Must know facts Somorset and details of rule

Question 1

How many people were killed by Lord Russel’s men when they brought down the Western Rebellion ?

Answer 1

3,000

Question 2

Why tried to stage a coup against Somerset ?

Answer 2

His brother Thomas Seymour with the help of Southampton

Question 3

How many rebels took control of Norwich during Kett’s rebellion of 1549?

Answer 3

16,000

Question 4

How much money did Somerset spend on war with Scotland?

Answer 4

£580,000

Question 5

How many times did Somerset use the Great Seal during his 2 years in charge?

Answer 5

76

Question 6

What economic policy did Somerset continue from Henry VIII?

Answer 6

Debasement

Question 7

What was Somerset’s main military strategy for Scotland?

Answer 7

Defeat Scotland in battle, garrison the border and force Scotland into submission

Question 8

Who brought to an end Somerset’s protectorate and when?

Answer 8

Northumberland (Warwick) and Southampton, August 1549

Question 9

How did Somerset deal with Kett’s rebellion?

Answer 9

Sent an army including foreign mercenaries under the command of Warwick

Question 10

What were the two main objectives of the Book of Common Prayer?

Answer 10

To establish a single form for services within the Church of England and to translate services into English

Question 11

Why were chantries and religious guilds dissolved?

Answer 11

The Crown needed money for its foreign policy

Question 12

What failed tax (that sparked the Western rebellion of 1549) did Somerset introduce and why did he introduce it?

Answer 12

Sheep tax to discourage enclosure

Question 13

What did Somerset introduced in 1547 to deal with the disorderly poor?

Answer 13

Vagrancy Act

Question 14

What is the Western Rebellion of 1549 also known as?

Answer 14

The prayer book rebellion

Question 15

After how many days did Somerset disband the Regency Council?

Answer 15

16

Question 16

How and when was Somerset in control ?

Answer 16

• 1547-1549
• Grew supporters and awarded himself control and largely governed using his own household
• reinforced his power through the privy chamber
• His reputation was sourced by factional rivalries and fear of breakdown of order

Question 17

Somerset style of government :

Answer 17

• Quasi-royal powers (powers not granted by parliament)
• Used more proclamations than any other Tudor (70)
• Sole custody of the dry stamp (Edwards signature)
• Ruled as an autocrat eg bypassed the privy council and used his own household servants

Question 18

Government policies of Somerset

Answer 18

• 1547 Vagrancy acts (able bodied persons who had been out of work for 3 days = branded and sold in to slavery)
• June 1548 : proclamations were issued against enclosure

Question 19

Somerset foreign policy aims

Answer 19

• Marriage between Mary and Edward
• Conquer Scotland
• Avoid war with France
• Prevent alliance between Scotland and France

Question 20

Failures in Somersets FP

Answer 20

• Aug 1558 : MQS was taken to France to marry the Dauphin
• Policy of garrisoning was unaffordable eg £600,000 was spent and his strategy unravelled due to being unable to capture strategic points
• Deterioration of relationship with France eg 1549 threat of war

Question 21

Successes of Somerset’s FP

Answer 21

• Battle of Pinkie (Scotland) was successful Sept 1547 however post that his strategy unravelled

Question 22

Economic change :

Answer 22

• Continued the process of debasing the coinage (£537,000 was raised but added to social pressures)
• Taxation for the war in Scotland caused discontent
• Enclosure became a big issue and a commission was set up but little was achieved apart from annoying land owners
• ## Introduction of a tax on sheep designed to deter enclosure but it instead created pressure on small farmers

Question 23

Western rebellion (prayer book rebellion)
causes, threat, ease of suppression etc

Answer 23

• 1549 (summer)
• Causes : resentment of the sheep tax and the New book of common prayer
• Location : Devon (>3000 participants)
• Threat : Lack of Nobility so hard to suppress and the threat was originally underestimated
• Rebels were defeated and 3000 were killed
• Consequences : created more hostility for the government as their forces had acted illegally, executing without trials

Question 24

Kett’s rebellion

Answer 24

• 1549
• Causes : hatred of local government and resentment of abuse by landlords
• Wanted Somerset to act on his proclamation against enclosures
• 16,000 men (largely common people)
• East Anglia (closer to London)
• Hard to disperse (3,000 slaughtered and 49 executed)
• Leniently dealt with
• Original attempt to deal with the rebellion was a humiliating failure + was forced to her mercenaries