Edward VI Flashcards
What is Thomas Cranmer homily on obedience in 1547?
This was read in parish churches to establish that obedience to the authority and the king was in the will of God. This would enforce Edward’s power and to decrease religious divisions
What were the challenges for Edward VI?
- The country was religiously divided
- Crown finances were slim after wars in the 1540s
- There were many rising political figures
- Coinage was debased to pay for wars so inflation rose and real incomes declined
- Lack of long - term security due to selling crown lands
What was the regency council like?
- It had 16 members and 12 extra to assist when required
- Decisions were made by a majority
- Members were balanced between protestants like Hertford, Cranmer and Sir Anthony Denny and religious conservatives like Thomas Wriothesley and Lord st John
- Many lawyers and administrators were chosen to secure good government but noble families were under represented
- Hertford became protector losing the conciliar government
How did the Duke of Somerset/Hertford/Edward Seymour gain power?
- His supporters included Viscount Lisle, Cranmer and Sir William Paget with promotions within peerage and substantial grants of crown lands
- He gained control by governing members of his won household as Sir Thomas Smith became a member of the privy council
- The earl of Southampton was soon arrested as she felt resentment
- No widespread control causing fears about the breakdown of law and order
- He became arrogant and dictorial
- Rivalries began including Thomas Seymour who tried to convince Edward VI to hate Somerset and he plotted with Southampton
- In August 1549, Warwick, Southampton and the earl of Arundel, lord st John unsuccessfully broke Somerset as Mary didn’t support them
- In October, the conspirators had a stand - off in London
- He eventually surrendered and soon returned to government where he organised a coup causing his execution on the 22nd of January 1552
How did the Duke of Northumberland rise to power?
- He soon replaced Somerset but in February 1550, he became lord president of the council
- Many conservatives wanted Mary to run a regency causing a coup against them in December 1549
- He promoted himself to Duke of Northumberland and lord Chamberlain
- His hardman, sir John Gates became vice - Chamberlain of the household
- Hoak believes he was, “one of the most remarkable abled governor of any European state at the time,”
- Successful government through the privy council
- Paget made guidelines to increase operations in the privy council
- Cecil became key administrator
- Northumberland made enemies like Paget making government less conciliar
- He and Gates had possession of the dry stamp with which he could affit the king’s signature to documents
What were the key aims and events of foreign relations in 1547?
Aims:
- reinstating Edward VI on the Scottish throne as Edward I’s heir
- Enforce the marriage alliance between Mary and Edward
- Defeating the Scots through forts on the border allowing an alliance with France
- He defeated the Scots at the battle of Pinkie in September 1547 with 30 warships, 50 supply ships and 4000 troops
- Berwick was used as a base with 16,000 infantry and 4000 cavalry
- Another army for Carlisle with 2000 men and 500 cavalry marched to Scotland
- That Scottish army was large but weak compared to the English canons and cavalry
What were the outcomes in foreign policy from 1547-49?
- Somerset had little control of the border
- Fort proved difficult and expensive to garrison
- They couldn’t capture Dunbar and Edinburgh castle
- He failed to block the firth of forth allowing the French to relieve Edinburgh
- Queen Mary was taken to France in August 1548 to marry the Dauphin
- The use of the military was unaffordable as they were £600,000 in debt
- He failed to secure the marriage alliance
- There was a threat of war in 1549 and a French invasion of southern England when the country was vulnerable due to rebellions and rivalry in government removing troops from Scotland
What was the 1547 Vagabonds act?
In response to increasing poverty, harsher punishments were given to vagabonds such as being caught begging led to branding and slavery. If caught 3 times, they could face the death penalty
What were the economic changes to the land under Somerset?
- There was an investigation on the legality of recent enclosure and the government sent inspectors around the country
- Many poor families in Midlands and the South lost their land and customary rights
- The gentry were angered by inspectors as they lost their livelihoods
- Inspectors made little changes so wealthy landowners supported the crown
- Enclosure increased because there was a large profit from wool and cloth by having a large flock of sheep
- Hales argues that enclosure is the root problem of many of England’s social and economic problems
- A sheep and cloth tax was imposed in march 1549
- The tax didn’t reduce enclosure but rather, it put pressure on small farmers in upland areas
What were the other economic changes under Somerset?
- Inflation increased
- Real wages decreased
- The debasement of coinage raised £537,000 but it devalued coins
- There was a poor harvest in 1548
- Food prices in bread, cheese and meat rose
Why were the rebellions a large threat?
- England had a lack of resources and military at the time
- The issues from rebellions were widespread
- They challenged the power of the king and regency council
- Guy believed it almost turned into a war against the classes
- The government couldn’t cope with the number of rebellions in the summer
- England was vulnerable to invasion
- Cities were taken over
- Major rebellions weren’t east to suppress
- Troops were removed from the Scottish border
Why weren’t the rebellions a large threat?
- The system worked as the loyalty of the nobles was shown through their lack of involvement and their ability to suppress rebellions
- A lack of clear leaders show a lack of co-ordination and organisation so the rebellions couldn’t grow
- No attempts to march to London
- The government had full control of its forces
Where did most of the rebellions take place?
South East of England
What happened in Suffolk?
Sir Anthony Wingfid was able to reduce unrest with parsons and promises of improvement and as a consequence, a rebel was hung and the earl of Arundel had a suppress further rebels
What happened in Leicestershire and Rutland?
The marquis of Dorset and the earl of Huntington suppressed rebels in August and September leading to executions
