General

Question 1

What type of council was established on behalf of Edward?

Answer 1

Regency council

Question 2

How old was Edward when he inherited the throne?

Answer 2

9

Question 3

How many members of the Regency Council were there? Who was it?

Answer 3

16

• Members of the reform faction (took lead) e.g. Seymour, Cranmer
• Members of the conservative faction, e.g. Wriothesley + Lord St John

Question 4

What issues did Edward’s Regency Council inherit?

Answer 4

• Religious divide (Protestants + Catholics)
• Limited crown finances
• Ongoing wars in France + Scotland
• Rise in inflation
• Compromised security (nobles owned more land - monastic)

Question 5

Give an example of how Edward’s Regency Council showed their concern about the security of their rule?

Answer 5

‘On obedience’ homily by Cranmer (1547) to discourage obedience - claimed disobeying King was disobeying God so a mortal sin

Question 6

When did Edward VI become King?

Answer 6

28th January 1547

Question 7

Who was the Duke of Somerset?

Answer 7

• Edward Seymour
• Edward VI’s uncle
• ‘Good Duke’
• First head of the Regency Council (‘Lord Protector’)

Question 8

Who did the Duke of Somerset mainly rely on to help him administrate?

Answer 8

His own Household

Rest of the Council mainly objected to his self-imposed superiority

Question 9

Give an example of an individual who tried to oppose Duke of Somerset

Answer 9

Thomas Seymour

• His brother
• Married to H.VIII’s widow K.Parr (+ grew close to princess E - affair?)
• Tried to appeal to young Ed by giving pocket money when Duke was withholding Crown finances
• Duke of Somerset caught him sneaking in - charged with treason

Question 10

Why was the Duke of Somerset unpopular?

Answer 10

• Too authoritative + arrogant as ‘Lord Protector’ in the R.Council
• Failed, expensive foreign policy
• Enhanced financial crisis (e.g. sheep tax)
• Mishandled 2 rebellions of 1549 (Kett + Western)

Question 11

Outline the downfall of the Duke of Somerset

Answer 11

• Somerset becoming unpopular (in Council + population)
• When John Dudley shout down Western Rebellion he found he had popular support to raise a rebellion against Somerset
• Somerset saw threat - moved Edward + Household to Windsor
• Led to Edward seeing his uncle as controlling and turning on him
• 8th Oct 1549 - Agreed to surrender
• 11th Oct 1549 - Arrested

Question 12

Who was the Duke of Northumberland?

Answer 12

• John Dudley
• Shut down Western Rebellion + led anti-Somerset coup
• ‘Bad Duke’
• First among equals (‘Lord President’)

Question 13

Why did Duke of Northumberland name himself Lord President not Lord Protector?

Answer 13

Wanted to avoid presenting himself as arrogant + being removed like Somerset

Question 14

What did Northumberland do to the government immediately when he became Lord President?

Answer 14

• Second coup against the conservatives in the Council (for fear he would be opposed or ousted)
• Installed William Cecil as his key administrator
• Instituted some of the guidlines for conciliar improvement drawn up by Paget

Question 15

What did Northumberland chose to do the government during the end of his period in power?

Answer 15

Abandon the conciliar approach

• Northumberland lost trust for members after Somerset was amicably reinstalled + then tried to start a coup
• Relied less on the council + more on his personal henchmen (e.g. John Gates - Chief Gentleman of the Privy Chamber)

Question 16

What was the succession plan when Edward VI was dying in 1533?

Answer 16

H.VIII’s Succession Act 1544

Edward, then Mary, then Elizabeth

Question 17

Why didn’t Edward want Mary to be his heir?

Answer 17

She would convert the country back to Catholicism

Question 18

Why didn’t Edward want Elizabeth to be heir?

Answer 18

Saying Elizabeth was legitimate implied Mary was also legitimate

She was also likely to support Mary’s accession because she strongly valued statute law

Question 19

What succession plan did Northumberland + Edward create to replace the 1544 Succession Act ?

Answer 19

The ‘Devyse’

• Mary + Elizabeth illegitimate
• Heir: Frances Grey (the granddaughter of H.VIII)
• Heir altered to: Lady Jane Grey

Question 20

What religion were the Grey family?

Answer 20

Protestant

Question 21

Who was Lady Jane Grey?

Answer 21

• Made heir in the Devyse when it was altered

- Great granddaughter of Henry VIII

Question 22

Why did Northumberland want Lady Jane Grey to become Queen?

Answer 22

• Would put his family in a politically strategic position

- Northumberland’s son (Guildford Dudley) married to Lady Jane

Question 23

Why did many people resent Northumberland at the end of his reign?

Answer 23

Thought he was working with politically selfish motives (trying to stay in power by promoting Lady Jane Grey)

Question 24

Was Northumberland supporting Lady Jane Grey illegally?

Answer 24

Technically yes

- The Devyse wasn’t ratified by parliament in time before Edward’s death, so it wasn’t a legal succession document

Question 25

When did Edward VI die?

Answer 25

6th July 1553

Question 26

When was Lady Jane Grey declared Queen?

Answer 26

9th July 1553

Question 27

When was Northumberland executed? Why?

Answer 27

22nd August 1553

- Supported Lady Jane Grey when she was ousted from power by Mary and her supporters

Question 28

When was Somerset executed? Why?

Answer 28

22nd January 1552

- Tried to regain power + overthrow Northumberland when he was reinstated on the Regency Council