
despite the fact that she never fully trusted him, how did Mary regard Gardiner?
as indispensable, his death in 1555 left a gap in government that was never satisfactorily filled, particularly as Cardinal Pole distanced himself from secular issues
what did the gap left after Gardiner’s death mean?
Mary was thrown back on the advice of two foreigners, her husband Philip and Simon Renard, the ambassador of her cousin and father-in-law, Charles V.
what was Mary’s relationship with Parliament generally like?
one of cautious cooperation
what are some examples of opposition Mary faced from parliament?
- a substantial minority of MPs (about 80) opposed the reversal of Edwardian religious legislation.
- concern for property rights, doubtless motivated by self-interest in many cases, ensured ex-monastic property would not be restored to the church
- a bill in 1555 to seize the property of protestant exiles was defeated
- mary also quarrelled with parliament over the issue of succession
who was the english candidate for Mary to marry?
Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, he was Gardiner’s choice
what problems would a marriage to an englishman bring about?
- the threat of factional rivalry, as the husband’s family would inevitably become more influential
- Courtenay lacked courtly skills and was therefore seen as an unsuitable candidate by many, including Mary, who never took him seriously as a potential husband.
who was mary’s main adviser on the issue of marriage?
Simon renard
what did the marriage treaty say?
- Philip was to be given title of King but was to exercise none of the power that went with the title
- no foreigners were to be permitted to hold english offices
- if mary predeceased Philip then the latter would have no claim on the english crown
