The Duke Of Somerset 1547-49

Question 1

Who was the Duke of Somerset?

Answer 1

Known as:
- Edward Seymour
- Earl of Hertford
- Lord protecter

He was key leader of reforming group in regency council

Question 2

What was his coup d’etat (take over power)

Answer 2

Agreed that regardless of Henry’s wishes for a balanced regency council
The earl would take power as lord protector
He bribed other councils and earl of Hertford took power in a bloodless coup d’etat

Question 3

What years was Somerset in power for?

Answer 3

1547-49

Question 4

Problems facing Somerset (short term 3)

Answer 4

• whether or not to continue the wars against Scotland and France
• question of religious reforms
• finding ways of raising more revenue

Question 5

Problems facing Somerset (long term 1)

Answer 5

Population increase - major threat to gov as biggest cause of inflation which added to cost of administration + threatened living standards

Caused more poverty and unemployed

Question 6

Problem 1 : war with Scotland resume?

Answer 6

Yes
- sake of national prestige
- retain support of nobility

No
- country would be plunged further into debt

Question 7

Problem 2 : should religious reform along Protestant lines be encouraged officially?

Answer 7

Yes
- to not lose support of Protestant activists
- such loss of support might allow catholic revival which would endanger Somerset’s hold on power
- reforming regency council

No
- if he went too far, reformers might provide the catholics into open rebellions

Question 8

Problem 3/4 : should the gov make economic and financial reform a priority?

Answer 8

Yes
- rising discontent among people over economic conditions
- might lead to popular uprisings

No
- whatever action he took, likely to cause as many problems as it solved
- making changes to enclosure rights, would attack the gentry class on whom the gov depended on support

Question 9

What did Somerset actually do?

Answer 9

• continue the war
• cautiously introduced some religious reforms
• tried to dampen down popular discontent

Question 10

What was Somersets plans for the regency council?

Answer 10

• to govern eng
• 16 members supported by further 12 to assist as required
• decisions need a majority
• balanced Protestants and conservatives

Question 11

Were the regency plans realised?

Answer 11

• didnt last long - delegated power to Hertford (protector)
• ## controlled privy chamber through Stan hope

Question 12

How was Somerset able to come to power?

Answer 12

• intervened in Scotland (defeated at battle of pinkie)
• Duke of Norfolk arrested 1546
• became lord protector
• ‘good duke’ as tried to help the poor but reached major crises by 1549

Question 13

Somerset’s style of gov

Answer 13

Personal and centralised

Question 14

3 key domestic changes Somerset made

Answer 14

Treason act 1547
Chantries act 1547
Proclamation act 1549

Question 15

Treason act 1547

Answer 15

Repealed old heresy, treason and censorship laws which:
- free religion
- enabled literature on religion
- importation of Lutheran and Calvinist literature from the continent

Question 16

Treason act 1547 consequences

Answer 16

Disorder and riots
Attacks on churches
Left local authorities less powerful

Question 17

Chantries act 1547

Answer 17

Close chantries (people pay to go heaven)
Confiscated lands and property, protests and increased coinage

Question 18

Chantries act 1547 - Long term

Answer 18

Added to inflation
Prices for grain rose rapidly
Fuelling discontent among poor

Question 19

Proclamation act 1549

Answer 19

Repealed this act, stating that royal proclamations should be obeyed as if they were acts of parliament

(Somerset tried to give himself more freedom)

Question 20

Proclamation act 1549 consequences

Answer 20

However there was actually an increase in use of proclamations under Edward VI
- 6 times a year under HVIII
- 19 times a year under EVI

Question 21

Somersets 2 economic problems

Answer 21

Enclosures
Inflation

Question 22

Economic problem : enclosure

Answer 22

• Commission to investigate legality of recent enclosures but led to frustration among rich + poor
• landowners feared if enclosures reversed it would severely limit wealth from sheep farming
• poor hoped reversal would bring lands back
• gov needed support of landowners to maintain law + order

Question 23

Economic problems : inflation

Answer 23

• politicians didn’t understand inflation
• increasing population was main cause as greater demand for goods pushed up prices
• threatened living standards
• more unemployment
• rising food prices

Question 24

Somerset foreign policy successes

Answer 24

• strengthened defences at Calais, Bologna and new haven
• battle of pinkie + Scot’s defeated = victory for Somerset to occupy all the main border strongholds

Question 25

Somerset foreign policy failures

Answer 25

• tried to isolate the Scot’s by negotiating with France for defensive alliance but death of Francis I and the accession of Henry it ended any hopes of a compromise with french
• extremely costly - 600k in time of financial pressure