Edward VI Flashcards
Who was the reigns of government initially seized by ?
his uncle Duke of Somerset
Why did E6 have a difficult accession?
- country divided religiously
- crown finances ruined by French and Scotland wars
- to pay for wars coinage was debased - rise in inflation and decline in real incomes
- crown had compromised security by selling monastic lands to raise money quickly
What did it state in H8’s will ?
he set up a regency council with 16 members in, supported by a further 12,
What was the purpose of the regency council ?
assist as required
Who made up the regency council ?
balance of protestants and religious conservative
also several administrators and lawyers
Who was under-represented in the regency council ?
nobel families
What happened after the regency council ?
it did not last long and Somerset who was Hertford at the time was appointed Protector.
What proved government was fearful for good order/security at this time ?
Archbishop Cranmer’s homily ( published reader/sermon ) ‘on obedience’ published in 1547
Who did Hertford (Somerset) rely on the support of ?
- Archbishop Cranmer
- Viscount Lisle ( Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland )
- Sir William Paget
What did Hertford reward himself and supporters with ?
- promotions
- substantial grants of crown lands
for example he promoted himself to Earl of Somerset
How did Somerset reinforce his power ?
by controlling the privy chamber by appointing his supporter Sir Micheal Stanhope as Chief Gentleman
What was a problem quickly during Somerset’s regime ?
factional rivalries
What was the first plot against Somerset ?
his brother Thomas Seymour tried to turn E6 against his brother
he also tried to plot with the Earl of Southampton against him
How did Somerset react to Thomas Seymour and Southampton’s plotting ?
he brought treason charges against Seymour.
Southampton denounced Seymour and was readmitted to the council
What were factional problems reinforced by ?
policy failings
How was Somerset’s approach to foreign policy unsuccessful and ineffective ?
- in regards to Scotland
- in dealing with 1549 rebellions
What did his policy failing and style of gov do ?
weakened him in the minds of many who previously supported him
What situation gave the Earl of Warwick the opportunity to strike ?
feebleness of S’s response to rebellion of 1549
What happened in Aug-Oct 1549 that ended Somersets regime ?
Warwick and Southampton with another two conservative noblemen decided his rule should be brought to an end
initially tried to secure support of Princess Mary - she steered clear
In Oct 1549 there was a stand between conspirators , based in London, and Somerset at Hampton Court ( who still had control over king)
S and E6 retreated to Windsor
Somerset arrested on orders of the Regency council. He surrendered promised he would face no treason charges - he was promptly committed to the tower
What was the result of coup against Somerset ?
Warwick first among equals despite not re-establishing a protectorate
What was Warwick after the coup?
Lord President of the Council
What was unclear about Warwick’s regime ?
what kind it was going to be
conservative supported of the coup wished for a regency led by Princess Mary
How was the nature of Warwicks regime made clear ?
his second coup
Did Warwick always intend a second coup or not ?
- yes - so he could exercise ultimate power
- no - just done because he feared he might be ejected by the conservatives
Who was Warwicks second coup directed at ?
the conservatives
What did the second coup result in ?
the purging of the conservatives ( Southampton and Arundel)
What determined the religious character of the regime
- purging of conservatives
- Cranmers support
- kings own increasing protestantism
What was Warwick promoted to ?
Duke of Northumberland
Who was Paget replaced by ?
William Cecil
Who did Northumberland appoint as Vice-chamberlain ?
Sir John Gates - controlled court
What didn’t survive Somerset’s attempt at a counter coup ?
collective/ concilliar approach to government
How was Somerset able to create a plot to recover old position ?
as he was readmitted to council
What was the consequence of Somerset’s attempt at a counter coup ?
Somerset was executed
Who was removed from the council as a result of how N reacted to S’s counter coup ?
Paget was removed and committed to the tower
What did Northumberland’s henchman Gates have possession of ?
dry stamp with king’s signature on
What did H8’s will state when it came to next succession ?
if E6 would die without children throne would be given to Mary
Why did H8’s will become an issue ?
in Feb 1553 E6 was taken ill and by end of March Venetian ambassador reported he was dying
if Mary was on throne Catholicism would be restored - ruining religious policies and indangering him
What was the Devyse ?
it was produced to alter the succession
What did E6 believe of both of his half-sisters ?
that they were illegitimate
Who was Northumberland’s preferred choice for monarch ?
Lady Jane Grey - who was married to his son, Guildford Dudley
When were Mary and Elizabeth declared illegitimate ?
