Mary - Social/Economic Flashcards
How did Mary reorganise the financial courts?
More streamlined, just one organisation instead of three ‘courts’ - Court of Exchequer
How did Mary try and stop inflation?
Recoinage plans to stop problems caused by debasement of coinage by Henry and Somerset
What did Mary draft to improve finances?
1558 Book of Rates to improve Customs Revenue
Positives of Mary’s financial reforms?
Benefitted Elizabeth, Mary died too soon for implementation
What did Williams say about Mary’s government?
Financial record was “at least adequate”
Negatives of Mary’s financial reforms?
Canceled Edward’s final subsidy, made her popular but led to falling government revenue
Royal debt rose (not dramatically, still at war with France)
Naval Reforms?
6 new ships built, many repaired
reorganised administration of navy
Crucial for defeat of Armada
two acts of parliament reformed the way of raising an army
How did Mary change naval budget?
Crown budgeted for peacetime allocation of 14,000 per annum to navy
What did people think of Mary?
Intolerant and dogmatic
Treasurer of navy and troops?
Efficient treasurer Benjamin Gonson
Guy - “a landmark in English military organisation”
Reformed methods for raising troops
How did Mary change towns?
Mary encouraged strong local government, gave out many new charters which gave towns new rights
Power and structure of local councils made more consistent across country
What did Tittler say about Mary’s support of towns?
“Conscious support” given to towns
What was poor relief like?
More active, response to bad years (influenza, bad harvest), enforcement of laws against grain hoarders
How did Mary reform education?
1556 - Mary proposed training of clergy place should be reformed
Focused on developing universities (1555 - St John’s College, Oxford)
What did Mary maximise?
Printing press, vital for spread of Catholicism (prayer books, etc)
1556 Harvest
Worst poor harvest - heavy rain, high price in grain, taxation high to afford French war
What happened to wool trade?
Continued decline following Antwerp Crash in 1551
Poor Acts?
Poor Act of 1555 - licensed beggars must wear badges, added to shame local community members into donating more alms to poor relief in parishes
Constituency growth?
By 1558 - 52 shires, 160 cities, towns and boroughs
Trade routes for English cloth?
New routes opened in Africa, especially Morocco which provided sugar
Who was appointed Governor to Company of Merchant Adventurers?
Sebastien Cabot
What links were established by exploration?
Chancellor travelled to Muscovy and established relations with Ivan IV
What happened to trade passing through London?
Considerably lower by the end of 1550’s
