Edward,sommerset,northumberland Flashcards
Who was significantly not included in the
Regency Council?
In general who was underrepresented?
Neither the arch-conservative Gardner nor
Norfolk
Great noble families were under represented
What happened to Gardiner and Norfolk?
Accused of treason and put in the tower until
Edwards death in 1553
Who became Lord Protector of Edward and how?
Whether Henry names Edward Seymour (Earl of Hertford), the new king’s uncle as ‘Protector’ is not known but it is possible he did so verbally
Whatever the circumstances within days, the Regency Council had delegated its power to Hertford who awarded himself the title of Duke of Somerset and became Lord Protector
What was the balance of the Regency
Council like?
Who were the protestants and who were the conservatives?
Balanced between:
Protestants like Hereford, Cranmer and Sir Anthony Denny…
…and religious conservatives like Thomas Wriothesley and Lord St ohn
Who were key Religious conservatives?
Thomas Wriotheseley - (Lord Chancellor since 1544 made Earl of
Southampton in 1547 by Somerset - dead kings wishes)
William Paulet - (styled Lord St John - became first Marquis of Winchester in 15151)
Cuthbert Tunstall - (Bishop of Durham)
Who were key religious reformers?
Edward Seymour (Earl of Hertford from 1537 and Duke of
Somerset from 1547)
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
Sir Anthony Denny (MP for Hertfordshire)
Somerset rapidly promoted his own supporters and who did he initially rely on and how did he reward himself/his supporters?
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and
Sir William Paget (who had been one of Henry VIll’s private secretaries)
John Dudley (the son of Henry VIl’s executed minister, Edmund Dudley; Dudley was created Earl of Warwick in 1547 (and Duke of Northumberland in 1551)
Rewarded himself and his supporters with promotions within the peerage e.g. he became Duke of Somerset and with substantial grants of crown lands
Who did Somerset govern with?
Who, for example was appointed member of the privy council?
Largely with members of his own household (allowing him to gain control)
Sir Thomas Smith was appointed a member of the Privy Council
Who did Somerset appoint to control the
Privy Chamber?
What titles did he have?
By appointing his brother in-law, Sir Michael Stanhope =Groom of the Stool and Chief Gentleman of the Privy Chamber.
Effectively making him the king’s keeper, as well as other supporters
What were two main problems Somerset faced?
Public acceptance of Somerset’s was uncertain - creating widespread fears about the breakdown of law and order.
He had created enemies among his former supporters.
How had Somerset created enemies and who with?
He had created enemies among his former supporters Privy
Council through his arrogant and dictatorial manner.
Especially Southampton who resented his earlier imprisonment.
Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, was dismissed from the Chancellorship and arrested, losing his seat on the Privy Council
To prevent disorder what did Cranmer do?
Published ‘On Obedience’ to be read in parish churches - the clergy in their pulpits were required to reinforce to their congregations that obedience to the authority of the king was in accordance to the will of God - emphasising that disobedience to the king was a mortal sin and could lead to damnation - highlighting the governments need for order and security
What were three other problems Somerset faced?
Factional rivalries - Somerset’s own brother, Thomas Seymour, conspired with Southampton to turn Edward VI against Somerset (Seymour was charged with treason with 1549 - Southampton was persuaded to denounce him and readmitted to the Privy Council
Henry FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel (Lord Chamberlain and one of the 12 assistants on the Regency Council and William Paulet objected to Somerset’s dominance and plotted to unseat him
Somerset’s policy failings - particularly his poor showing in the war against Scotland and his mishandling of the rebellion at home in 1549 weakened his position (even before then misgivings about
Somerset had been growing)
By autumn 1549 what was Somerset’s position like?
Even Dudley (Warwick) was convinced that Somerset would have to go and joined the Earl of Southampton, the Earl of Arundel and William Paulet (Lord St John?) in a plot to remove him - initially they tried to secure the support of princess Mary but she decided to avoid any conspiracy but by October the conspirators were ready to strike
What happened to Somerset in October
1549?
He was arrested on the orders of the Regency Council and surrendered, having be promised (in a deal brokered by Cranmer) that no treason charges would be brought against him. He was promptly committed to the tower
After Somerset’s downfall what did Cranmer and Dudley persuade
Edward to do?
To appoint some new religious reformers to the Regency Council and Privy Chamber