June 1553
Why did the Devyse fail ?
E6 died on 6 July 1553 before parliament could be met to make new succession valid
therefore it was illegal
What happened after E6 died ?
Northumberland was unprepared and it took him 3 days to proclaim LJG as Queen
What was Somersets approach to FP?
aggressive towards Scotland
What was Somersets objectives in his FP towards Scotland ?
a marriage between MQS and E6 to unite England and Scotland
What was Somersets strategy towards Scotland ?
- defeat in battle
- build and garrison forts in the border and south of Scotland
- force Scots into submission
How did matters of FP begin well for Somerset ?
defeated Scotts in Battle of Pinkie in Sept 1547
Why did Somersets strategy towards FP begin to unravel ?
- forts expensive
- couldn’t capture significant castles
- he underestimated amount of Scottish and French co-operation
How was Somersets plan of marriage between MQS and E6 get ruined ?
French took MQS in Aug 1548 and she married the Dauphin, heir to French throne
Consequences of Somersets FP ?
- costly at a time of financial pressure
- failed to secure marriage
- deteriorated French relations - 1549 threat of war and prospect of French invasion when most vunrable due to rebellions - heightened resentment of privy councilors
What did Northumberland achieve:
- reduce FP expenditures - help stabilise crown finances
- ended wars against Scotland and France
Consequences of Northumberland ending French war :
had to return Boulogne - humiliating
however it helped finances as it was a strain on resources and French gave sum of 133,333
How did Northumberland improve finances in Scotland ?
removing garrisons
What was Somerset’s approach to religious policy ?
cautious
When was the Book of Common Prayer written and what were its objectives ?
1549
it established a single form of services within the C of E and it translated the service into English
Who wrote the Book of Common Prayer ?
Archbishop Cranmer
What debatably Catholic aspect did the Book of Common Prayer include?
an ambiguos Eucharist declaration - transubstantiation
What were reactions to Somersets religious policy ?
his period of power experienced a sustained attack on popular religious practises
What % of Londoners were Protestant by 1547 ?
20%
Somerset policy changes ?
- Feb 1547 - denunciation of images in London
- July 1547 - injunctions issued (reflected radical protestantism in gov)
- Dec 1547 - dissolution of chantries and religious guilds ( needed money for FP)
- May 1549 - introduction of Book of Common Prayer
Social impact of Somerset’s religious changes :
- attacked many traditional Catholic practises
- fear that this would be the start of a systematic asset stripping of the church. - crown confiscated money and property which previously underpinned charitable activities, feasts and celebrations
What was Northumberland’s strategy in relation to the church:
- continue Protestant reforms initiated by S
- to plunder more of its wealth
How did the wider political context help to shape a more radical strain of Protestantism under Northumberland ?
- Cranmer who was previously cautious began moving in a more radical direction shown by new Book of Common Prayer in 1552
- more radical senior clergy ( Bishop of Gloucester and London )
- continental reformers moved to England and were becoming influential in religious matters
- E6 increasing influence on policy - took role as Head of the Church seriously
When did Cranmer publish the more radical Book of Common Prayer ?
1552
What confirmed the firmly Protestant nature of doctrine ?
Cranmer’s 42 articles of religion
however not implemented as E6 died a few weeks after it was issued
How were the financial problems fixed ?
with a systematic policy of asset stripping, extracting wealth from the church through plundering bishops properties
When did expenditure on Church goods ( money given to the church) begin to decline ?
after 1540
Why did money given to the church decline ?
people saw little point in leaving money to the church as there was a chance it may be confiscated by the Crown
What % of northern wills left money to their parishes between the years 1540-1546 compared to in E6’s reign ?
between 1540-46 - 70%
in E6’s reign - 32%
How did parishes try to avoid the Crown attacking church plates ?
selling their treasures
or hiding their plates
When did the Crown start confiscating church plates ?
Jan 1553
What did the Book of Common Prayer, 1552, change ?
- banned ‘popish’ vestments
- restricted church music
- reformed communion - replacing wafer with bread
- rewrote services
- removed ‘conservative’ ceremonies
What brought economic dissent during Somerset’s period of rule:
- inflationary pressures
- agrarian issues
- taxation
What specifically were the agrarian issues ?
enclosures and harvest failure
What economic policy did Somerset continue ?
debasement of the coinage
he raised 537,000 but it heightened inflationary pressure and added to social distress
When did England have a poor harvest in the 40s ?
