Mary 1553-58 Flashcards
How did Mary gain support for her claim to the throne?
Widespread support for her in Norfolk and Suffolk which allowed her to establish firm base in Framlingham to form a Council and claim the throne as rightful heir, naval squadron sent by Northumberland/Jane Grey deserted to Mary, the Council sensed changing legal wind and hastened to make peace with Mary
How dedicated was Mary to her religious views?
Withstood all attempts made by Edward to persuade her to change her religious views and her councillors later found it impossible to shift her on issues of religion or conscience but in all other matters she was willing to maintain administrative continuity with the previous 2 reigns by avoiding actions which would stir up intense opposition
Describe Parliament under Mary in 10 points
Five Parliament’s held during her reign showed working compromise on return of the catholic religion and her marriage to Philip and war with France (Parliament agreed to repeal Edward VI’s religious legislation and ratify the marriage treaty and sanction the alliance with Philip II despite initial reservations), keynote of the reign as far as parliament concerned was its frustration at not being able to provide any restraints on the administration and not being taken into the process of administrative change as it had under Henry VIII, whatever concessions/agreements Mary got from Parliament were the result of deliberately packing it with Catholic supporters but overall the Marián Parliaments disagreed strongly with her policies, resistance came from both lords and commons and both Catholics and Protestants, legislation undoing Edwardian and henrician reformations went through parliament step by step with minimal resistance because most Marián legislation was less extreme than previously stated and MPs were more concerned with local interests than national issues (supported legislation if there were loopholes for them to go unscathed so supported religious legislation provided that nothing was done to reclaim land of monasteries, adamantly rejected the return of monastic lands which Mary wanted), Mary’s plan to confiscate property of exiles was defeated which was evidence of parliament gaining substantial concessions from the crown and she gave in to ensure smooth transition back to Catholicism, Mary planned number of bills to be presented in each parliamentary session beforehand to keep sessions short (5 week’s half of Edward’s parliaments), in 3rd parliament of reign neither house proceeded with bill to reconcile England papal fold and rejected a bill to revive medieval statutes against heresy , 1555 both rejected government bill to confiscate estates of exiles, far fewer bills than previous decades
Describe the Privy Council under Mary in 10points
Under Edward membership of the Privy Council and the Court overlapped but under Mary a clear distinction existed between the two (court is catholic but council is mix of Protestant and Catholic), still doesn’t deal with official policy which is still in hands of crown but advises on administration, welcomed back Catholic ministers who were removed from the council during the Reformation so Council increased to 50 members but a lot of continuity from Edward’s reign with Protestant membership, Mary never attended Privy Council and she trusted household members more eg Master of Wards, vast amount of members chosen for skills not loyalism which created factionalism that traditional historians blame on Mary’s lack of leadership, 1554 inner circle of 19 members developed known as ‘select council’ which briefed Philip on matters of business when he was out of the country, council efficiency enhanced by establishment of 12 committees in 1554 each with specific roles such as administration of navy, select council included Rochester and Pages and Gardiner and Arundel, strong rivalry between the Chancellor Gardiner and Paget keeper of the Privy Seal (divisions pronounced over Spanish marriage, Gardiner preferred Courtenay and Paget Philip of Spain)m only 10-20 councillors at each meeting
Describe financial problems under Mary in 8 points
Spirally inflation, increasing rents, declining manufactures, poor harvests especially 1555 and 1556, massive influenza epidemics worst in 1558, all caused reduction in demand for industrial and luxury goods, Mary’s attempt to restore Catholic ritual and vestments creates a financial problem in trying to locate dispersal of funds from dissolution of monasteries and chantries, this prevented Mary making radical religious reform which would provoke the sort of opposition to endanger her position
Describe the Wyatt rebellion in 7 points
Direct response to Spanish marriage which followed minor schemes to replace Mary with Elizabeth who would be persuaded to marry Courtenay, Force of 3000 men with force close to capital, Duke of Norfolk conducted incompetent campaign against rebels during which many of his Whitecoats diverted to Wyatt but Mary was saved by overthrow from a section of the nobility and their retainers so the rebellion failed, most serious part was in Kent but most Kentish nobility remained neutral and no magnates elsewhere supported rebellion except Suffolk, most rebels comprised knights/gentlemen/lesser landowners/soldiers with minor influence, no widespread local uprisings like those after pilgrimage of grace, Mary didn’t appeal for foreign help and she refrained from leaving London otherwise she would have been more vulnerable, her speech at Guildhall stirred preparation of city’s defences
What did Mary add to her will during her terminal illness?
