Mary Flashcards
Key religious reforms
In 1553 Mary repealed earlier religious legislation and reinstated the Catholic Church
Under heresy laws Mary persecuted Protestants including the Oxford martyrs
280 Protestants burnt st the stake in south east and east Anglia
Persecution under heresy laws increasingly turned people against Mary
While facing opposition from only a small number of Protestants at the beginning of her reign, by the end she was widely unpopular
Other religious reforms
Pole tried to introduce reforms into the church and increase the number of priests
He appointed new bishops, who were to reside in their diocese
Proposed that each cathedral should have a seminary for training priests
Mary’s reign was too short for these reforms to have much impact and while some areas embraced them others did not
Economic change
1556-58 re coinage plans were drawn up
1555 the Poor Law Act extended the Act of 1552 and ordered licensed beggars to wear badges to encourage parishioners to donate
Encouragement was given to the conversion of pasture land to crop farming
Problems of succession
Mary was already 37 and wanted to produce an heir asap
Mary wanted to Mary Philip of Spain although english opinion was hostile to a foreign marriage
Mary marriage treaty
Gave Philip the title of king but no actual power
Forbade foreigners from holding English offices
Ruled that Philip had no claim on the English Crown if Mary died before he did
Absolved England from any involvement in or financial support for Philips wars
Relations with foreign powers
Main influence on Mary’s foreign policy concerned her desire to restore papal supremacy which was achieved in 1554. However the election of the anti Spanish pope Paul IV 1555 led to renewed war between France and Spain. Mary supported Spain and went to war with France 1557. Was a disaster as they lost Calais 1558