1548
reinforcing inflationary pressures further
What did Somerset do to try and sort out the problem of enclosures ?
he agreed to set up a commission investigate problems and issued a proclamation against enclosures
What did the enclosure commissioners achieve ?
little apart from raising the expectations of the poor and annoying landowners
What was the rate of enclosures doing before Somersets policies ?
already slowing down
How was the Scottish war mostly financed ?
land sales and borrowing
What was the main driver for the increased amounts of enclosures ?
percieved higher profits from converting land from arable to pasture in order to graze sheep - providing wool for export market
How did Somerset deter enclosures?
a tax on sheep
What did the tax on sheep create ?
huge financial pressures on small farmers
What financial plans did Northumberland make ?
he wanted to streamline the financial administration but most of the plans were not in fruition until Mary’s reign
What was arguably the worst year of the Tudor period ?
1549
closest thing to a class war according to John Guy
Reasons for disorder ?
- religious reasons
- agrarian and social grievances
- resentment of taxation
Why did many risings die out quickly?
insufficient support or action from local nobility and gentry
Why were south west rebellions more difficult to suppress
the south west lacked a resident aristocrat like Arundel who could bring matters under control
Where was the Western Rebellion, 1549 ?
Devon and Cornwall
What was the Western Rebellion caused by ?
- religious grievances
- distrust between rural labourers and landowners
- sheep tax and its implementation by insensitive local officials
What were the religious grievances ?
despite it being called the prayer book rebellion and rebels had little chance to experiences the new prayer book and the actual grievances ran much deeper they wanted to reverse religious reforms
Event that shows the extent of religious resentment in Cornwall?
murder of William Body in April 1548
as he had an insensitive approach to removing traditional Catholic objects
shows tension before Book of Common Prayer 1549 published
When was the sheep tax introduced?
March 1549
What did the Kett’s rebellion share with the Western ?
class antagonism
What grievances fuelled the Kett’s rebellion, 1549 ?
- hatred of local gov officials
- resentment of the abuse of landowners of the Norfolk foldcourse system
- release of pent-up frustration about maladministration locally of the Howards
What was a foldcourse ?
the right to graze sheep on an enclosed piece of common land - rights held by peasants and farmers
Why did foldcourse create problems?
in some villages landowners denied access to the foldcourse
What problems did folcourse create?
increased levels of peasant dissent - contributing to Kett’s rebellion
What was a difference between the Western and Kett’s rebellion ?
in the Kett’s rebellion rebels wanted the gov to act on promises of reform - enclosures, religious.
in the Western they wished to reverse policy
Where did the Kett rebels camp ?
Mousehold Heath
What did Robert Kett achieve ?
he maintained the order among rebels and negotiated with the civic authorities in Norwich
Events in Kett Rebellion:
- 9th July - began marching towards Norwich
- 12th - began camping at Mousehold Heath
- 21st - rebels began firing on the city
- 22nd - Norwich in hand of rebels
- 1st Aug - Warwick failure to recapture Norwich
- 27th - defeated by forces led by Earl of Northumberland
Events in the Western Rebellion, 1549:
- 6th June - formation of rebel camp near Bodmin
- 11th - start of Devon rebellion at Sampford Courtenay
- 20th - two groups met at Crediton
- 21st - dispute between rebels and Devon JP Sir Peter Carew
- 23rd - rebels camp at Clyst St Mary (Exeter)
- 2nd July - rebels surround and capture Exeter
- 28th - Lord Russel began advancing on rebels
- 4th Aug - defeat at Clyst Heath
- 17th - final defeat at Sampford Courtenay
Who did Somerset appoint to deal with Western Rebellion ?
Lord Russel
What happened to Kett ?
convicted of high treason and hanged
Whose attempt to crush the Kett’s rebellion failed ?
Earl of Northampton
Who successfully supressed the Kett’s rebellion ?
army and foreign mercenaries led by Earl of Warwick
What were the two reforming traditions that were competing during E6’s reign ?
- evangelical humanism
- radical protestantism
How did humanism exert influence:
- Archb Cranmer influenced by humanism
- 1547 injunctions required parishes to have a copy of Paraphrases by Erasmus
- humanist Sir John Cheke was E6’s tutor
- William Cecil encouraged humanist scholars at Cambridge
What kind of reform gained pace under Northumberland ?
a more militant one
partly because of strained relationship between Cranmer and Northumberland
When did the move towards more radical reform start ?
1552-1553