A codicil stating that the crown should pass to her heir ‘by the laws of England’, she was persuaded by a deputation from Parliament to specify to Elizabeth
What is the traditional view of Mary’s reign?
She had no political ability, secular achievements were almost non existent, Mary and her supporters in the privy council rode rough-shod over the liberties of Parliament in her effort to impose religious orthodoxy, privy council was subordinated to Mary’s religious policies and was comprised of members who were likely to support her and deprived of the most effective talent of the day, Mary’s administration made no significant financial change
Describe the advances in legal statutes under Mary in 3 points
Some measures were limited to underpinning religious changes of regime eg punishment of heresy 1553 and seditious rumour about consort 1555 but others went much further eg 1553 codification of treason, also measures covering more carefully defined rules for granting of bail and arrest and commital and evidence, improvements in taking evidence and granting bail
Describe changes in administration of finances under Mary in 8 points
Largely the work of William Paulet Marquis of Winchester who followed the recommendations of Edward VI’s commission of 1552 to reform revenue courts, 1554 exechequer expanded to sort of functions it carried out in fifteenth century (absorbed Court of First Fruits and Tenths and Court of Augmentations) which increased its efficiency, Lord Treasurer now in charge of finances which continued under Elizabeth I and James I, attempts to reestablish crown lands so annual revenues increased to £40,000 which was result of the deliberate effort of the Privy Council which arranged a survey of these in 1555 and 1557, customs duties increased £29,000 to £83,000 after new book of rates set out amount of taxes which should be paid on imports and exports, attempt made to reform the coinage based on plans drawn up by committee within privy council but still a great deal of base coinage still in circulation, her financial reforms have been viewed as pragmatic responses to immediate need in particular to financial crisis produced by the imprudent rule of a Duke of Somerset (Mary government inherited problems which had to be dealt with urgently), Mary did not live long enough to see effectiveness of her new system but historians say it provided groundwork for Elizabeth
Describe Mary’s reforms of the navy
Under Edward VI navy reduced to three effective first class ships in 1555 but Mary increased it to 21, overall control of navy’s finances given to Lord Treasurer and £14,000 allocated annually for navy, much evidence that the real enthusiast behind these reforms was Philip due to the vulnerability of possessions to French attack and the need to safeguard his own sea routes to Netherlands hence importance of English naval presence in the channel
How did Mary’s reign see the expansion of English influence in Ireland? 4 points
Her government extended Somerset’s plantation policy into the development of a colony in Ireland, following a survey of the lands these were let out to English settlers who were obliged to maintain communications such as roads, entire policy placed under sir Thomas Ratcliffe who was appointed Lord deputy of Ireland in 1556, however there was a lack of social reform and provocation of a long term indigenous opposition to English rule
Describe the Household under Mary in 5 points
Function changed slightly due to female rule (access to Queens Privy Chamber restricted to female Ladies in Waiting so this area declined as main area of government but Household positions still important), in Mary’s courts her leading officials were Catholic loyalists so this was area she surrounded herself with her most loyal supporters (household was sanctuary for loyalism, earl of Oxford recovered hereditary position as Lord great chamberlain, earl of arundel appointed lord steward), only female ladies in waiting allowed access to privy chamber
On what 3 conditions did Parliament negotiate the Spanish marriage treaty?
Mary cannot leave England, England cannot interfère in Spanish wars, mary wanted Philip to be crowned but he was only king in name so couldn’t claim throne if Mary died
Describe Mary’s new book of rates
Set out amount of taxes which should be paid on imports and exports, before then it hasn’t been updated in decades
Why did Mary want to marry Philip?
She had to marry to produce a Catholic heir, paget argued England could use habsburg alliance as protection against Henry II of France who coveted Calais and built up Scottish alliance, political stability more easy to maintain with promise of imperial troops to suppress disorder whenever necessary, commercial ties with Netherlands economically beneficial, Mary had warm feelings towards the emperor who protected her during the reigns of her father and brother, marriage beneficial for him as it furthered Habsburg interests against France and helped Philip assert claim to rule Netherlands after Charles death
