Does Mary deserve the title Bloody Mary?

Question 1

How many people did Mary burn for heresy in her 5 year reign?

Answer 1

Around 300.

Question 2

What were the Marian Persecutions?

Answer 2

During Mary’s 5 year reign, she had burned over 300 religious dissenters.

Question 3

Why were heretics burned at the stake?

Answer 3

Punishment = total destruction of the heretic’s corpse ~ prevented the use of their body parts for relics.

Question 4

In 3 years, how many Protestant heretic men and women were persecuted?

Answer 4

220 men and 60 women were burned (including Cranmer).

Question 5

How many people were executed for heresy in Henry VIII’s reign?

Answer 5

81.

Question 6

Why could Protestant “martyrologist,” John Foxe be held responsible for Mary’s reputation?

Answer 6

• The Actes and Monuments (Foxe’s Book of Martyrs) = his bestselling work ~ detailed account of each and every martyr who died for his or her faith under the Catholic Church ~ first published in 1563 ~ very popular.
• 30 out of the 57 illustrations depict executions under Mary’s reign.

Question 7

Why was Foxe’s Book of Martyrs so popular?

Answer 7

Hard to not feel emotion at this typical account of some of the early Marian martyrs, the bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley.

Question 8

Where was the second edition of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs ordered to be installed and what were church officials told to do?

Answer 8

In every Cathedral Church and church officials were told to place copies in their houses for the use of servants and visitors.

Question 9

What does heresy mean?

Answer 9

Having a different religion to the king/country (going against the accepted doctrine of the time).

Question 10

What does persecution mean?

Answer 10

Mistreatment of someone on the basis of their religion etc.

Question 11

What does martyr mean?

Answer 11

Dying for a cause

Question 12

What does recanted mean?

Answer 12

Say that someone no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical.

Question 13

What is a diocese?

Answer 13

A district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church.

Question 14

What is a writ?

Answer 14

Legal document.

Question 15

What is a seminary?

Answer 15

A training college for priests.

Question 16

When were the Heresy Laws passed?

Answer 16

April 1554

Question 17

What is evidence for her deserving the title of Bloody Mary?

Answer 17

• Many letters were sent to Justices of the Peace (JPs) in the South urging action.
• London magistrates had to order the burnings to take place early in the day so that numbers and distribution was reduced.

Question 18

What is evidence against her deserving the title?

Answer 18

• Large numbers attended and were seen as a spectacle.
• Kent cherry pickers welcomed the increase market to sell their goods.

Question 19

Why South-East?

Answer 19

Most Protestants and closer to London.

Question 20

What does visitations mean?

Answer 20

Going to the church and checking on them ~ make sure everyone is behaving correctly.

Question 21

What is nepotism?

Answer 21

Where parishes were given to priests according to whom they knew rather than on the basis of merit.

Question 22

What is a catechism?

Answer 22

A manual of religious instruction usually arranged in the form of questions and answers used to instruct the young, to win converts, and to testify to the faith.

Question 23

What did Pole realise was vital and what did this lead to?

How were visitations under Pole’s ‘top-down’ strategy used to promote Mary’s religious aims?

Answer 23

Pole realised that strong leadership of the Church was vital ~ encouraged the bishops to make regular visitations to their dioceses to check on finances and discipline of the clergy.

Question 24

How was The London Synod of 1555 - Twelve Decrees under Pole’s ‘top-down’ strategy used to promote Mary’s religious aims?

Answer 24

Spelt out the necessity of all parish Priests being resident and sought to put an end to other abuses - priests having more than one parish and nepotism.

Question 25

How were New Publications under Pole’s ‘top-down’ strategy used to promote Mary’s religious aims?

But, why did this fail?

Answer 25

• A newly edited Catholic New Testament.
• A new Book of Homilies.
• A new catechism.

However, these never had much chance to be implemented.

Question 26

How was Clerical education under Pole’s ‘top-down’ strategy used to promote Mary’s religious aims?

Answer 26

• When bishops went on visitations, Pole wanted them to report on learning among schoolmasters and the clergy themselves.
• Pole wanted seminaries to be established in cathedrals ~ Cathedral schools were to be founded or reformed at Durham, Lincoln, Wells and York.

Question 27

How did Gardiner’s death in 1555 help Pole with Clerical education under his ‘top-down’ strategy used to promote Mary’s religious aims?

Answer 27

Pole replaced Gardiner as Chancellor of Cambridge University, followed by Oxford University ~ provided a tangible link between the government and the universities. The latter were to present bishops with lists of men suitable for benefices ~ Pole stressed the importance of visitations of the universities, naming the humanist Nicholas Ormenetti as a visitor to the universities in 1556.

Question 28

Where did burnings mainly happen?

Answer 28

Smithfield London.