Mid-Tudor Crisis: Stability of the Monarchy

Question 1

Problems on EVI’s accession?

Answer 1

Population rise to 3M
Inflation (77%)
Enclosures
Vagrancy
Poor harvests
Epidemics
Decline in living standards
£1.5M wars with France

Question 2

Problems of minority kingship

Answer 2

Couldn’t lead an army
Made England look weak, threat of foreign attack
Risk of Wars of the Roses returning

Question 3

What economic issues did Somerset face?

Answer 3

Monastic lands had been sold and taxes raised to fund wars
£1.5M spent on wars with France
Debasement and inflation of 77%

Question 4

Vagrancy Act

Answer 4

1547
Vagrants would be enslaved for 2 years if they were unemployed for more than 2 days
Enslaved for life if it was a second offence

Question 5

Hale’s Enclosure Commission

Answer 5

1547
Led by Hales as Somerset was preoccupied with war
Favoured over the more economically viable proposal from Smith to re-base the coinage
Landowners blocked any attempts to legislate on the issue
Alienation of the gentry and the lower class

Question 6

Somerset’s relationship with fellow Councillors

Answer 6

Imprisoned Wriothesley, Gardiner and Norfolk
Repealed 1539 Act of Proclamations
Relied on the ‘Commonwealth men’ rather than the Privy Council
Reserved himself the right to retain troops
Built up vast estates e.g. Somerset House
Executed Thomas Seymour in 1549

Question 7

Somerset’s Scottish foreign policy

Answer 7

Battle of Pinkie 1547 - set up a string of garrisons to maintain English presence
But French fleet landed at Leith in 1548
Mary QoS is betrothed to the Dauphin in 1548 with Mary Guise acting as regent
Spends £580K on Scotland

Question 8

Somerset’s French foreign policy

Answer 8

Boulogne very costly and due to be handed back in 1554
Henry II declares war on England in 1549 and besieges Boulogne

Question 9

Somerset’s failures

Answer 9

Hale’s Commission
Debasement led to further inflation
Borrowed £250,000 from abroad for military affairs
Lacked political authority so his policies were easily challenged
Chantries Act 1547 reduced long term Royal income
Rebellions of 1549

Question 10

How did Northumberland gain power?

Answer 10

1549
Secured a Protestant majority in the Council
Dismissed enemies e.g. Arundel, after rumours of a plot against him in 1550
Execution of Somerset in 1552 after association with a plot

Question 11

Anti-Somerset faction

Answer 11

Northumberland, Wriothesely and Paget

Question 12

Devise for Succession

Answer 12

1553
Initially said that the crown would go to LJG’s eldest male heir
Altered to make LJG the heir
Edward’s death kept quiet for 2 days whilst prominent men were forced to sign the devise

Question 13

Evidence that Edward was responsible for the Devise

Answer 13

He was nearly of age
Playing a greater role in government
A more committed Protestant than Northumberland
Poorly managed - Mary had time to escape
No propaganda campaign
Northumberland had dismissed his personal army in 1552

Question 14

Evidence that Northumberland was responsible for the Devise

Answer 14

Edward’s health was declining and N naturally took control
His son was married to Lady Jane Grey
He would lose his position under Mary

Question 15

Mary’s response to the devise

Answer 15

Proclaimed herself Queen
Sent letters to the Privy Council and towns informing them
The question of legitimacy was important for the ruling classes because if they supported an illegal claimant the rights to their land could be questioned
Gained support from Charles V and so was able to raise a large force

Question 16

Which of her opposers did Mary release from jail once she was Queen?

Answer 16

Gardiner and Norfolk

Question 17

Issues of female rule

Answer 17

Marriage - how to marry and how much power she would give up to her husband
Fear that she would be unable to control faction or lead army into battle

Question 18

Phillip of Spain

Answer 18

Supported by Paget
Fears that he would dominate
Drag England into the Hapsburg-Valois wars
Arrival of Spaniards could threaten English officials
BUT
Politically experienced
Habsburg alliance would strengthen trade with Netherlands
He was Catholic

Question 19

Edward Courtenay

Answer 19

Supported by Gardiner
Rumoured to have Protestant tendencies
Would cause tensions between English nobles

Question 20

Evidence that Mary’s government was effective

Answer 20

Elizabeth succeeded unopposed
Council was usually able to agree
Established the Inner Council 1555 who met in groups similar in size to under Northumberland
Created the Committee system which removed casual councillors

Question 21

Evidence that Mary’s government was ineffective

Answer 21

She was unable to convert Elizabeth to Catholicism
Clashes between Gardiner and Paget until 1555
Didn’t produce an heir
Increased the size of her Privy Council
She didn’t go through the Privy Council when deciding to marry Philip