Edward VI Flashcards
What were the dates/years of Edward’s reign?
1547-1553
What were the official titles of the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of Northumberland in Edward’s government?
Lord Protector and Lord President of the Council
Who did Somerset appoint as Chief Gentleman of the Privy Chamber and why was this unpopular?
Sir Michael Stanhope (brother-in-law)
Who did Somerset charge with treason for plotting against him with the Earl of Southampton?
Thomas Seymour
– his brother who had not been appointed to the Regency Council by Henry VIII.
Give three reasons why the Earl of Northumberland took over from the Earl of Somerset in 1549.
Somerset seen as weak & unpopular – foreign policy & rebellions; Northumberland crushed Kett’s Rebellion & behind coup;
Somerset lost king’s support in Windsor.
how was Northumberland’s second coup against and why was it quite surprising?
the conservatives
(Southampton & Arundel); they’d supported him against Somerset in the first coup. Perhaps due to fear they’d
turn against him.
Why was Somerset finally executed by Northumberland? What was the impact on Northumberland’s style of
leadership?
Having got back onto the Council, Somerset started a counter-coup; as a result, Northumberland moved from being conciliar to more dictatorial.
What was the devyse and why was Lady Jane Grey chosen?
legal plan to change the succession; protestant, Henry VII’s great granddaughter; Northumberland’s daughter-in-law.
Why did the devyse fail?
Edward died before Parliament could ratify it/Mary I refused to accept it.
What was the name of the battle were England defeated Scotland in September 1547?
Pinkie
Why did Somerset’s strategy for defeating Scotland fail thereafter?
garrisoning too expensive & caused further debasement; England failed to capture strategically important forts at Dunbar and Edinburgh; underestimated French support & failed to block the Firth of Forth enabling French to reinforce Edinburgh.
What was the name of the treaty which Northumberland signed to end the war with France?
Boulogne; Boulogne returned to French for £133,333.
Who were the two proposed wives for Edward VI, although neither came to fruition?
Mary Queen of Scots and Princess Elizabeth of France (Treaty of Bologne).
Why specifically did Protestants criticise the First Book of Common Prayer?
vague about transubstantiation.
What changes did the following religious policies passed under Somerset bring about:
• The Chantries Act?
• Repeal of the Treason Act?
• First Act of Uniformity?
• The Chantries Act? - dissolved the chantries
• Repeal of the Treason Act? – allowed people to talk freely about religion
• First Act of Uniformity? - made First Book of Common Prayer the official liturgy
Who was Archbishop of Canterbury during Edward’s reign, key in bringing in these religious reforms?
Cramner
Name two changes introduced by the revised/Second Book of Common Prayer in 1552.
Removal of remaining ‘conservative’ ceremonies; rewriting of baptism, confirmation and burial services; radical reform of
communion service; ban on use of ‘popish’ vestments; restriction on use of church music
What were the Forty-Two Articles?
defined the doctrine of the Church of England – justification by faith alone.
Who was Hooper?
leader of the evangelists, pushing for more extreme reform.
How did Somerset try to tackle enclosure?
commission and sheep tax.
How did Northumberland stabilise the economy?
ended expensive foreign policy; ended debasement.
How did Northumberland stabilise crown finances?
melted down church plate; Walter Mildway’s commission into streamlining royal finances although not put into place until Mary’s reign; Boulogne.
In what year were the two rebellions of Edward’s reign?
1549
What was the name of the family which administered East-Anglia badly bringing pent-up frustration and leading to
the Kett’s rebellion?
Howards
What were two other causes of the Kett’s Rebellion?
abuse of the Norfolk Foldcourse system; decline in Textiles industry.
Where did the Western Rebellion occur? What is it otherwise known as?
Devon & Cornwall; Prayer Book Rebellion
What evidence do some historians point to that suggests the English people disagreed with the religious changes
during Edward VI’s reign?
wills; church attendance; support for Mary and swift return of church plate.
What three examples do historians use to argue that Edward VI was exercising more power than perhaps has been
previously suggested?
king in own right at 16, not 18; involvement in Second Book of Common Prayer and Uniformity Act; involvement in the devyse.
