Mid-tudor crisis Flashcards
Treason Act (1547)
- Under Somerset
- Allowed religious issues to be discussed and removed censorship
- Protestant material could be brought into England for the first time legally
Protestant Book of Common Prayer and act of Uniformity (1549)
- Under Somerset
- Translated traditional services into English
- Ambiguous in relation to the Eucharist using words which still might allow transubstantiation
Reforms to Church services under Northumberland
- Removal of altars
- Combining lutheran and calvinist elements
1552 Book of Common Prayer and Act of Uniformity:
- Under Northumberland
- Removed remaining ‘conservative’ ceremonies
- gave Protestant form to the baptism, confirmation, burial and Communion services
Impact of religious change under Edward:
- services became plainer and people were less inclined to leave money.
- Loss of charitable functions of monasteries and chantries.
Economic changes under Edward:
- Situation was poor after Henry’s expenditure on war and inflation
- increasing enclosure leading to unemployment
- Steps taken include Somerset’s proclomation against enclosure and tax on sheep
debasement of the coinage
Northumberland’s commission to improve royal financial administration
Western rebellion (1549):
- Devon and Cornwall
- Prompted by religious grievances (catalyst being the new Book of Common Prayer) and sheep tax (uncaring government in London hitting farmers)
Kett’s rebellion (July 1549)
- Motivated by : Hatred of local government officials, resentment of enclosure, local fustration over the maladministration of the Howards
- Rebellion was brutally suppressed and Kett hanged
- Presented some danger as Somerset was preoccupied with Scotland and France
Disagreement’s over Mary’s religious policies and succession:
- A significant minority of MPs opposed the reversal of Edwardian religious legislation
- MPs proved reluctant to restore ex-monastic land to the Church
- Parliament defeated a 1555 bill to allow the seizure of property of Protestant exiles
The Spanish Marriage (1554):
- Without consultation of the privy chamber.
- marriage treaty:
Gave Philip the title of King but no 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 Philip’s wars.
Mary’s relations with foreign powers:
- Desire to restore papal supremacy and to advance Philip as her choice of husband
- Election of fiercely anti-Spanish pope restored state of war between France and Spain
- Mary decided to support Spain and go to war against France
- Lost Calais to France in 1558
Problem:
Strong protestant minority in London.
Reformed Protestant Church had been established by statute law
Many people from the political elite had acquired Church land and were not keen to return it
Actions:
- Protestant clergy were deprived of their livings
- Foreign protestants were ordered to leave country
- Around 80 MPs voted against religious changes of Mary’s first parliament
- Edwardian religious changes were repealed but the legal status of the Church of England was retained
Pope Julius III demanded that the Church submit to Rome before dispensations to landowners of ex-church property could be granted:
- Pope Julius agreed not to try claim back Church land that had been sold (reduced opposition to the return of Catholicism)
Heresy laws (1554):
- made it punishable by death to deny papal supremacy
- around 280 Protestants were burnt at the stake
Act of Supremacy (1555):
Made the Pope the leader of the Church again
Economic change under Mary:
- Population growth and limited increase in productivity led to inflation
- Debasement of coinage
- Harvest failures of 1555 and 1556
- High taxation to pay for war against France
Addressing economic change under Mary:
- 1553 Poor Law Act ordered licensed beggars to wear badges, so parishioners were encouraged to donate
- Conversion of pasture land to crop farming
- movement of industries to countryside was discouraged in order to reduce urban unemployment
Wyatt’s rebellion (1553-4):
- Caused by strong anti-Spanish sentiment and against pro-catholic change
Rebels wanted to unseat Mary in favour of Elizabeth or Jane Grey - Four simultaneous uprisings, particularly in Kent with 3000 involved
Execution of Lady Jane - Grey and arrest of Elizabeth
Act of Supremacy (1559):
- Under Elizabeth
- Repealed the papal supremacy and the Marian laws
- Reinstated the religious legislation of Henry VIII’s reign
- made the queen ‘supreme governor’ of the Church of England
- demanded an oath of supremacy from all clergymen and church officials
Act of Uniformity (1559):
- everyone should go to church once a week or face a fine
- established the use of the first new book of common prayer (carefully worded to allow variations of the Eucharist belief)
The royal injunctions (1559):
- purchase of an English bible and a copy of Erasmus’ Paraphrases
- suppression of Catholic practices (pilgrimages and use of candles)
- removal of things ‘superstitious’
Thirty-nine articles (1563):
- Sought to define the doctrine of the church
- Broadly supported reformed doctrine
- Denied teachings concerning transubstantiation
- Ministers could marry
Significance of the settlement:
- Elizabeth was put under pressure from two key factions:
A ‘Puritan choir’ of radical clergymen and MPs who supported a more Protestant prayer book
Catholic bishops and conservative peers in the House of Lords, who strongly opposed the uniformity bill, believing the settlement too Protestant
Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis (1559):
- Ended the French war
- Stated France would retain Calais for eight years, thereafter, France would pay England 500,00 crowns or return it
Intervention in Scotland:
- John Knox, a radical Calvinist, requested help from fellow Protestants in England in response to French garrisons in Scottish fortresses
- Cecil strongly supported intervention
- Treaty of Edinburgh brought peace and a Protestant Scottish government
Intervention in France (1562):
- conflict broke out between Catholics and Protestants
- Dudley encouraged Elizabeth to put military pressure on the French Crown to ensure the return of Calais
- Elizabeth provided Protestant leader with men and money, but his army was defeated
- English were forced to accept Treaty of Troyes, by which the loss of Calais was made permanent
Problem:
Inflation due to debasement of coinage (1561)
- Plans put forward to replace debased coins with soundly minted ones
- households tended to hoard good coins and pay debts with debased coinage
Problem:
Vagabonds in towns, increasing crime and workers demanding higher pay (1562)
Statute of Artificers:
- fix prices, impose minimum wages, restrict worker’s freedom of movement and regulate training
- Regulating agricultural wages
- compulsory seven year apprenticeship
Problem:
Increasing poverty, made worse by inflation and poor harvests (1563)
Poor Law Act:
- laid down fines for those who refused to contribute to poor relief when requested to do so
